Inside Housing
Alex Wellman Editorial
I am the deputy web editor for Inside Housing. I also cover repairs and maintenance issues online and in the magazine as well as asylum and immigration matters. Before coming to the magazine I worked on a number of local newspapers in and around London. You can follow me on twitter @alex_wellman
Stories by this author.
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Housing used to woo voters in London mayor race
20/04/2012
The Liberal Democrats have set out the most ambitious house building plans among the main candidates standing in the London mayoral election.
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Liverpool candidates promise new homes
20/04/2012
Thousands of new homes are being promised in the battle to become Liverpool’s first directly elected mayor next month.
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Mayoral candidates clash over affordable homes
19/04/2012
A row has erupted over the development of affordable homes between the two main candidates vying to become the next mayor of London.
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Land transfer paves way for estate regeneration
19/04/2012
A council has approved in principle the transfer of land to a developer to kick start the regeneration of one of its estates.
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Homeless could benefit from NHS reform
19/04/2012
The umbrella body for homelessness charities has stepped up calls for better links with health services after a report called for more work to improve health outcomes for young people.
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Report shows health problems of young homeless
18/04/2012
A call has gone out for politicians to help improve the outcomes for homeless young people after it was revealed almost half experience depression and one quarter have been diagnosed with mental health problems.
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Contractors chosen for £300m framework
18/04/2012
A housing partnership has appointed a series of contractors to a £300 million maintenance framework.
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Appeal court backs landlord over family eviction
16/04/2012
A landlord which won the backing of the Court of Appeal to evict a mother of seven following her husband’s conviction for hard drugs, has taken back control of the family home.
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Landlords pick contractor for £12m improvements
16/04/2012
A contractor has won a bid to improve more than 1,000 homes in a deal worth £12 million.
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GLA seeks developers for £5bn procurement panel
16/04/2012
Developers are being sought for a £5 billion procurement panel which aims to provide a boost to house building in London.
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Warning over housing benefit plan for under-25s
13/04/2012
Attempts to simplify benefits through universal credit will fail if the government accepts a controversial proposal to stop out-of-work under-25s receiving housing benefit, the Chartered Institute of Housing has warned.
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Livingstone reveals manifesto for London
11/04/2012
Ken Livingstone has launched his manifesto for London with a pledge to re-establish a development target with an ‘expectation’ that half of all homes built in the capital will be affordable.
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Construction firm in bid to buy house builder
11/04/2012
Construction firm Bouygues has signed an agreement to buy house builder Thomas Vale subject to approval from the European Commission.
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Government appoints empty homes champion
11/04/2012
TV presenter George Clarke has been appointed as independent adviser to the government on bringing empty homes back into use.
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Contractor agrees £28m regeneration deal
11/04/2012
A contractor has agreed a £28 million deal to deliver more than 200 new homes across regeneration projects on three estates.
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Government benefit proposal attacked by charity
10/04/2012
The government has admitted that it is examining a proposal which would stop people under-25 from receiving housing benefit.
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Gypsy and Traveller inequalities targeted
05/04/2012
The government has issued a series of commitments to tackle inequalities facing Travellers and Gypsies including using the new homes bonus to fund the development of legal sites.
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Candidates for Liverpool Mayor revealed
05/04/2012
The list of candidates vying to become the first elected Mayor of Liverpool has been confirmed ahead of a vote on May 3.
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Cleared Fabrick boss returns to work
05/04/2012
A senior housing director is set to return to work after being cleared of conspiring to supply cocaine.
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Mayor of London takes over HCA powers
03/04/2012
The Mayor of London has taken over responsibility for a £1.6 billion development budget and hundreds of hectares of public land.
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Council takes back housing as ALMO closes
03/04/2012
A council has taken back responsibility for managing its housing stock after deciding to scrap its arms-length management organisation.
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Cameron launches reinvigorated right to buy
03/04/2012
The prime minister has formally unveiled the new right to buy scheme for social housing tenants in England which will include an increased discount cap of £75,000.
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Council urged to keep social rents and tenancies
03/04/2012
A local authority has been told to maintain a commitment to socially rented homes and security of tenure by a commission it set up to assess housing issues.
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Legal bid launched to save homes from rail threat
03/04/2012
A group of councils has launched a judicial review of the government’s decision to press ahead with a £33 billion rail project which could destroy hundreds of homes.
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£250,000 damage arson tenant jailed
02/04/2012
A tenant who set fire to the flat he privately rented above a petrol station following a row with his landlord has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
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ALMO takes control of council housing services
02/04/2012
A social landlord has taken over control of most of the housing services at a council.
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£270m Growing Places cash allocated
30/03/2012
The government is to release £420 million of cash for local authorities to invest in infrastructure to help boost businesses, jobs and housing.
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Council bidding to tear down tower blocks
30/03/2012
A council is bidding to ramp up the regeneration of one its estates by demolishing two tower blocks and replacing them with hundreds of new flats and maisonettes.
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Tenants banned from moving if home is damaged
30/03/2012
A local authority is cracking down on tenants who trash their council homes before moving on to a new one by forcing them to pay before they leave.
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Contractor cancels £3.8m deal with TMO
29/03/2012
A contractor has terminated a deal to provide repairs and maintenance to a tenant management organisation.
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Cash reward for councils tackling troubled families
28/03/2012
Councils charged with turning around the lives of 120,000 troubled families will be given up to £4,000 per successful household.
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Investigation into flat explosion ongoing
28/03/2012
An investigation into an explosion and fire in a council flat where a woman was found dead has yet to reveal a cause.
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Cuts hitting homelessness support
28/03/2012
Government cuts are affecting homeless people’s abilities to get jobs and homes while services are being forced to offer reduced support, a new report reveals.
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Olympic homes developer shortlist revealed
28/03/2012
Landlords are among three groups bidding to become the chosen team to build 800 new homes on the Olympic Park.
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Renting in London unaffordable for most families
28/03/2012
Renting a two bedroom home in London is unaffordable for families earning less than £52,000, according to new research.
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Fear for standards over new regulatory framework
28/03/2012
Housing chiefs fear that failure by landlords to meet certain standards could be tolerated under the new regulatory framework.
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Council in bid to let new homes at social rent level
26/03/2012
A council has secured extra grants from the Homes and Communities Agency to ensure that new homes in a proposed regeneration scheme can be let at social rent levels.
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Asylum seeker housing provision announced
26/03/2012
People seeking asylum in the United Kingdom are to be housed and supported by private companies after the government chose them for a new contract.
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Landlord signs £7m deal to improve homes
26/03/2012
A contractor has won a bid to refurbish more than 600 homes in a deal worth up to £7 million.
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Contractors merge to create £1bn company
26/03/2012
Contractors have merged to create a regeneration and repairs company with a turnover of £1 billion.
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Travellers to be banned from green belt
26/03/2012
Gypsies will be banned from camping on green belt land after the government revealed its streamlined planning policy for Traveller sites.
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Contractor chosen for £1.5m repairs deal
23/03/2012
A housing provider has appointed a contractor to provide painting and repairs services to its homes in a £1.5 million deal.
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Landlord tackles crowding with loft conversions
23/03/2012
A housing provider has launched a pilot scheme to ease overcrowding in council homes by converting lofts into bedrooms.
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Council awarded cash to help struggling homeowners
23/03/2012
A council has secured thousands of pounds of government funding to help struggling homeowners at risk of repossession.
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Charity backs minimum price for alcohol
23/03/2012
Government plans to set a minimum price for a unit of alcohol could help save the lives of rough sleepers, a charity has said.
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Mayor criticised after culling ALMO board
23/03/2012
The directly elected mayor of a London authority has been accused of using an arm’s-length management organisation as a political tool after he sacked board members and snubbed council calls to reconsider his decision.
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Man charged with stealing his own water tank
22/03/2012
A man is due in court accused of stealing a copper water tank from his own council flat and selling it for scrap.
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Court backs council in Travellers' housing row
22/03/2012
The Court of Appeal has ruled that a council’s offer of bricks and mortar accommodation to homeless Travellers was appropriate and did not destroy their culture.
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Sector responds to Budget
21/03/2012
Organisations from across the housing sector have responded to announcements made by the chancellor during his Budget speech.
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Budget fuels CIH fears for HRA reform
21/03/2012
The Chartered Institute of Housing has raised concerns over reform of the housing revenue account as detailed in the Budget.
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NPPF to be published next week
21/03/2012
The National Planning Policy Framework is to be finally published by the government next Tuesday, the chancellor has announced.
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Building fund needs £150m to reach goal
21/03/2012
The government’s aim to create up to 16,000 homes through its Get Britain building fund would have fallen short by 4,000 homes, the Budget has revealed.
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Budget to focus on tax and planning reforms
21/03/2012
Changes to planning policy and any relaxation of rules governing real estate investment trusts are expected to be the key points of interest to the housing sector in today’s Budget.
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Peer withdraws attempt to change squatting law
21/03/2012
A peer has withdrawn amendments to a bill which seeks to ban squatting after assurances were given that they could be brought back at a later stage of the debate.
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Guidance issued on creation of tenant panels
21/03/2012
Government-backed guidance has been published for tenants who wish to set up groups to represent other residents.
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Bodies call for help ahead of NPPF and Budget
20/03/2012
Campaigners have called on the government to deliver new planning guidelines which help deliver truly sustainable developments.
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Shapps in Supporting People plea to councils
20/03/2012
The housing minister has called on councils to look after their most disadvantaged residents by protecting their Supporting People funding.
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Woman found dead after council flat explodes
20/03/2012
A woman has died and a man is fighting for his life following an explosion and fire in a council flat.
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Cameron backs new town model of growth
20/03/2012
The government is to examine the possibility of using the garden city model to create growth without building on the greenbelt.
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Squatting ban to go before the Lords
20/03/2012
The House of Lords is expected to debate the government’s controversial plans to ban squatting tonight.
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Welfare reform fears prompt small rent increase
19/03/2012
A landlord is limiting its rent increase to tenants in preparation for the impact that welfare changes will have.
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House builder backs newbuy scheme
19/03/2012
A major house builder has said it will take part in the government’s mortgage scheme which aims to kick start the housing market.
