Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Inside Housing
18/12/2009

View all stories from this issue.

  • ‘Scrooge-like’ Anchor Trust scraps staff’s £10 Christmas bonus

    18/12/2009

    A housing association which paid its former chief executive a £111,000 bonus has been accused of being ‘Scrooge-like’ for abolishing its £10 Christmas present for staff.

  • 10-year-old designs zero carbon homes for housing association

    24/12/2009

    A housing association has submitted plans for zero carbon homes which have been designed by a 10-year-old schoolgirl.

  • 2009 saw 5.9 per cent house price rise

    31/12/2009

    House prices rose 5.9 per cent during 2009, according to the latest figures from Nationwide.

  • Accord steps up building plans

    07/01/2010

    Midlands-based housing association Accord is planning to build 500 homes across the region by April 2011.

  • ASB group meets victims' champion

    18/12/2009

    The Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group is working with Sara Payne after a critical report

  • Association hands repairs budget to residents

    05/01/2010

    A housing association has delegated all decisions on its £11 million repairs budget to its residents.

  • Balfour buys into affordable housing

    29/12/2009

    Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has increased its involvement in the affordable housing market by buying Strata Construction.

  • Bolton council to build green

    21/12/2009

    Bolton Council has unveiled the design for the first new council houses in the town for 20 years.

  • Briefing: the Roanne judgement

    05/01/2010

    How a European ruling on a French regeneration scheme is affecting social housing development in the UK

  • Cancer patients on housing benefit need fuel help

    21/12/2009

    A leading cancer charity is calling for help with fuel bills for patients receiving housing benefit after it found one in four could not afford their heating costs.

  • Care in homes ‘saves money'

    18/12/2009

    Healthcare trusts, local authorities and care providers should work more closely together to keep people in their homes for longer, according to a new report.

  • Cash allocated for house building

    04/01/2010

    Housing minister John Healey has allocated £278 million for affordable housing.

  • Changes to right to buy cause ‘astronomical’ fall in sales

    18/12/2009

    Right to buy sales have plummeted by 94 per cent in the past five years.

  • Charities struggle to survive recession

    06/01/2010

    Homelessness organisations and services might not survive the recession, according to a report from an umbrella body.

  • Cheer up!...you've already had the hangover

    18/12/2009

    You may prefer to forget a lot of what happened in 2009 but for the masochists among you, here’s a reminder of the year’s highs and lows. Caroline Thorpe reports

  • Children die in flat fire

    18/12/2009

    Two children have died and three other people are in hospital following a fire at a housing association flat in north London.

  • Christmas cook-off

    18/12/2009

    Inside Housing’s first festive cookery contest turns up the heat in a south London homelessness hostel. Lydia Stockdale watches as stuffed turkeys go head to head with an evil-looking choc-ice snowman.

  • Circle Anglia chairman departs

    22/12/2009

    Circle Anglia chair Roger Humber is retiring. He joined Anglia Housing Association a decade ago as an independent member.

  • Coalition warns Tory plans will cut house building

    06/01/2010

    Conservative plans to shift responsibility for housing from regional bodies to local councils would result in fewer homes being built, a powerful new lobby group has warned.

  • Community contracts to improve council services

    05/01/2010

    Councils should sign contracts with local residents to drive up the standard of services, communities secretary John Denham said yesterday.

  • Correct balance

    18/12/2009

    Fundamental reform is needed to foster the private rented sector

  • Correction

    18/12/2009

    In the article Justice for all celebrating the 60th anniversary of legal aid (Inside Housing, 11 December) we printed: ‘Reforms have been introduced to try to keep costs in check - and these may hit housing cases, which account for more than a quarter of the legal aid budget.’In fact, housing cases account for

  • Cost of stamp duty freeze nears £500m

    31/12/2009

    The stamp duty holiday has cost the Treasury less than originally anticipated, with lost revenue expected to total under £500 million.

  • Council-led building begins in Tyneside

    05/01/2010

    The housing minister has promised more funding for councils to build homes, as work on the first phase of its council-led building initiative begins.

  • Crisis report warns about wealth gap worries

    23/12/2009

    The recession has made people more worried about the gap between rich and poor, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by charity Crisis.

  • Cut the carbon

    18/12/2009

    With the right EU backing, Housing Europe’s pledge to retrofit 8 million homes by 2020 will significantly reduce domestic emissions

  • Cutting emissions without breaking the bank

    05/01/2010

    Zero carbon homes are the green dream, but meeting level five of the code for sustainable homes gives many of the benefits without all the costs. A Family Mosaic scheme in London shows how it is done

  • Direct payments face axe in benefit review

    16/12/2009

    The government is considering a u-turn over direct payments of the local housing allowance.

  • Diversity should include everyone

    18/12/2009

    It was refreshing to read about Poplar HARCA’s youth empowerment board in the article We don’t really do it like that dear (Inside Housing, 27 November).

