Inside Housing
19/03/2010
View all stories from this issue.
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150 HAs join rescue scheme
19/03/2010
The number of housing associations offering the government’s mortgage rescue scheme has leapt by almost 600 per cent in seven months.
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A cat among the pigeons
19/03/2010
The secret’s out. After a year in which the Conservative Party has never been slow to criticise the Tenant Services Authority it finally confirmed this week that the regulator will get the bullet if the Tories win May’s predicted general election.
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A delicate balance
23/03/2010
Housing providers must meet the housing needs of people diagnosed with HIV without displaying prejudice, explains solicitor Sophie Bell
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ALMO wins five-year extension to contract
22/03/2010
Haringey has extended its contract with arm’s-length management organisation Homes for Haringey for another five years.
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Are you happy in your job?
19/03/2010
Inside Housing is running a job satisfaction survey to find out how happy and secure housing employees feel.
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Associations admit admin costs too high
19/03/2010
A third of housing associations are looking to shave more than 5 per cent from their administration and IT costs in 2010/11, a new survey reveals.
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At the crossroads
19/03/2010
All the political parties will be poring over John Healey’s proposals on council housing finance reform because, whoever wins the election, change in housing’s financial model is afoot - and its effects will last for years, writes David Hall
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Bolton ALMO appoints new chief exec
25/03/2010
Bolton at Home has appointed a new chief executive, who will oversee the potential transfer of homes to the body.
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Breaking the habit
23/03/2010
Government targets have focused attention on the most entrenched rough sleepers. Emily Twinch reports on a scheme working with one of the hard-to-reach groups.
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Budget fails to address demand for homes
25/03/2010
Housing bodies welcomed the announcements in yesterday’s Budget, but warned more will be needed to meet demand for affordable housing.
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Budget to include further support for housing
24/03/2010
Chancellor Alistair Darling is expected to announce further support for the housing sector in today’s Budget.
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Builders call for more support
23/03/2010
Trade body the Federation of Master Builders is publishing its ‘manifesto’ for the general election today, calling for more support for the industry.
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Camden reclaims 100 sublet council homes
22/03/2010
A London council has reported it has saved nearly £7.5 million by taking possession of a record number of unlawfully sublet homes.
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Campaigners welcome super-strength tax
25/03/2010
A homelessness charity has welcomed Alistair Darling’s pledge to increase the tax on strong cider.
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Change the law
19/03/2010
Unlawful sub-letting must be criminalised to get to the heart of the problem
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Clash is a wasted opportunity
19/03/2010
I attended the Ecobuild exhibition at the start of the month and was very pleased with the variety and number of exhibitors. What a pity, that this exhibition conflicted with the dates of the Chartered Institute of Housing’ south east conference Brighton.
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CLG told to cut costs by £200m a year
24/03/2010
The Communities and Local Government department has been asked to save £200 million a year as part of efficiency savings in the Budget.
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Conflict of interests
19/03/2010
Cash incentives won’t be enough to persuade local communities to build new affordable housing
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Constructive debate
19/03/2010
With councils building homes on a scale not seen for years, Inside Housing assembled a panel of experts to thrash out some of the key issues. Chloë Stothart attends the Question Time event and finds there is no shortage of opinions
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Council defends cost of derelict site
29/03/2010
A council which is expecting to spend more than £58,000 this year on security and a handyman for a derelict site has said it is ‘entirely justifiable’.
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Councils face £25bn charge for financial freedom
25/03/2010
Councils will share £25.1 billion pounds of debt to buy their way out of the housing subsidy system, under proposals announced today.
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Councils failing to meet affordable homes need
19/03/2010
Only eight councils in England are ensuring there are enough affordable homes to meet housing need in their area, according to a controversial new league table.
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Doubt cast on 2012 homelessness goal
19/03/2010
Delegates at a Scottish housing conference have expressed a lack of confidence in the ability of councils to meet the target to abolish homelessness by 2012.