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Peer tables amendment to remove squatting ban
16/03/2012
A peer has tabled an amendment to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill which calls for the banning of squatting to be removed from it completely.
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Empty homes get boost from landlord
16/03/2012
A housing association is planning to invest £175,000 in bringing empty homes back into use after dozens of landlords showed interest in working with them.
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DWP to consult on social homes under-occupation
16/03/2012
The government has said that it ‘does not expect’ changes to the shared accommodation rate to be applied to social housing tenants.
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Fear of repossession hitting families
16/03/2012
A homelessness charity has revealed that the fear of repossession is gripping households as more than one family a day has been coming to it asking for help.
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Landlord warned of fire risk a year before blaze
16/03/2012
A social landlord which saw a fire rip through the roofspace of a large sheltered housing scheme was warned one year ago firestopping in the roof was not good enough.
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Almost 8 million people in fuel poverty
15/03/2012
The number of people who are fuel poor has soared to almost 8 million and is likely to get worse, a new report warns.
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Plans for tenants' right to manage revealed
15/03/2012
A consultation has been launched into government plans to make it easier for council tenants to take control of their neighbourhoods or have their homes transferred to a housing association.
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Ikea property arm planning 1,200 homes
15/03/2012
The development arm of the retail giant Ikea has submitted plans for 1,200 homes on a multi-acre site close to the Olympic Park.
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Contractor awarded £11m of work
15/03/2012
A housing contractor has managed to secure a series of new deals worth more than £11 million since the beginning of the year.
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Think tank: landlords can help economy with loans
14/03/2012
The director of an influential think tank has called on housing associations to offer loans to their tenants in order to stimulate the economy.
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Housing benefit recipients near 5 million
14/03/2012
The number of housing benefit claimants has risen to almost 5 million, according to the latest figures.
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Contractor and landlord agree to cancel repair deal
14/03/2012
A contract between a repairs firm and housing provider has been cancelled following reported complaints from residents.
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Housing developer sees drop in social housing sales
14/03/2012
A housing developer saw its social housing completions fall by nearly half while overall turnover was also down 11 per cent.
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Ujima profit plan attacked as 'nonsense' in court
14/03/2012
An agreement to remove profit from a maintenance company after just six months was branded ‘nonsense’ by a witness in a court trial.
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Pressure group to protest outside Shapps' office
14/03/2012
A housing pressure group is to protest outside the office of Grant Shapps over plans to introduce the new right to buy.
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Council in £2.5 million housing pledge
14/03/2012
A council is pledging to build at least 210 new homes after agreeing to invest £2.5 million into a development programme.
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MPs and peers to examine private rented sector
14/03/2012
A Parliamentary group is to examine the impact welfare reforms will have on young people in the private rented sector.
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Poverty benefit warning for 250,000 children
13/03/2012
The introduction of universal credit could push 250,000 children into further poverty, a charity has warned.
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Bungalow explodes after copper pipe theft
13/03/2012
A housing association bungalow has exploded after copper thieves stole piping used for the property’s gas supply.
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Landlord seeks contractors for £300m framework
13/03/2012
A landlord is on the lookout for contractors to take part in a £300 million framework to build up to 3,200 new homes.
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Housing sector dominates Sunday Times list
12/03/2012
Almost half of the organisations in a top 100 best companies to work list in are from the housing sector.
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Council gives green light to 700 new homes
12/03/2012
A council has granted planning permission for more than 700 new homes.
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Fears over potential asylum housing providers
09/03/2012
A security firm which has been chosen as a preferred bidder for a government contract to house asylum seekers has pledged to use experienced housing providers.
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Investigation into sheltered housing blaze
09/03/2012
An investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire at a social landlord-run sheltered accommodation block.
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Pickles warns of non-English speaking ghettos
09/03/2012
Immigrants who are unable to speak English could become ‘virtually unemployable’ and risk being ‘stuck in a ghetto’, the communities secretary has said.
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New council leader makes housing promise
09/03/2012
The new leader of Westminster Council has pledged to renew the borough’s housing estates and tackle gang culture.
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Advice services fail to stop rough sleeping
08/03/2012
People at risk of sleeping on the streets are often not provided with vital support when they approach services asking for help.
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Shelter: next London mayor must prioritise homes
08/03/2012
The next mayor of London must make housing a priority or risk pushing people out of the capital, a charity has warned.
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Work starts on council’s 2,000 home building plan
08/03/2012
A three-year plan to build up to 2,000 new homes with around £130 million of investment has been launched by a council.
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Public housing construction orders down
02/03/2012
The number of new public housing construction orders was at its lowest point for a decade in the last quarter of 2011.
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Man jailed for setting fire to homeless men
02/03/2012
A man has been found guilty of murder and assault after he set fire to two homeless people who were living in a lock-up garage.
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Plot to strip landlords of ASB injunction
02/03/2012
A government minister has ruled out retaining anti-social behaviour injunctions for social landlords, prompting uncertainty about how the social housing sector will be able to tackle problem tenants.
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St Paul’s protestors invite rough sleepers to squat
02/03/2012
Evicted Occupy London protestors are planning to offer vulnerable people places in squats in an attempt to keep them off the streets.
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Council targets 10 estates for PV panels
01/03/2012
A council and its arms-length management organisation have joined together to put almost 120 photovoltaic solar panels on roofs on estate as part of a £1.5 million project to make ten estates more eco-friendly.
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Contractor chosen for £28m regeneration scheme
01/03/2012
A housing association has chosen a contractor to deliver a £28 million regeneration scheme which will deliver 205 homes.
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Borough raises concerns over welfare reform
29/02/2012
Senior figures in a London borough have signed a pledge voicing their concern about the impact proposed changes to welfare will have on residents.
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Contractor wins deal with potential value of £190m
29/02/2012
A housing association has awarded a contractor a deal which could be worth up to £190 million over 20 years.
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Charities warn of welfare reform damage
29/02/2012
One in four people in Wales will be affected by welfare reform, a coalition of poverty charities and voluntary organisations has warned.
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Plans submitted for 2,350-home regeneration
29/02/2012
Planning application for the regeneration of a large council estate which includes building 2,350 new homes has been submitted.
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Electrical safety warning to private landlords
29/02/2012
Private rented sector tenants are being exposed to serious electrical dangers through confusion over responsibilities on the part of landlords, a group has warned.
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House builder announces leap in profit
29/02/2012
A house builder has posted a huge increase in operating profit in a financial statement for the year ending 2011.
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Vulnerable protestors supported into housing
28/02/2012
A homelessness charity helped six vulnerable people into temporary accommodation this morning after they were ejected from a protest camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral.
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Council awards contractor £56 million deal
28/02/2012
A contractor has won a £56 million deal to provide repairs and maintenance to 4,500 homes.
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Homelessness charities to target migrants
27/02/2012
A campaign has been launched to educate people coming to the UK about the dangers of ending up sleeping rough on the streets.
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Government cash to support benefit claimants
27/02/2012
Benefit claimants in the private rented sector are to be given a helping hand in the form of £15 million of government funding.
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Chief exec calls for transparency to maintain trust
27/02/2012
Housing associations should reveal all expenditure over £500 to maintain the trust of communities, a chief executive has said.
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OFT launches investigation into payday loans
24/02/2012
The Office of Fair Trading has launched a review of payday loans amid fears that some companies were targeting people who cannot afford to repay them.
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Contractors begin consulting on redundancies
24/02/2012
Contractors which are due to merge have launched a consultation looking into the possible redundancy of hundreds of support staff, it is understood.
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Landlord named top company to work for in UK
24/02/2012
A housing association has been named the best not-for-profit company to work for in the UK in a prestigious poll.
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Return of the Rising Stars
24/02/2012
A competition to find the brightest and best young talent in the housing sector is to return.
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Homeless Link calls for councils to stop cuts
23/02/2012
Councils must stop slashing homelessness services and instead invest more in prevention, an organisation has demanded as figures show rough sleeping has risen by almost a quarter.
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Rough sleeping in England up by almost a quarter
23/02/2012
The number of rough sleepers in England has risen by almost a quarter, according to the latest figures.
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Pickles wants big lunch to help communities
22/02/2012
Eric Pickles is hoping the promise of a ‘Big Lunch’ will help fractured communities create stronger bonds.
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Landlord seeking new contractors
22/02/2012
A 34,000-home landlord is looking to appoint a series of new contractors for responsive, planned and cyclical repairs.
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Council first to launch housing scheme for veterans
22/02/2012
A council is claiming to have become the first in the country to officially launch a scheme to help veterans of the armed forces get a foot on the housing ladder.
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Fed warns bedroom tax vote will increase poverty
22/02/2012
The government’s rejection of proposals to protect vulnerable people from the bedroom tax risks pushing thousands of families in social housing into poverty, it has been warned.
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Housing surge boosts construction firm's profits
22/02/2012
An increase in house building helped a construction company post soaring profits for the first half of the year.
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Kier launches repairs reporting app for tenants
22/02/2012
A contractor has launched a free smartphone app which enables tenants and companies to report repairs to the company through a mobile phone.
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Housing chief fires 'bedroom tax' warning
17/02/2012
The proposed ‘bedroom tax’ on underoccupied homes could create more problems if a lack of affordable housing is not addressed, a housing chief has warned.
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Rent rise council in £30m housing pledge
17/02/2012
A council is raising rent by 7 per cent but increasing investment in its housing stock by almost £9 million.
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Council to raise rents by almost 7 per cent
17/02/2012
Westminster Council has announced a rent rise of 6.96 per cent at a time when it accepted a government hand out of £1.24 million to freeze council tax, it has been claimed.
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Europe raps UK for failing to provide Traveller sites
17/02/2012
Gypsy and Traveller families’ right to housing is not effectively guaranteed in the UK which means the government is breaching its housing obligations under a European charter, a new report claims.
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Liverpool opts for mayor to boost city's housing
17/02/2012
The leader of Liverpool Council has pledged to replace and refurbish homes that lost out after the government axed market renewal funding, as he launched his bid to become the city’s mayor.