  • Dog attack tenant gets suspended sentence

    24/12/2009

    A housing association tenant has been given a suspended prison sentence after disobeying a court injunction forbidding her keeping dogs at her home.

  • DWP makes £28 million housing benefit saving

    23/12/2009

    Improvements in the administration of housing benefit and council tax contributed to efficiency savings of £28 million, according to The Department of Work and Pensions autumn report.

  • Fire safety campaigner claims council gagged her

    18/12/2009

    A resident campaigning for tower block fire safety following the Lakanal House tragedy claims her local authority has gagged her.

  • Firefighters tackle building site blaze

    06/01/2010

    Firefighters battled a blaze at a Southwark construction site through the early hours of this morning and evacuated 150 nearby residents.

  • Forrest reports profit surge

    22/12/2009

    Privately-owned social housing support services group Forrest has announced turnover of £46.8 million for the year to 31 August, up 3 per cent on the previous year.

  • Forrest strikes £40m deal

    18/12/2009

    Places for People has awarded £40 million of new social housing work to Preston-based Herbert T Forrest to carry out a major works programme across the west of the UK.

  • GHA agrees tenant power plans

    23/12/2009

    The UK’s largest landlord has agreed plans to hand over more power to tenants and drive forward the transfer of homes to smaller organisations.

  • Glad tidings we bring

    18/12/2009

    Congratulations, you’ve made it. The final days of 2009 are in sight. And - let’s face it - there were probably times you thought this Christmas would never come.

  • Government shuts repossession loophole

    30/12/2009

    The government has moved to close a legal loophole that allows lenders to repossess a home without going through the courts or telling the owner.

  • HAPPI won't make old people content

    18/12/2009

    I was disappointed to read the Housing our ageing population panel for innovation report which, while containing some well-meaning suggestions, missed the key issues.

  • Healey gives green light to stock transfer

    22/12/2009

    Six local authorities have been given the green light for their stock transfer plans.

  • Healey to streamline planning system

    21/12/2009

    Housing and planning minister John Healey has announced a package of measures to streamline the planning system, help businesses deliver projects quickly and drive down costs during recovery.

  • Healey video outlines mortgage support

    04/01/2010

    The housing minister has urged struggling homeowners to seek help with their post-Christmas ‘financial hangover’ in a YouTube video.

  • Help for vulnerable as cold snap continues

    06/01/2010

    The government has promised extra help for vulnerable people struggling to pay fuel bills, as snow hits much of the UK.

  • Hidden benefits

    18/12/2009

    The annual housing benefit bill has soared to £17 billion, supporting 4.5 million households.

  • Homeowners 'need long-term safety net'

    21/12/2009

    The government must do more for home owners to prevent repossessions rising in 2010, according to a review of the housing market.

  • House prices to fall in 2010

    29/12/2009

    Analysts have predicted house prices will fall in 2010, despite a surge in the market in recent months.

  • House prices to rise modestly in 2010

    22/12/2009

    House prices will rise by one or two per cent over the coming year, according to the latest housing market forecast.

  • Housing beats construction slowdown

    07/01/2010

    A construction index has shown house building activity grew for the fourth consecutive month in December, despite a continuing slowdown across the rest of the sector.

  • Housing benefit bill to be slashed

    18/12/2009

    The government is planning to slash the amount it spends on housing benefit over fears the figure is growing out of control.

  • Housing income for councils will remain ‘flat’ in 2010

    18/12/2009

    Councils’ housing income and the amount they repay to the government will remain almost flat next year.

  • In video: Christmas cook-off

    18/12/2009

    To mark the festive season, Inside Housing gathered budding social housing chefs to compete for our cook-off crown. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t quite go to plan

  • Indoor soup runs mooted to clear streets

    18/12/2009

    Soup runs should move indoors to try to achieve the London mayor’s goal of ending rough sleeping in the capital by 2012, a mayoral advisor has said.

  • Inside Housing to run marathon for Hact

    11/01/2010

    New year, new you? If you’re getting fit for 2010, then Inside Housing has just the blog for you.

  • Inspection regime overhauled

    18/12/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority is to overhaul the way social landlords are inspected by the Audit Commission.

  • LHA changes to fund £60m reform

    18/12/2009

    Reforms to housing benefit which would fight benefit dependency would cost at least £60 million to implement.

  • Light touch regulation

    18/12/2009

    What will the TSA’s reduction in regulatory burden mean for providers?

  • London authorities criticised for failing single homeless people

    18/12/2009

    London local authorities were summoned to a meeting with government officials after a report found they were failing single homeless people.

  • Minister challenges homeownership 'obsession'

    16/12/2009

    A change in national thinking is needed to help solve the problem of a lack of affordable homes in Scotland, the country’s housing and communities minister has said.