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Dropping anchor
19/03/2010
Two landmark cases have opened up eligibility for social housing for non-European migrants
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Efficient homes to slash energy bills
22/03/2010
A housing association is building homes designed to cut its tenants’ heating and hot water bills to £100 a year.
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Ethical bank lends £100m to housing
19/03/2010
Ethical bank Triodos agreed nearly £100 million of new loan facilities with housing associations last year.
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Finance
19/03/2010
This year’s finance supplement reflects a very long 12 months in housing. We kick off with a summary of the year in numbers, before exploring the world of bond finance, and revealing the findings of our exclusive survey of financial directors.
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Forecast uncertain
19/03/2010
Uncertainty looms over the prospects for the economy, over the political complexion of the next government and - above all for the sector’s finance teams - over the way public sector cuts will affect housing. Lydia Stockdale reports
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Funding threat for land-holding councils
24/03/2010
The government will withhold funding from local authorities that do not bring forward enough land for housing development, it has announced.
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Good procurement can create jobs
19/03/2010
The article on social landlords addressing worklessness (Inside Housing, 5 March) covered a notoriously thorny area well. With more and more organisations (not just social landlords), seeking to address worklessness, the issue has risen rapidly up the agenda, resulting in a huge number of initiatives to create training and employment opportunities for local people.
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Government grants final campaign demand
19/03/2010
The government is to change building regulations to require carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in all new homes with solid fuel heating systems.
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Green bank ideal for energy efficiency
25/03/2010
Government plans to create a Green Investment Bank could provide the perfect opportunity to fund energy efficiency improvements to homes, according to industry figures.
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HCA to recruit ‘place-making’ panel
23/03/2010
The Homes and Communities Agency is creating a panel of 400 senior housing and regeneration professionals to offer advice and comment.
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High-speed rail link puts homes at risk
19/03/2010
More than 350 social tenants could lose their homes under plans for a £30 billion high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham.
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Home run
19/03/2010
Running 26 miles and 385 yards in April’s London Marathon is going to be ‘great fun’ - allegedly. Well, at least those in the day-glo sports gear know they’re raising wads of money for Hact. Leonie Brown is one of them.
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Homelessness staff fear funding cuts
23/03/2010
Funding and a lack of move on housing are the biggest challenges facing homelessness services, a government-funded survey had found.
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Housing benefit reforms to save £250 million
24/03/2010
The most expensive properties in an area will be excluded from housing benefit calculations as part of a bid to save £250 million a year, the chancellor has said.
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Housing boss sacked after Nazi claims
22/03/2010
A London council has sacked its assistant director for housing options after he was accused of racist and anti-Semitic behaviour.
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Incest abuse case leads to criticisms
19/03/2010
Housing providers in Sheffield and Lincolnshire have been criticised following an investigation into an horrendous case of abuse and incest that took place over 35 years.
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Inspectors deliver positive verdicts
25/03/2010
Audit Commission inspectors have delivered generally positive verdicts in a bumper crop of nine reports published this week.
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Introducing.....House Proud readers' panel
19/03/2010
Every week from now until polling day, Inside Housing’s general election Readers’ Panel will give an insight into what the sector thinks of the politicians’ promises. As the runners and riders line up, Isabel Hardman canvasses some early views
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Lead by example
19/03/2010
We are all responsible for preventing anti-social behaviour and its tragic consequences, says John Lines
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Lenders call for Budget pledge
19/03/2010
The government has been told to set out plans in next week’s Budget to replace two funding schemes that have pumped £312 billion into the sector.
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Licensed to pay the bills
19/03/2010
After years in the shadows, the capital markets have come into their own for housing associations. Shaken into life by the credit crunch, but unstirred by volatile interest rates, Crispin Dowler reveals how the bond struck back - and how landlords can make the most of the resurgence
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March figures suggest changing market
24/03/2010
Market intelligence agency Hometrack has suggested the housing market is changing, as its latest monthly survey shows a 0.3 per cent price rise.
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Mayor bows to calls to cut Gypsy site target
24/03/2010
The mayor of London has slashed his proposed target for creating new Gypsy and Traveller pitches by more than half.