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Landlord pushing through solar installations
16/02/2012
A housing association is fitting solar photovoltaic panels onto homes and offices to help reduce tenants’ energy bills.
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£45m regeneration scheme revealed
16/02/2012
A £45 million regeneration scheme which boasts plans for 201 new homes is to be put forward for council approval.
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Squatting ban amendment withdrawn
16/02/2012
A peer seeking to change the proposed ban on squatting by allowing people to stay in homes which have lain empty for more than six months has been told her amendment might get support if it proposed a longer timescale.
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Woman jailed over housing benefit fraud
15/02/2012
A woman has been jailed for eight months after she was found guilty of 12 counts of housing benefit and council tax fraud worth more than £100,000.
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Homelessness charity in call for action on alcohol
15/02/2012
A homelessness charity is calling on the government to take on super strength beers and ciders as the Prime Minister made a pledge to tackle binge drinking.
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Peer seeking to change ban on squatting
15/02/2012
A Liberal Democrat peer is seeking to amend a controversial bill which aims to outlaw squatting by making it not apply to buildings which have lain empty for more than six months.
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House building chief to stand down
15/02/2012
The chief executive of the National House Building Council is to step down at the end of February.
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HCA allocates £5m in latest affordable rent deals
15/02/2012
Affordable rent contracts worth more than £5 million have been signed by three organisations to build 249 new homes.
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Council leader frustrated by design bodies
15/02/2012
The leader of a council has hit out at ‘arrogant’ design bodies which he believes are hindering a £5.5 billion regeneration scheme.
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Teenager jailed despite ALMO support
15/02/2012
A teenager who was supported by an arm’s-length management organisation to leave a gang has been banned from a local authority area after he was found with a knife.
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Housing association closes due to lack of help
14/02/2012
A housing association is to hand over control of homes to another landlord and close after 40 years service because of a lack of volunteers.
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Spurs given green light to drop affordable homes
14/02/2012
A council has agreed £400 million regeneration plans which allow a Premier League football club to build a new stadium but drop provision for affordable homes.
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Council awards £60 million repairs contract
14/02/2012
A contractor has been awarded a £60 million deal to provide repairs to thousands of homes.
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Join our forum on building strong communities
14/02/2012
Neighbourhoods will go under the microscope this week as the housing sector looks at ways of building stronger communities.
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£300m investment pledged to council housing
14/02/2012
A council has given the go-ahead for a three-year housing investment programme worth £297 million.
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House sales rise thanks to first time buyers
14/02/2012
First time buyers hoping to beat the holiday on paying stamp duty have helped push house sales up in January, latest figures show.
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Housing boss in court on drug charge
13/02/2012
A director of a housing organisation is to stand trial accused of conspiring to supply class A drugs.
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Latest stage of £250m regeneration agreed
13/02/2012
The latest phase of a £250 million regeneration scheme which will provide 206 new homes has been given the go-ahead.
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Council backs stalled housing with cash
13/02/2012
A council is pumping £770,000 into a series of stalled developments which can now deliver more than 200 new homes and 380 jobs.
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Council to raise housing priority of armed forces
10/02/2012
A council has announced plans to give former members of the armed forces greater housing priority in recognition of their contribution to society.
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Public housing boosts annual construction output
10/02/2012
Public housing construction output was at its highest level in 2011 since 1980, according to the latest figures.
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Housing association joins forces with landlord
10/02/2012
A housing association has agreed to become a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest landlords.
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£20m fund to support struggling homeowners
10/02/2012
Struggling homeowners at risk of losing their home are to get support from a £20 million government safety net.
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Number of private renters closing in on social total
09/02/2012
The number of people renting homes in the private market could soon overtake those in the social market as figures show the gap is closing.
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Repossessions at lowest level since 2007
09/02/2012
Home repossessions are at their lowest level since 2007, according to data published today.
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Council workers strike over TUPE plans
09/02/2012
Council workers have gone on strike today over plans to move staff out of local authority employment.
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Man accused of kidnap to appear in court in May
08/02/2012
A man accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy who was later found in a housing association flat will return to court in May.
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CIH report evaluates welfare reform impact
08/02/2012
Proposed welfare reforms present serious challenges for the south east while a benefit cap may not be enough to incentivise people to work, a new report claims.
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Landlord fined for renting unsafe property
08/02/2012
A landlord who flouted fire safety rules while renting out an unlicensed home has been fined following an investigation by housing officers.
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Builder sought for 470 home regeneration scheme
08/02/2012
A developer is being sought for a 470 home scheme which forms part of a £1.5 billion regeneration project.
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Contractor wins 8,000 home repairs deal
08/02/2012
A contractor has won a bid to provide responsive repairs to 8,000 homes in a £10 million deal.
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Council planning to freeze rent and service charges
07/02/2012
The largest council landlord in England is planning a freeze on rent and service charges until 2013.
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Government advisor warns of benefit cap harm
07/02/2012
Plans to cap benefits at £26,000 could harm vulnerable families and needs to be rolled out carefully, a government adviser has warned.
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Volunteers to get new skills with contractor deal
07/02/2012
A training programme has been set up to provide users of a supported living scheme with new skills to find work and live independently.
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Man due in court over alleged kidnapping
07/02/2012
A man is due to appear in court tomorrow accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old boy who was later found in a housing association flat.
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Spurs in bid to drop affordable housing quota
07/02/2012
A Premier League football team which is hoping to build a new stadium and redevelop surrounding areas could be allowed to drop all affordable housing from the scheme.
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Builders appointed to £500m housing framework
07/02/2012
Builders have been appointed to a £500million, four-year construction framework involving more than 30 housing associations.
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CIH president attacks IDS over homeless slur
03/02/2012
The new president of the Chartered Institute of Housing has criticised the work and pensions secretary for creating confusion around the definition of homelessness, in his debut speech.
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Riot-hit area's regeneration plans to be revealed
02/02/2012
Details of a multi-million pound regeneration scheme which promises around 200 new homes in a riot-hit area are expected to be revealed next week.
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Developer chosen for 700-home project
02/02/2012
The Homes and Communities Agency has agreed a deal with a local authority to create around 700 new homes.
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NHF attacks vote on 'unfair' welfare reforms
02/02/2012
A decision by MPs to overturn a series of Lords amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill will cause hardship for thousands of families, a housing body has warned.
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Council house fraud raids lead to five arrests
01/02/2012
A series of morning raids on council homes in Southwark have resulted in five arrests for fraud and immigration offences.
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Labour tables welfare motion as Shapps backs bill
01/02/2012
The Labour party has tabled a motion calling for the benefit cap to be set by an independent body according to local circumstances, ahead of a series of crunch votes on the Welfare Reform Bill today.
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HCA identify 18 schemes for development cash
01/02/2012
The Homes and Communities Agency has earmarked 18 schemes with plans to deliver 1,300 new homes as the first group to benefit from the £420 million Get Britain Building programme.
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Commission to assess future of council housing
01/02/2012
An independent commission on the future of council housing in a local authority has been launched.
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MPs urged to support bedroom tax amendment
01/02/2012
MPs have come under pressure to accept an amendment to the government’s plan for a ‘bedroom tax’.
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Homeless to get support ahead of cold weather
31/01/2012
Rough sleeper support services are being ramped up in parts of the country ahead of a predicted cold snap this week.
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Landlords complete 1,400-home swap deal
31/01/2012
Two landlords have completed one of the largest stock swaps in the social housing sector.
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Landlord reveals plans for £12m redevelopment
31/01/2012
A social landlord has announced plans for a £12 million redevelopment of a housing estate.
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Liverpool signs up to No Second Night Out
31/01/2012
A campaign which has helped rough sleepers in London get off the streets of the capital is to be launched in Liverpool.
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Housing experts warn of homelessness threat
30/01/2012
The government has been warned that its plans for welfare reform are likely to have an impact on homelessness figures and increase the use of bed and breakfasts by local authorities.
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Home secretary to reveal plans to fight ASB
30/01/2012
Plans to give communities more protection from anti-social behaviour are to be revealed today by the home secretary.
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TMO rejected at third time of trying
27/01/2012
A Tenant Management Organisation which had hoped to take control of 1,842 homes has had its bid to manage the properties rejected.
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Council outlines plans for tackling homelessness
27/01/2012
A council has launched a new strategy for tackling homelessness which includes putting expert domestic violence workers into housing advice centres.
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Council to start licensing all HMOs
27/01/2012
A council will begin licensing every house in multiple occupation from the end of this month.
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Landlord agrees 1,000-home PV scheme
27/01/2012
A landlord has appointed contractors to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of 1,000 tenants’ homes.
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Strong interest reported for landlord's £88m JV
27/01/2012
A landlord has reported strong interest from potential partners to create an £88 million joint venture company.
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Future world leaders receive advice from landlord
27/01/2012
A landlord which was at the forefront of tackling criminality during the summer riots last year has shown future world leaders how to deal with crisis situations.
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Call made for inquiry into chief’s exit
27/01/2012
Members of an umbrella body representing homelessness charities have demanded an independent inquiry into the departure of the organisation’s chief executive.
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Salford issues five riot-related eviction notices
27/01/2012
A council has served five eviction notices for breach of tenancies due to convictions related to last summer’s riots - including three where the tenancy holder was not involved in the disorder.
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Morrison under pressure as councils criticise
26/01/2012
Repairs and maintenance provider Morrison is facing the threat of losing two major council contracts amid concerns about its performance.
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Occupy protestors in bid to shape housing policy
26/01/2012
Housing looks set to be the next battleground for a protest group which has camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London since October last year.
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Huhne defends Supreme Court appeal bid
26/01/2012
The government has defended its challenge to a High Court ruling that a decision to reduce payments to the feed-in-tariff was ‘legally flawed’.
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Councillors vote against officers' rent rise
26/01/2012
Councillors have rejected officers’ calls for a 7.8 per cent rent rise and instead are using proposed savings to implement an increase of 6.8 per cent.
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Landlords take 'bedroom tax' fight to MPs
26/01/2012
Landlords are throwing their weight behind a campaign to stop a ‘bedroom tax’ on tenants deemed to be underoccupying their homes.