  • Money talks

    18/12/2009

    Want to know what the future really holds for social housing finance? Inside Housing gathered nine of the sector’s leading finance directors to find out. Jamie Obertelli reports

  • Movers & shakers

    18/12/2009

    Maggie Bodell-Stagg has been appointed chair of East Midlands Housing Association. Ms Bodell-Stagg worked as national funding officer for the Salvation Army’s elderly persons’ homes until her retirement last year.

  • MP lambasts delays to Lakanal inquest

    18/12/2009

    Camberwell and Peckham MP Harriet Harman has hit out at delays to the inquest into the deaths of six people in the Lakanal House tower block fire in her constituency.

  • New fire safety audit for timber frame building sites

    21/12/2009

    An industry body for timber frame housing manufacturers has announced a construction site audit scheme to improve fire safety.

  • New standards for eco-towns

    21/12/2009

    Eco-town developments must consider energy use from buildings and public spaces from across the town as well as private homes, according to new guidance.

  • New Year honours for housing sector

    04/01/2010

    The civil servant in charge of the government’s decent homes programme has been recognised in the New Year’s honours list.

  • Novas Scarman boss steps down

    05/01/2010

    The chief executive of Novas Scarman has stepped down from the troubled former housing association.

  • On the fence

    18/12/2009

    What do you get when you mix a storm, a housing association, an art student and Charles Saatchi? Art’s next big thing, of course. Lydia Stockdale finds out how

  • Parish councils seek more house building powers

    05/01/2010

    Parish councils should be given greater power over affordable housing delivery in their areas, according to the Rural Services Network.

  • Pathfinders receive £311 million boost

    23/12/2009

    The Communities and Local Government department is to allocate a further £311 million in addition to the £1.7 billion it has already provided to support 12 Pathfinder areas across the North and Midlands.

  • Pay Commission could investigate top housing salaries

    22/12/2009

    Public sector organisations paying excessive salaries to their top employees should be ‘named and shamed’, a committee of MPs said yesterday.

  • Persimmon upbeat despite drop in sales

    07/01/2010

    House builder Persimmon saw completions fall 12 per cent and revenue drop 20 per cent last year, a statement has revealed

  • Police investigate housing association fraud

    06/01/2010

    The police are investigating potential fraud at the shared equity arm of a Welsh housing association.

  • Poor data analysis harms equality work

    06/01/2010

    Housing organisations are not properly monitoring the ethnicity of tenants and failing to stamp out discrimination, a study has found.

  • Prince William sleeps rough for Centrepoint anniversary

    23/12/2009

    Prince William swapped Buckingham Palace for the streets of London for a night by bedding down to experience life as a rough sleeper.

  • Rage helps Shelter

    21/12/2009

    The Facebook campaign to make Rage Against the Machine the Christmas number one has raised thousands for homeless charity Shelter.

  • Revisions planned for sustainable building code

    17/12/2009

    The energy used to create building materials could be taken into account under proposed changes to the ratings system for sustainable homes.

  • Scottish Government told to take tougher stance on house builders

    23/12/2009

    Scotland will struggle to hit its ambitious green targets unless it sets tougher rules for house builders, according to a leading academic.

  • Sector pension trustees broke data law

    18/12/2009

    The trustees of the Pensions Trust have been found in breach of the Data Protection Act, after the theft of details of thousands of social housing pension scheme members.

  • Sheffield accused of decent homes cover up

    07/01/2010

    Opposition councillors in Sheffield have suggested officials tried to cover up controversial changes to the city’s decent homes programme, after reading a memo about the plans.

  • Snow forces landlords to limit services

    07/01/2010

    Heavy snowfall has left social landlords focusing on emergency repairs and services for vulnerable people only.

  • South east left out of HCA grant raise

    18/12/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has increased its upfront grant payments to housing associations in a bid to accelerate the number of affordable homes built this financial year.

  • Southwark commissions fresh fire risk checks

    11/01/2010

    The London borough where six people died in a tower block blaze has brought in external assessors to conduct in depth risk assessments of the fire risk in all its high rise blocks.

  • Thatcher feared housing race riots

    04/01/2010

    Margaret Thatcher thought it ‘quite wrong’ immigrants should be given council housing ahead of ‘white citizens’, confidential documents have revealed.

  • The perfect 10

    18/12/2009

    Here’s what I’m dreaming of as Christmas and 2010 approaches, says Jon Cruddas

  • Three Valleys chief meets TSA

    18/12/2009

    Three Valleys Housing chief executive Paul Eastwood is to appear before the Tenant Services Authority today to discuss allegations and complaints which led the regulator to request a governance review.

  • Tory health reform targets poor areas

    05/01/2010

    The poorest communities would be given extra funding for health services under Conservative plans.

  • Tower block register to assess fire risk

    07/01/2010

    The Tenants Services Authority has set out its detailed plans for a national register of social housing tower blocks in England.

  • Welsh government fails housing sector

    18/12/2009

    The government claims that it has ‘learnt lessons’ from the failure of the previous bid for powers on housing, but it fails to point out that it has been warned about these problems time and time again by the Welsh Liberal Democrats.