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Merton completes transfer of 9,000 homes
23/03/2010
The transfer of 9,000 homes from Merton council to a new housing association has been completed, in what is claimed to be the largest such move in London for a decade.
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MPs call for decent homes commitment
23/03/2010
MPs have praised the decent homes programme, but called for a clear statement on its future and more work to improve private sector housing.
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Newham Council serves order on overcrowded flats
13/04/2010
Newham Council housing officers have placed two young families living in a ‘rabbit warren’ property into emergency accommodation.
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NHF chief David Orr explains why he backs House Proud
22/03/2010
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NHF gives shared owners new hope
19/03/2010
Many more shared owners are proceeding to outright homeownership than previously thought, according to figures released by the National Housing Federation.
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Olympic Park sold in £138m deal
22/03/2010
Two sites for the Olympics have been transferred from the London Development Agency to the company which will work on the legacy for the games.
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Peak Valley defends ASB record after death
23/03/2010
A housing association has defended its record on anti-social behaviour after a man collapsed and died following alleged taunts from youths.
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Pets are beneficial to many residents
19/03/2010
I was disappointed to see a number of recent articles where social landlords appear to have taken a hard line on pet ownership. At Hanover, a provider of older people’s housing, we encourage resident choice. Many residents really value the choice to own a pet, especially where a deep attachment has already been formed.
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Protests fail to halt transfer plan
23/03/2010
Tenants in Neath Port Talbot have voted to transfer their homes to a housing association despite a strong Defend Council Housing campaign.
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Review to assess coalfield regeneration
22/03/2010
The government will review the regeneration of former mining areas, housing minister John Healey has said.
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Slow burn strategy
19/03/2010
Low rental yields on affordable housing offer little incentive to private investors. But a longer-term return on the capital value of their investment might tempt them into the market, argues Ian Graham
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Sound the alarm
19/03/2010
Inside Housing’s Safe as Houses campaign achieved another notable success this week when the government announced changes to protect residents from carbon monoxide poisoning.
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Start with a bang
19/03/2010
After two years of turbulence, homelessness charity Shelter is hoping it can use the coming general election to push housing up the political agenda. Spearheading the campaign is Campbell Robb, its new, adrenalin-pumped chief executive. Emily Twinch met him.
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Taking a healthy interest
19/03/2010
Liverpool Council is reinforcing the link between good housing and good health by teaching landlords to prevent illness and injury, Marie-Claire Kidd reports.
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Tell me about your cash flow
19/03/2010
The stresses and strains on finance directors have never been so acute. Using the results of our exclusive survey, Lydia Stockdale reveals just what’s on their minds
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Tenants concerned by TSA standards
19/03/2010
Worried tenant groups requested meetings with the Tenant Services Authority this week to seek assurances it has not watered down the demands placed on landlords to work with residents.
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The PFI marathon
19/03/2010
Only 10 councils are in contention for the sixth round of housing PFI, but if they want to get their hands on the funds they will have to dig deep and chase down £1 billion of investment themselves. Keith Cooper reports
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The year in numbers
19/03/2010
After the financial battering the sector took last year, 2010 has proved no less challenging, but as Ben Cook reports, there is a new-found resilience among those whose job it is to balance the books
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Tories commit to home efficiency plan
19/03/2010
The Conservative Party has reiterated its promise to introduce a Green Deal entitling every household in Britain to £6,500 of energy efficiency improvements.
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Tories pledge to respect social housing tenures
13/04/2010
The Conservative Party has pledged to ‘respect’ the tenures and rents of social housing tenants if it wins power.
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Tories: we will scrap the TSA
19/03/2010
The Tenant Services Authority will be axed if the Conservative Party wins the upcoming general election.
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Warden row pensioner is facing eviction
19/03/2010
A council has threatened a pensioner with court action for refusing to pay for support services following the removal of the resident warden at his sheltered housing scheme.
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What’s the bright idea?
19/03/2010
We all know we have to reduce carbon emissions from existing homes but how do we meet the massive cost of doing so? Steve Binks thinks he has the answer