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Government to take FIT fight to Supreme Court
25/01/2012
The government is seeking to take the fight over cuts to the feed-in-tariff all the way to the Supreme Court after losing an appeal against a High Court ruling that the deadline was ‘legally flawed’.
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Landlord and contractor agree to end repairs deal
25/01/2012
A contractor’s 10-year deal to provide responsive repairs to a major landlord has been stopped just two years into the agreement.
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Scottish Government urged to rethink housing cuts
25/01/2012
Housing bodies are calling on the Scottish Government to use extra funds to build more affordable housing as politicians debate the Scottish Budget Bill in parliament today.
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Evictions by RSLs falling in Scotland
24/01/2012
The number of evictions by social landlords in Scotland has fallen almost 300 and the number of tenants in arrears is down, according to the latest figures.
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Council rejects 116-home plan over affordable units
24/01/2012
A council has thrown out plans to redevelop a former factory into 116 new homes as the application did not provide enough affordable housing.
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Tenancies demoted for parents of ASB children
24/01/2012
Residents whose children committed a hate crime against a housing association tenant with learning disabilities have been stripped of their assured tenancies for a year.
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Coalition slammed over rejection of social rent
20/01/2012
The government has come under fire for rejecting social rent in favour of affordable homes.
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Olympic homes to be split between seven boroughs
20/01/2012
Seven London boroughs will be able to nominate social tenants for housing in the athletes’ village following the Olympic Games.
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Landlord signs £100m agreement for 500 homes
19/01/2012
A landlord and its development partner have signed a £100 million agreement with a council to build 500 new homes.
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Housing benefit claims on the rise
18/01/2012
The number of housing benefits claimants in Great Britain has risen by more than 130,000 to 4.9 million.
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Tenants offered £2,000 to downsize by ALMO
18/01/2012
An arms-length management organisation is offering tenants £2,000 to move to smaller homes in a bid to free up family homes.
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Scottish construction output falls again
18/01/2012
The construction industry in Scotland suffered a hit when it was revealed today that output has fallen for the fourth quarter in a row.
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KPMG defends earnings from Connaught collapse
18/01/2012
An accountancy firm has defended itself after it was reported to have earned £6.4 million from the collapse of failed contractor Connaught.
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Government warned green deal is at risk of failure
18/01/2012
Housing and building groups have warned the government the green deal is in danger of not succeeding unless a series of obstacles are dealt with.
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Group secures 100% of affordable rent bid
18/01/2012
A housing association has been awarded £10.7 million from the Homes and Communities Agency under the affordable homes programme.
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ALMO to take control of more council services
17/01/2012
An arms-length management organisation is to take control of housing services for the whole of a local authority area following an agreement with the council.
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Landlord to publish salaries and spending online
17/01/2012
A housing association has pledged to voluntarily publish the salaries of senior level employees along with greater detail of its expenditure.
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MPs: Vulnerable risk losing out on smart meters
17/01/2012
A group of MPs has warned that the benefits of installing smart power meters in every home in Britain may not reach vulnerable people and could be kept by energy companies.
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ALMO to be dumped after tenants back council
17/01/2012
Tenants have backed a council’s proposal to ditch its arms-length management organisation and take control of its housing stock.
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Merger set to go-ahead in February
16/01/2012
A merger between two contractors is expected to take place in February after it was given the green light by the Office of Fair Trading.
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Government has 'no plans' to change benefit cap
16/01/2012
The Department for Work and Pensions has said there are no plans to change the £26,000 cap on benefits despite calls from senior Liberal Democrats.
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Council plans to scrap tower block children ban
16/01/2012
A council is proposing to overturn a decades-old restriction on households with young children living in a 17-storey tower block in an attempt to cut the cost of putting families into bed and breakfasts.
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Private landlords snubbing tenants on benefits
16/01/2012
More than half of private landlords are refusing to accept tenants on benefits with many claiming people not receiving welfare support were more reliable.
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Council plans energy co-op to tackle fuel poverty
16/01/2012
A local authority is looking into creating an energy co-operative which would provide cheap power for council tenants.
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Tenant lay dead in flat for one year
13/01/2012
A tenant lay dead in his housing association flat for up to a year until his remains were discovered by electricians.
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MP urges Camden to fight high-speed rail project
13/01/2012
A former cabinet minister has pressed a London council to take action after the government unveiled plans this week to bulldoze hundreds of social homes to make way for a £33 billion rail project.
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Rough sleeper threats force winter shelter to close
13/01/2012
Rough sleepers in Cornwall were forced back on to the streets after a winter shelter shut its doors following violent threats from users.
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Organisations agree to end 'who you know' culture
12/01/2012
A group of leading organisations in the housing sector have signed up to the government’s pledge to end the culture of ‘who you know, not what you know’.
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Armed siege in ALMO tower block ends in arrest
11/01/2012
A man has been arrested following an armed siege at an arms-length management run tower block.
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Record housing completions for house builder
11/01/2012
A house builder has revealed that it has delivered a record number of housing completions and that it is on track to meet expectations for the financial year.
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Merger talks to create 26,000-home landlord start
11/01/2012
A merger between two housing associations which could create a 26,000-home landlord and create savings of £8 million is currently under discussion.
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'Armed man' in ALMO tower block siege
10/01/2012
A tower block has been cordoned off by police after a man was reported to be holed up in a flat pointing a gun out of a window.
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Care home staff suspended amid abuse allegations
10/01/2012
A care home has suspended four members of staff after an investigation was launched into allegations of physical and verbal abuse of a dementia sufferer.
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Councillor guilty of housing benefit fraud
10/01/2012
A councillor has pleaded guilty to housing benefit fraud – the second time she has been convicted in court.
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Eviction-threat riot teen to be sentenced
09/01/2012
A rioter who faces losing his home after pleading guilty to burglary will be sentenced in court tomorrow.
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Landlord announces new chief executive
09/01/2012
A housing association has appointed a new chief executive who is set to become one of the youngest bosses in the sector.
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Rioters given ‘final warning’ possession notices
06/01/2012
A local authority has begun eviction proceedings against five households where a tenant has been convicted of a riot-related offence.
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Council battles estate worklessness with teen jobs
05/01/2012
A council is set to pay young people from one of its housing estates £25-a-week to become ‘junior assistants’ in a bid to tackle worklessness.
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Council loses stock transfer FOI appeal
04/01/2012
A local authority has lost an appeal over its refusal to hand over a list of addresses of all council homes to campaigners who were fighting a stock transfer.
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Housing association appoints new chief exec
04/01/2012
A housing association has appointed a new chief executive following the retirement of the previous boss.
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Care home to discover results of death investigation
04/01/2012
A police investigation into the death of an elderly tenant at a housing association-owned care home will decide later this month if any further action is needed.
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Poorer families not receiving heat discount
04/01/2012
Hundreds of thousands of poorer families are not receiving financial help to heat their homes this winter due to a shortfall in funding, a charity claims.
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Benefit caps to make 800,000 homes unaffordable
04/01/2012
Caps to housing welfare payments that come into force this week will contribute to 800,000 private rented homes becoming unaffordable.
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One million use payday loans to fund housing
04/01/2012
Nearly one million people have taken out a payday loan to help pay their rent or mortgage in the last 12 months, a new survey shows.
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Council rejects move to bring ALMO in house
04/01/2012
A council has decided to keep its arm’s-length management organisation rather than bringing its work back in house.
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Stock transfer vetoed by tenant ballot
03/01/2012
Residents have rejected a proposal to transfer thousands of council homes to a newly formed housing association.
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Charity warns of handwash moonshine danger
03/01/2012
A homelessness charity is warning of the dangers of alcoholic hand wash gels after a man died after reportedly getting drunk on the product.
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Rented homes review chief announced
23/12/2011
The housing minister has revealed the person who will lead the government’s review of barriers to investment in rented homes.
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Charities join forces to support homeless
22/12/2011
Homelessness charities have joined forces to help men and women using winter shelters gain access to support networks and services.
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Ballot underway for stock transfer
22/12/2011
Thousands of tenants are set to decide the future of a council’s housing stock as a ballot for transfer takes place.
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New head of housing appointed at CLG
22/12/2011
The Communities and Local Government department has appointed a new head of housing.
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Shapps reveals plans for £20m homelessness fund
22/12/2011
The government has fleshed out its plans to support single homeless people with a £20 million fund.
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Government seeking to appeal FIT ruling
22/12/2011
The government has said it will appeal a High Court ruling that its consultation into reduced payments to the feed-in-tariff was legally flawed.
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Campaigners claim FIT legal victory
21/12/2011
Campaigners fighting government plans to slash solar subsidies are claiming a major victory in court.
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Report warns homelessness cuts lives by 30 years
21/12/2011
Homeless people have a life expectancy 30 years lower than the national average, new research shows.
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Police launch investigation into care home death
20/12/2011
A council has launched a joint investigation with police after an elderly woman is thought to have fallen to her death from a window in a housing association-owned care home.
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Legal challenge to FIT cuts begins
20/12/2011
A challenge to government plans to slash payments to the feed-in-tariff has begun in the High Court.
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Christmas decorations banned by council
20/12/2011
A council has banned Christmas decorations from communal areas in all its housing blocks over fears of fire safety.
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Couple leave £95,000 to fellow tenants
20/12/2011
A kind-hearted couple have ensured a lasting legacy at the sheltered accommodation they called home for 20 years after leaving £95,000 in their will to fellow tenants.
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Tatchell offers defence for gay marriage row worker
19/12/2011
A civil rights campaigner has offered to testify in court to defend a worker who was demoted by a housing association for airing his thoughts on same-sex marriage online.
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Rough sleeping scheme gets national roll-out
19/12/2011
Communities across England are to be handed thousands of pounds today to set up a scheme which pledges to end rough sleeping.
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ALMO in race to fix fire block by Christmas
16/12/2011
A landlord is ‘doing all that it can’ to ensure that residents of a fire-hit tower block are back in their homes in time for Christmas.
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Tenants warned on payday loans as complaints rise
15/12/2011
Tenants have been warned to seek alternatives to payday loans as a consumer watchdog announced an investigation into short-term lending.
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Lords to ban disgraced peers until cash repaid
15/12/2011
A Baroness expenses cheat who was suspended from the House of Lords for claiming second home allowances for a housing association property may not be allowed to return to parliament until she has paid back the money.
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Government releases £10m to fight youth gangs
14/12/2011
Millions of pounds of government funding will been handed to 30 local authorities across England to combat gang and youth violence.
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Contractor planning continued used of PV schemes
14/12/2011
A contractor has pledged to continue working with housing providers in the solar photovoltaic market despite cuts to the feed-in-tariff.
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Ombudsman backs ALMO in row with tenants
14/12/2011
The Local Government Ombudsman has absolved an arm’s-length management organisation of any fault following complaints from residents about its handling of anti-social behaviour.
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Community landlord takes control of homes
13/12/2011
A council has transferred ownership of 1,400 homes to a landlord based more than 100 miles away.
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Council continues eviction of riot-teen's family
13/12/2011
A council which is threatening to evict a mother and her eight-year-old daughter due to her son taking part in the August riots, is to ramp up its attempt to seek possession of the family home.
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Tenants rescued from tower block blaze
13/12/2011
Firefighters had to evacuate dozens of people from a tower block following claims they were unable to get out as a blaze took hold of a property.
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FIT cuts deadline approaches
12/12/2011
Solar panels installed on homes across the country from tomorrow will receive reduced rates of money through the Feed-in-Tariff.
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Eviction-threat teen to be sentenced in January
12/12/2011
A teenager who risks being evicted from his home along with his mother and 8-year-old sister will be sentenced for burglary in January.
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Top Christmas housing decorations wanted
12/12/2011
Love them or loathe them, there is no escaping festively decorated homes which pop up in neighbourhoods across the country at this time of year.
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Coroner attacks vulnerable man's support
09/12/2011
A housing association has pledged to work closer with partner agencies after a coroner attacked the support a vulnerable man received before he died after suffering years of abuse from neighbouring youths.
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Housing groups to tackle payday loans
09/12/2011
Housing groups are planning to do more to help vulnerable tenants with their finances in the wake of an increase in the number of people taking out payday loans.
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£103m contract win for repairs team
09/12/2011
A contractor has won a bid to provide refurbishment work to 15,000 homes in a £103 million deal.
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Stunell welcomes drop in number of empty homes
09/12/2011
The number of long-term empty homes in England has fallen by more than 21,000, according to the latest figures.
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Families 'need to save 31 years' for deposit
08/12/2011
Families in private-rented accommodation are being priced out of buying a home after it was revealed they have to save for 31 years to afford a deposit, a report claims.
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Landlord fined £20k for 'dirty tricks' campaign
08/12/2011
A private landlord which conducted a campaign of harassment against tenants in a bid to force them out of their home has been fined thousands of pounds.
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Fed hits back at Shapps' FOI threats
07/12/2011
A housing chief has hit back at threats made by Grant Shapps that landlords must become more transparent by saying the ministers demands lack clarity.
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Shapps warns 'time running out' for landlords
07/12/2011
Grant Shapps has attacked housing associations for having a lack of transparency and warned that ‘time is running out’ for them to open themselves to scrutiny.
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Social housing 'most needed' tenancy in Britain
07/12/2011
More people across Britain believe that there is a greater need to develop social housing than homes for sale or private rent.
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Contractor has £10m pot to deal with redundancies
07/12/2011
A contractor which recently announced 4,500 jobs were under threat due to cuts to the feed-in-tariff, has put aside £10 million to deal with the ‘downsizing.’
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Council stopped woman from seeing dying mum
07/12/2011
A council has been accused of maladministration after a woman was prevented from seeing her dying mother in a care home.
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Universal Credit may not hit tenants until 2017
06/12/2011
Almost half a million housing benefit claimants could continue to receive their money in the same way up to four years after the implementation of Universal Credit.
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Report: Police and 'social injustice' caused riots
05/12/2011
Anger with the police and frustration at a lack of social opportunities were among the contributing factors which led to wide-scale rioting across England in August, a new report claims.
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Pensioner dies in sheltered housing flat blaze
05/12/2011
An 82-year-old woman has died following a fire in sheltered housing flat in Bolton.
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Union threatening landlord with strike action
23/11/2011
A union is threatening strike action against a housing association which it claims is proposing to cut the pay of support staff and increase hours for others.
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Council failed Down's syndrome man locked in flat
23/11/2011
A council has come under attack from two ombudsmen over the care given to a Down’s syndrome man who was kept in a locked one-bedroom flat after being refused the right to return home from hospital.
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Riot-hit council to review tenancy rules
23/11/2011
A council at the centre of the riots that swept England in August is considering changing its tenancy agreements to make it easier to evict badly behaved residents.
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Independent group to investigate housing crisis
23/11/2011
A council is proposing to establish an independent commission to find innovative solutions to the housing crisis.
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Contractor seals 6,500-home repairs deal
23/11/2011
A contractor has won the right to deliver responsive repairs to 6,500 homes in a deal worth £15 million.
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Dromey fears strategy will hurt housing sector
22/11/2011
The government’s plans to rejuvenate the housing sector have been attacked by a shadow minister who said they were modest measures which would cause more hurt than help.
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Housing bodies issue warnings over strategy
22/11/2011
Senior housing bodies have issued warnings over the impact of the government’s housing strategy, which was released on Monday.
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Dale Farm eviction council to hear Traveller appeal
22/11/2011
A council which evicted more than 100 Travellers from an illegal site is to hear an appeal from families wanting to create a new site.
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Landlord wants right to buy extended to RSLs
21/11/2011
A housing association has called on the government to extend right-to-buy to registered providers in the wake of the release of the housing strategy.
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Prospective adopters to get council housing help
18/11/2011
Couples in council housing who want to adopt will be helped to find bigger homes to speed up the process, under new proposals.
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Housing sector raising cash for Children in Need
18/11/2011
The housing sector has been digging deep to support Children in Need with landlords going the extra mile.
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Landlord picks contractor for £98m repair work
18/11/2011
A contractor has won a seven-year multi-million deal to provide repairs and maintenance to a major housing association.
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Tenants rehoused following alleged kidnapping
18/11/2011
A housing association has rehoused a number of homeless people for their own safety after neighbours surrounded the block of flats where they live following the alleged kidnapping of a 10-year-old boy.
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Landlords awarded cash for renewable heat
17/11/2011
The first wave of winners to share in a £4 million fund to install green heating systems in tenants’ homes has been revealed.
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Family settlement threat to housing benefit tenants
17/11/2011
People on housing benefit could be stopped from bringing a member of their own family to the UK from overseas under new proposals.
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Council issues jail threat to returning Travellers
17/11/2011
Travellers have been warned they are in breach of a high court order and could face jail after returning to an illegal site which has recently been cleared by the council.
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Mayor warned LHA cuts are hurting boroughs
16/11/2011
A London Assembly member has said that services in the majority of London boroughs are facing increasing pressure as a result of the changes to Local Housing Allowance.
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Housing challenge at private landlords’ conference
16/11/2011
Private landlords from across Leeds are to come together with the council at a conference to look at ways of ensuring people have access to affordable homes.
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Man charged with Oldbury kidnapping
16/11/2011
A man has been charged with the kidnap of a 10-year-old boy who was found in a housing association flat.
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Tenants approve 3,000 home transfer
16/11/2011
Thousands of council homes are set to be transferred to a housing association after residents voted in favour of the switch.
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Deal ends homelessness charity strike threat
16/11/2011
A planned strike at a homelessness charity has been called off after union members accepted a revised offer.
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Landlord in shock after suspected kidnapping
15/11/2011
A housing association has spoken of its shock after a 10-year-old boy was suspected of being kidnapped and held in one of its homes.
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Tributes paid as housing champion dies
15/11/2011
Tributes have been paid to a former member of the housing corporation who has passed away after almost four decades working in the sector.
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Social housing protest set for Westminster
15/11/2011
Protesters are set to descend upon Westminster this afternoon in opposition to a swathe of government changes to social housing.
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Kerslake appointed head of Civil Service
15/11/2011
The Communities and Local Government departments top civil servant has been appointed head of the Civil Service.
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Suspended peer to be let back into Lords
14/11/2011
A Labour peer who was suspended from Parliament for claiming second home allowances for a housing association property, will be allowed back in the house in April.
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Dale Farm cleared as council moves off site
14/11/2011
An illegal Travellers’ site which was the subject of a controversial legal wrangle has been cleared by the council.
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Benefit warning to 'under-employed' tenants
14/11/2011
Employed tenants could have their housing benefit cut if they do not work enough hours and do not look for more or better paid work.
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Industry chief attacks government FIT 'own goal'
11/11/2011
The government’s decision to cut solar feed-in tariffs has been branded an ‘own goal’ by an industry body.
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Protest camp leads to rise in rough sleeping
11/11/2011
The number of rough sleepers in the City of London has increased by 25 per cent after a protest camp was set up outside St Paul’s Cathedral.
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Housing scams are largest frauds against councils
10/11/2011
Social housing tenancy fraud could be costing councils at least £900 million a year while 1,800 homes have been taken back from cheats, a report shows.
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Councils call for Huhne to delay cuts to FIT
10/11/2011
Councils are calling on Chris Huhne to delay planned cuts to the feed-in-tariff warning that they will have to drop thousands of solar photovoltaic panel installations.
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Welsh repossession hotspots revealed
10/11/2011
A charity has released information which shows the housing hotspots where people in Wales are most at risk of losing their home through repossession.
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Contractor announces halt to PV work
10/11/2011
A contractor has decided stop working on solar photovoltaic schemes after the government revealed plans to cut payments made through the feed-in-tariff.
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Inside Housing columnist praised at awards ceremony
10/11/2011
An Inside Housing columnist was singled out for praise at a top awards ceremony this week.
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Council PV plans under review after FIT cut
09/11/2011
A council which was planning to put solar photovoltaic panels on 3,000 homes is ‘reviewing its position’ after the government announced cuts to feed-in-tariff payments.
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UK Housing Awards 2011 winners announced
09/11/2011
The winners of the 2011 UK Housing Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London.
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MEP calls for Europe to investigate FIT cut
09/11/2011
An MEP has called on the European Commission to investigate whether the government’s proposal to slash the feed-in-tariff will damage the UK’s ability to meet EU targets on renewable energy.
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Mitie to provide security to thousands of homes
09/11/2011
A contractor has been picked to provide out of hours mobile caretaker service to 32,000 homes.
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Shapps backs campaigner in Facebook religion row
08/11/2011
The housing minister has backed a campaigner who attacked a housing association for demoting a worker who made controversial comments online.
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Blaze at tower block run by ALMO hit with fire demand
08/11/2011
A number of residents have been placed in temporary accommodation after fire broke out in a tower block run by an ALMO which previously had an enforcement notice issued against it.
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Court issues injunction against Dale Farm reoccupation
07/11/2011
A council has been granted an injunction to stop Travellers and campaigners from moving back onto an illegal site.
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London protesters to set up homeless support
07/11/2011
Occupy London protesters camping outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London are planning to set up a welfare tent to support homeless people access support services.
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Government issued with legal threat over FIT cuts
07/11/2011
The government has been warned to change its plans to cut feed-in tariff payments or risk being taken to court.
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Another council to prioritise homes for employed
04/11/2011
A council is planning to prioritise a fifth of its housing stock for employed people after changes to its allocation policy were agreed at a town hall meeting.
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Criminal conviction for illegally subletting tenant
04/11/2011
A local authority has secured a criminal conviction against one its tenants after discovering the man was illegally subletting his home.
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Contractor lands £11m of refurbishment work
04/11/2011
A contractor has been chosen by two separate social landlords to refurbish hundreds of homes in London in deals worth £11 million.
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Contractors split £1bn housing framework
04/11/2011
Almost 100 contractors have been picked by a social housing consortium to undertake maintenance and improvement work on thousands of homes.
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Benefit fines raise eviction fears
04/11/2011
Government plans to increase the amount of benefits which can be withheld from a claimant convicted of a crime could increase evictions, social housing sector experts have warned.
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Housing department accused of maladministration
03/11/2011
A council’s housing department has been accused of maladministration and asked to pay £5,000 after it was deemed to have wrongly refused a grant to adapt the home of a disabled man.
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Private landlords dropping LHA tenants
03/11/2011
Caps on housing benefit could force three quarters of private landlords out of the local housing allowance market, new research shows.
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Squatting ban amendment defeated
02/11/2011
An amendment which would water down proposed legislation to criminalise squatting has been defeated in Parliament.
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Council backs down from soup run ban
02/11/2011
A council has backed down from plans to ban soup runs from taking place outside a cathedral after reaching a compromise with organisers.
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MP tables motion against shared room rate
02/11/2011
An MP has tabled a motion calling for the government to drop plans to raise the age at which housing benefit claimants can only receive the value of a room within shared accommodation from 25 to 35.
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EC Harris merger agreed
02/11/2011
A deal has been approved for a Dutch engineering firm to buy consultancy EC Harris.
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Protestors to hit council over housing allocation
02/11/2011
Campaigners are targetting a council today in protest against changes to its allocation of social housing.
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Landlord loses grass cuttings fee case
01/11/2011
A housing association has lost a court case which it brought against a group of home owners who refused to a pay service charge.
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35,000 people face losing home before Christmas
01/11/2011
Around 35,000 people face being made homeless between now and Christmas, a housing charity warns.
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Pay to stay scheme to fund new affordable homes
31/10/2011
The housing minister has pledged to put ‘every penny’ raised from increasing the rent of high-earners living in social housing into building more homes.
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Landlord transfers temp accommodation homes
31/10/2011
A housing association has transferred ownership of 130 of its temporary accommodation homes to another landlord.
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Landlord and builder picked for abattoir site homes
31/10/2011
A contractor and landlord have both been chosen to help deliver the next stage of a multi-million pound regeneration scheme.
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Christian row landlord attacked in Parliament
28/10/2011
A landlord has been accused of ‘state-sponsored intolerance’ and is to be referred to the housing minister after it demoted a worker for comments he made on a social networking site.
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Lawyers warn of social networking dangers
28/10/2011
Landlords are being warned to set clear policies on the use of social networking sites by staff after a housing association was hit with legal action by a worker demoted for comments he made online.
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CLG advertises for new housing boss
27/10/2011
The Communities and Local Government department is advertising for a new head of housing.
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Tower blocks to get £9m revamp
27/10/2011
Hundreds of residents are to get their homes revamped in a £9 million project to upgrade five tower blocks.
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Eviction threat teen pleads guilty to burglary
27/10/2011
A teenager whose family face eviction for his part in the London riots has pleaded guilty to burglary.
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Coroner rules teen's death fall was an accident
26/10/2011
A coroner has left open the option to issue a report calling for a council to improve safety of windows after a teenage boy fell to his death.
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Govt releases plans to criminalise squatting
26/10/2011
The government has released proposals to make squatting illegal in residential properties.
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Protest planned against social housing 'attacks'
26/10/2011
A pressure group is planning to protest outside parliament against government attacks on social housing tenants and call for more homes to be built.
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Landlord appeals for return of stolen bridge
26/10/2011
A housing association is appealing for the return of a bridge after it was stolen by thieves.
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Riot investigation chief to speak at webinar
26/10/2011
The English riots which gripped the nation in August will go under the microscope today as Inside Housing runs a webinar looking into the causes.
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Inquest into teen's death fall begins
25/10/2011
An inquest into the death of a teenage boy who fell from a sixth-floor council flat has begun.
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Group formed to guide councils on planning
25/10/2011
Housing and planning bodies have joined forces to create a new group designed to give local authorities clearer guidance on planning issues.
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Alleged rioters come from deprived areas
24/10/2011
A disproportionate number of young people accused of criminal offences during the English riots in August come from some of the most deprived areas in the country, a new report shows.
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Affordable homes projects reach £560m
24/10/2011
The latest round of affordable homes contracts have been revealed by the Homes and Communities Agency.
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Christian worker issues landlord with court threat
24/10/2011
A former housing manager is planning to take his employers to court after they demoted him and slashed his pay for comments he made on a social networking site.
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Housing PFI scheme given green light
24/10/2011
A multi-million pound regeneration scheme is a step closer after the government gave it the green-light to move forward.
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Shapps calls for 30-year fixed rate mortgages
20/10/2011
The housing minister has called on lenders to consider offering 30-year fixed rate mortgages to encourage stability in the housing market.
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Homelessness services support guide launched
20/10/2011
A guide to help homelessness charities survive through funding cuts and continue to support vulnerable people has been published.
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Regeneration of hostel gives tenants new skills
20/10/2011
A landlord is using the redevelopment of a former convent to teach residents new skills and keep them informed of what is going on.
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Report warns of poverty risk of benefit changes
20/10/2011
Changes to housing benefit could put thousands of families at risk of overcrowding, poverty or homelessness, a new report warns.
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Dale Farm clearance moves into second day
20/10/2011
An operation to remove residents and protesters from an illegal Travellers’ site moved into its second day this morning.
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Landlord rapped for staff pensions email bungle
19/10/2011
A landlord breached the Data Protection Act by sending the personal data of 200 employees to the wrong email address.
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Contractor buys heating specialist
19/10/2011
A contractor has acquired a heating specialist for an undisclosed sum.
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Older people 'hoard' family homes
19/10/2011
England is in the middle of an intergenerational crisis in the housing market which is caused by older people not downsizing their homes, a new report argues.
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Building firm hit with strike threat
19/10/2011
A union is preparing to ballot over 1,000 members of a construction firm for strike over claims of imposed contractual changes.
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Violent clashes as Dale Farm eviction begins
19/10/2011
The eviction of hundreds of Travellers from the UK’s largest illegal site began this morning with riot police being called in.
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New ownership scheme gets green light
19/10/2011
A housing association is looking for investors for a new home purchase plan after the scheme was given the green light by finance heads.
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Travellers launch bid for eviction appeal
14/10/2011
Residents fighting eviciton from the UK’s largest illegal Travellers’ site will be back in court on Monday as they attempt to launch an appeal.
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Homelessness volunteer jailed for riot offence
14/10/2011
A homelessness charity volunteer has been jailed for 16 months after he pleaded guilty to committing burglary during the August riots.
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Council holds summit to tackle underoccupation
14/10/2011
A council has launched an operation to try to reduce the number of residents on its waiting list by tackling the issue of underoccupied homes.
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Contractors' pay linked to tenant satisfaction
14/10/2011
A pair of contractors could be hit with financial penalties if tenants are not satisfied under a new agreement with a housing organisation.
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Council chosen to lead housing growth scheme
14/10/2011
A council has been picked to head up a new housing network to support local authorities deliver sustainable development in their communities.
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Contractor wins place on £500m framework
14/10/2011
A contractor has won a place on a framework worth up to £500 million with a major housing provider.
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Tenant with £1m of mortgages hands back home
14/10/2011
A tenant has been forced to hand back the keys to her council home after investigators discovered she was living elsewhere and had taken out ten mortgages worth more than £1 million.
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Charity loses court benefit fight against govt
13/10/2011
The High Court has rejected a claim brought against the government by a charity which argued that cuts to housing benefit would disproportionately hit minority families and were beyond the power of the secretary of state.
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Peers called on to amend direct payments
13/10/2011
Housing groups have called on the government to accept an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill which is due to go before Peers this afternoon.
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Council failed domestic violence victim - report
13/10/2011
A council has been accused of maladministration after it failed to provide adequate support for a homeless woman fleeing domestic violence.
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Private rents 'unaffordable' in most of country
13/10/2011
Average rents in the private sector are unaffordable for ordinary working families in more than half of local authorities in England, research shows.
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Council calls on Travellers to abide by law
12/10/2011
Basildon Council has called for Travellers to leave an illegal site peacefully after the High Court ruled in its favour.
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Victims' commissioner resigns to take on new role
12/10/2011
Louise Casey has resigned from her position as victims’ commissioner to head up a new team charged with tackling problem families.
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High Court rules against Dale Farm Travellers
12/10/2011
Residents of the UK’s largest Travellers’ site have lost their case against eviction in the High Court.
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Council planning consultation on dropping ALMO
12/10/2011
A council is to decide whether or not to begin consulting tenants on getting rid of its ALMO.
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Beds for homeless boosted with £37m funding
12/10/2011
Thirty housing associations, councils and other providers will deliver around 1,200 new bed spaces for homeless people with £37.5 million of funding.
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Eviction-threat teen court date delayed
12/10/2011
A man accused of rioting offences will appear in court later this month.
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Call made for rough sleeper scheme to go national
12/10/2011
A charity has called on every council in the country to adopt a homelessness scheme which has helped cut rough sleeping in London.
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Universal credit puts 20,000 jobs 'at risk'
12/10/2011
Thousands of housing benefit jobs could be at risk if government plans to introduce universal credit are implemented, a union has warned.
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Housing association joins with large landlord
11/10/2011
A housing association has pledged to build new homes after agreeing to join forces with one of the country’s largest landlords.
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Council gives ex-soldiers parity on waiting list
11/10/2011
A council has pledged to make it easier for former members of the armed forces to get a home by making the length of time they served equal to the amount of time others have been on the housing waiting list.
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Economy fears hit number of homes for sale
11/10/2011
Fears over the economy caused fewer people to put their homes up for sale in September, the latest data shows.
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Housing benefit consultant jailed for murder
10/10/2011
A housing benefit consultant has been jailed for life for the murder of his 94-year-old father.
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Sector welcomes shadow cabinet changes
07/10/2011
Changes to the shadow cabinet - including the introduction of a minister for older people - have been welcomed by the sector.
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Pickles to take control of helping problem families
07/10/2011
The communities and local government department is to take control of a taskforce charged with turning around the lives of 120,000 families.
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Banishment order
07/10/2011
Labour proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour could see perpetrators evicted from their homes and banned from the area, whatever their tenure. Alex Wellman gauges support for the plan. Illustration by Jonathan Edwards
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London mayor tackles foreign rough sleepers
07/10/2011
The mayor of London is organising meetings with foreign embassies in a bid to tackle the number of overseas nationals who are sleeping rough in the capital.
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Landlord fined £100,000 after man dies from burns
06/10/2011
A housing association has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £35,000 costs after a man died from burns received from a scalding hot bath.
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Council hits rioter with possession order
06/10/2011
A council has started eviction proceedings against one of its tenants who was convicted of offences linked to the riots in August.
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CLG has discussed NPPF transition arrangements
05/10/2011
The communities and local government department has said that transition arrangements had been discussed but denied anything was set in stone.
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Number of affordable homes growing
05/10/2011
The number of affordable homes has grown by 5 per cent in the last year, according to the latest figures.
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Report blames design of social housing for riots
05/10/2011
The layout of post-war social housing estates encourages anti-social behaviour and contributed to the riots in London, a report claims.
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Landlord joins housing group following supervision
05/10/2011
East Midlands Housing Group has swelled the number of homes in its ownership to 17,000 after bringing Three Valleys Housing into the organisation.
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Family to face trial over slavery accusations
04/10/2011
A family accused of keeping people as slaves will appear for trial in December.
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Judge rules Dale Farm pitches can be cleared
03/10/2011
A judge the High Court has ruled that Basildon Council can clear most of the pitches at an illegal Travellers’ site.
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Report finds squatters among most vulnerable
03/10/2011
Squatters are more likely to suffer from mental illness and drug addiction than other homeless people, according to a new report.
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NPPF accused of not addressing housing need
30/09/2011
Fears have been raised over the potential for the National Planning Policy Framework to address the housing needs of the country.
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Campaign calls for Miliband to stop attacks
30/09/2011
A campaign which defends council housing has called on the Labour leadership to stop attacking the sector and instead push for a new wave of house building.
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Dale Farm decision expected Tuesday 'at earliest'
30/09/2011
A decision on a series of High Court injunctions against a council trying to evict hundreds of Travellers from an illegal site has been put back to Tuesday ‘at the earliest’.
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CBI calls on Chancellor for housing boost
30/09/2011
The Confederation of British Industry has called on chancellor George Osborne to use the housing market to boost the economy and unlock up to billions of pounds of private sector investment.
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Communities shadow calls for planning debate
29/09/2011
Caroline Flint has called for further debate on the provision for affordable homes in the national planning policy framework.
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Labour backs call for housing investment
29/09/2011
The Labour party has passed a motion which calls for investment in house building and attacks the government for failing the social housing sector.
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Flint: social housing should be a ‘positive choice’
29/09/2011
The shadow communities secretary has said social housing should return to being a ‘positive choice’ for families.
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Labour opposed to underoccupation cut
28/09/2011
The Labour Party has said it would not have introduced cuts to housing benefits for people deemed to be underoccupying their home.
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Byrne denies Labour plans will harm vulnerable
28/09/2011
The shadow work and pensions secretary has denied plans to give employed households priority access to social housing will hurt vulnerable groups.
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Miliband's housing plans come under fire
28/09/2011
Labour plans to change the way social housing is allocated have been criticised by party members and housing bodies.
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Labour leader takes hard line on benefits
27/09/2011
The Labour leader has attacked people who spend a lifetime on benefits and said it is often too easy not to work.
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Miliband told to get to grips with housing crisis
27/09/2011
Reforms proposed by Labour leader Ed Miliband do not address the fundamental problems with housing, the National Housing Federation has warned.
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Balls calls for tax on bankers to fund new homes
26/09/2011
A tax should be levied against bankers’ bonuses with the money put towards building 25,000 affordable homes, the shadow chancellor has said.
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Dale Farm decision delayed again
26/09/2011
Plans to evict hundreds of people from the UK’s largest illegal Travellers’ site have been put on hold again.
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Trio of housing blocks demolished
26/09/2011
A trio of housing blocks have been demolished, signalling the beginning of a regeneration project.
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Council to prioritise homes for employed people
23/09/2011
A council is to give housing priority to people who have been in employment for more than two years.
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Hundreds of homes planned for hospital site
23/09/2011
Plans to develop a former hospital into hundreds of homes have been unveiled.
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Run-down garages to provide almost 100 homes
22/09/2011
A collection of run-down garages could soon be turned into almost 100 new homes after a council agreed in principle to the change.
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Landlord sues accountant over tax payout
22/09/2011
A housing association is suing its former accountant after it emerged that it unnecessarily paid out more than £100,000 in tax.
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National body to support private tenants
22/09/2011
A national organisation has been set up to support tenants in the private rented sector.
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Wandsworth rejects call to halt riot evictions
22/09/2011
A council which is planning to evict a tenant whose son is accused of rioting has rejected a motion which called for the process to be stopped.
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Clegg ends conference with rehabilitation pledge
21/09/2011
The deputy prime minister has pledged to tackle gang culture and usher in a ‘rehabilitation revolution’ in the wake of the English riots.
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Council hit by corruption claims
21/09/2011
A council repairs department is under investigation by police and an auditing firm following allegations of corruption.
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Proposal to allow councils to tax empty homes
20/09/2011
The government is proposing to give councils the power to charge extra council tax on homes which have lain empty for more than two years.
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Huhne pledges to bring down energy costs
20/09/2011
The energy secretary has reaffirmed his commitment to make the coalition the greenest government ever by helping households tackle spiralling energy bills and using the green deal to stimulate jobs.
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HCA inherits £300m of RDA assets
20/09/2011
Millions of pounds of land and property assets have been transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency.
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Stunell to set out empty homes plans
20/09/2011
The communities minister is expected to outline government plans for tackling empty homes when he addresses the Liberal Democrat conference later today.
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Reforms to halt construction of larger homes
19/09/2011
A provider has warned that a raft of reforms to social housing could stop housing associations building four-bedroom homes.
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Lib Dems move to block eviction of rioters
19/09/2011
Delegates at the Liberal Democrat conference have passed a motion opposing the eviction of social housing tenants involved in the August riots.
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Future of affordable rent remains undecided
19/09/2011
The government has no definite plans for its affordable rent programme after 2015, the communities minister has said.
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Hughes lays into high-earning tenants
19/09/2011
The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats has attacked social tenants on high salaries, singling out Labour politician Frank Dobson.
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Interest cut to deliver £100m boost for housing
18/09/2011
Councils leaving the housing revenue account subsidy system are to receive a £100 million a year boost due to a cut in interest rates.
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Housing association announces new chief exec
16/09/2011
Riverside has announced the person who will take over as group chief executive.
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Direct payments scare off private landlords
16/09/2011
Private sector landlords are set to snub social tenants if direct payment of housing benefits is implemented, a group has claimed.
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Private landlords fear evicted rioters
16/09/2011
A private landlord group is claiming that the eviction of social housing tenants on the back of the English riots will shift problems into its sector.
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Affordable housing to cut new development
16/09/2011
Government reforms will not deliver an increase in affordable housing with most providers fearful of a decline in new builds, a report claims.
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Council pleads for peace ahead of evictions
16/09/2011
The leader of a council which is readying itself to evict hundreds of people from an illegal Travellers site has called on families to leave the area peacefully.
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IDS highlights estates as factor of riots
16/09/2011
A senior government member has highlighted housing estates as one of the major factors that contributed to the rioting which swept through England in August.
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Riots inquiry calls for evidence
16/09/2011
The government’s inquiry into the causes of the English riots has made a ‘national call for evidence’.
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Council preparing for 25% leap in homelessness
15/09/2011
A council is preparing for homelessness to increase by at least a quarter as a result of changes to Local Housing Allowance.
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Housing ASBO proposed for troublesome families
15/09/2011
A former housing minister is proposing the introduction of ‘housing asbos’ which would evict troublesome families and ban them from living within five miles of their former home.
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Cash awards for community design schemes
15/09/2011
Thousands of pounds have been awarded to a series of organisations charged with helping raise the design quality of their areas.
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UN distances itself from Traveller eviction attack
14/09/2011
The United Nations has distanced itself from criticism of a council which is planning to evict travellers after one of its advisors said the authority was violating international law.
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Council plans PV panels for 1,600 homes
14/09/2011
Brighton & Hove Council is planning to install photovoltaic solar panels on 1,600 homes across the area.
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Clark calls for landlords to push localism
14/09/2011
Decentralisation minister Greg Clark has said housing associations should play a key role in taking the localism agenda forward.
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Architects attack new build homes
14/09/2011
Families living in new build homes are being short-changed after it was revealed the properties are significantly smaller than older ones, it has been claimed.
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UN members to speak at Dale Farm
14/09/2011
Members of the UN are set to make a speech at the site of a controversial Travellers’ site which is due for eviction.
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Housebuilder returns to profit
14/09/2011
Housebuilder Barratt Developments has announced a return to profit after a year of loss.
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Galliford Try posts increased profits
14/09/2011
Galliford Try has reported an 80 per cent increase in profits from its housebuilding division.
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Gangs target rough sleepers for slaves - charity
14/09/2011
Rough sleepers are being targeted by criminal gangs in a bid to find modern day slaves, a homelessness charity warns.
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Universal credit to be paid monthly
13/09/2011
Benefits are set to be paid to claimants on a monthly basis with the introduction of Universal Credit.
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Commons watchdog questions welfare savings
13/09/2011
A House of Commons committee has branded government plans to introduce Universal Credit as ‘optimistic’ and warned that services could be ‘adversely affected’.
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Private landlords to consider green deal
13/09/2011
A majority of private landlords would consider taking advantage of the green deal to improve energy efficiency in their properties, a survey shows.
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Lack of mortgage finance hits housing market
13/09/2011
The housing market in the UK has remained flat during August with experts blaming economic uncertainty and a lack of mortgage finance.
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Lords called on to amend welfare bill
13/09/2011
A housing body has called on the House of Lords to make amendments to the welfare reform bill in a bid to stop thousands of families being hit financially.
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Imposter targets eviction-threat Travellers
12/09/2011
Travellers threatened with eviction from their homes have been targeted by an alleged scammer pretending to be part of the clear-up team.
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Housing staff fill gaps left by social workers
12/09/2011
Housing support staff are being forced to fill the gap left by social workers to assist homeless people and undertake tasks they may not be qualified for, a new report claims.
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Universities drop housing courses
02/09/2011
The number of undergraduate and postgraduate housing courses offered by UK universities has dropped dramatically in the past year.
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Ex-housing boss to lead riot inquiry
01/09/2011
A former housing association boss will head the government’s inquiry into the riots which tore through England.
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Dale Farm Travellers lose appeal
31/08/2011
A last-ditch attempt by Travellers to delay a council’s attempt to evict them from their homes has been foiled in the High Court.
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Council agrees to rent 3,000 roofs for PV
31/08/2011
A council has joined forces with an energy provider to fit solar photovoltaic panels to some of its housing stock.
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Cycle accident claims life of board member
31/08/2011
A housing association has paid tribute to its youngest board member after he died following a cycling accident.
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Travellers 'tense' as final legal challenge launched
31/08/2011
Travellers have launched a final bid to delay a council’s attempt to evict them from their homes.
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House builders fined for 'appalling' site
31/08/2011
Two house builders have been fined after the Health and Safety Executive prosecuted them over ‘appalling’ standards at a building site.
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City threatened by £8 million benefit cut
31/08/2011
Thousands of families in one of the UK’s biggest cities are facing a cut in housing benefits worth £8 million, an MP has claimed.
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ALMO faces axe as council seeks savings
31/08/2011
A council is set to bring its arms-length management organisation back in house in a bid to save £400,000.
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Tenant panel training scheme launched
31/08/2011
A training scheme to support residents to set up tenant panels has been launched by the housing minister.
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Shapps' boat plan attacked as 'gimmick'
30/08/2011
A Government plan to tackle the housing crisis by giving cash incentives to councils which encourage people to live on boats has been dismissed as a desperate gimmick.
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Support grows for Fed demands
30/08/2011
A pressure group and a building organisation have joined calls for immediate action into the housing crisis after a national body revealed that home ownership will fall in the next decade.
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Cost of building green homes falling
26/08/2011
The cost of building greener homes is falling year-on-year, new research shows.
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Housing body appoints new chair
26/08/2011
The National Federation of ALMOs has appointed a new chair.
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Shortlist announced for UK Housing Awards
26/08/2011
The shortlist for the 2011 UK Housing Awards has been announced.
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Housing company fined thousands for breach
25/08/2011
A housing company has been fined £8,000 for flouting safety rules after turning flats into a hostel for asylum seekers.
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Shapps pays tribute to CIH chief executive
25/08/2011
The housing minister has paid tribute to the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing who is standing down from her role due to ill health.
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Council homes to safeguard jobs
25/08/2011
A scheme of 800 new council homes in West Lothian will safeguard dozens of local jobs, the Scottish Housing minister has said.
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Council warns riot charge households
24/08/2011
A council has written to tenants charged with criminal offences during the recent riots warning that they may face eviction if convicted.
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Corruption alleged at housing association
23/08/2011
A housing association is at the centre of a police investigation into alleged public corruption.
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Chief executive announces retirement
23/08/2011
A housing association chief executive has announced his retirement after 40 years in the sector.
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Empty homes a 'disgraceful waste'
23/08/2011
Councils should do more to battle the ‘disgraceful waste’ of empty homes as thousands of households are stuck on waiting lists, it has been argued.
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Landlords not showing leadership, claims report
23/08/2011
Housing providers are not showing enough leadership in tackling fears of migration and are failing to embrace their roles as social landlords, a new report says.
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Voters to desert Lib Dems over housing benefit
22/08/2011
A fifth of Liberal Democrat voters are set to desert the party over the coalition government’s welfare reforms, a new poll claims.
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Companies chosen for £3bn framework
22/08/2011
Willmott Dixon, Morgan Sindall, Mansell and Thomas Vale have all been appointed to a regional framework worth up to £3 billion.
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Housing associations join to support riot-hit city
22/08/2011
Housing providers from across Liverpool have come together to help the city in the wake of the riots earlier this month.
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Home owning out of reach
20/08/2011
More than half of would-be buyers in the UK do not think they will ever be able to afford to buy their own home, research has revealed.
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Rough sleepers attacked by mobs
19/08/2011
Rough sleepers were targeted and attacked by rioters as violent disorder swept across England last week.
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Cash boost for contaminated land homes
18/08/2011
A council has been awarded £1.4 million to replace soil in two estates after potentially harmful chemicals were found in the ground.
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First-time buyers hit by record rents
18/08/2011
First-time buyers are being prevented from saving for a deposit due to record rents which rose for the sixth month in a row, a lettings group said.
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Man on arson charge after fire at flats
18/08/2011
A man has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life after a fire broke out at a sheltered accommodation scheme.
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Immigration 'could cost social housing £25bn'
17/08/2011
A pressure group has claimed that housing new immigrants in social homes will cost the taxpayer around £1 billion-a-year for 25 years.
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Minister attacks claims of green belt development
17/08/2011
The communities minister has hit out at suggestions that the government’s planning reforms will put the green belt at risk.
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Part two of £360 million estate regeneration begins
17/08/2011
The second phase of a £360 million regeneration project to build more than 3,000 new homes will begin next month.
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Contractor issues riot rallying call to sector
16/08/2011
A contractor has pledged to invest in communities affected by the rioting by providing training and support to people from deprived backgrounds.
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Housing association worker charged with £166,000 fraud
16/08/2011
A housing association finance officer has appeared in court charged with £166,000 fraud.
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Landlords invited to bid for £3m eco-heating cash
15/08/2011
Social landlords can bid for thousands of pounds to help them install eco-heaters in the homes of tenants.
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Contractor secures 85 per cent of revenue
15/08/2011
A contractor has revealed that it has secured 85 per cent of budgeted revenues for the financial year.
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Cameron pledges to help troubled families as Miliband attacks
15/08/2011
The Prime Minister has promised to ‘turn around’ the lives of the most troubled families in the UK following the riots across the country last week.
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Mortgage lenders' change of heart for riot blaze tenants
12/08/2011
Banks and building societies which refused to support families who lost their homes in the Tottenham riots have had a change of heart.
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Pickles plans increased eviction powers
11/08/2011
The communities and local government department is to consult on plans to give councils the power to evict social tenants if they are convicted of criminal activity outside their local area.
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Homelessness charity volunteer accused of looting
11/08/2011
A homelessness charity volunteer has been charged with burglary following a riot in Lewisham.
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PM calls for more councils to evict rioters
11/08/2011
The Prime Minister has pledged to review eviction powers and has called on more councils to evict tenants for rioting.
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Borough riot leaves 45 households without a home
11/08/2011
A riot-hit council has placed 45 households into temporary accommodation following mass civil unrest.
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Shapps backs eviction for rioting tenants
10/08/2011
Grant Shapps has pledged to support landlords who evict tenants found to have been rioting.
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Haringey praises response to rioting
10/08/2011
Haringey Council has praised the support it has received from residents and council staff following rioting in the area on Saturday.
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Housing staff flee estate amid fresh rioting fears
09/08/2011
Peabody has pulled its staff from a Hackney estate amid fears of a violent rioting.
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Landlord considering security for frontline staff
09/08/2011
A housing association is considering dispatching minders to protect frontline housing staff as they support tenants on an estate which was caught up in riots last night.
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Homeless toll rises as London riots continue
09/08/2011
Almost 50 homes were destroyed in the rioting in Tottenham on Saturday night which sparked mass civil unrest across the rest of London.
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Morgan Sindall reports drop in profits
08/08/2011
Construction firm Morgan Sindall has reported a half-yearly drop in profits of 16 per cent compared to the same time last year.
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Housing associations to benefit from land release
08/08/2011
Housing associations can benefit from a government scheme to release land, but need to move quickly, according to a council that has been trialling the approach.
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Council attacks Audit Commission inspection
05/08/2011
A row has broken out after a council attacked the findings of an Audit Commission inspection into its housing service.
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Thousands of tenants' details found on memory stick in pub
04/08/2011
Two housing bodies breached the Data Protection Act after the details of more than 26,000 tenants – including 800 bank accounts - were discovered on an unencrypted memory stick left in a pub.
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Government denies 450,000 homes rumours
04/08/2011
The Communities and Local Government department has refuted suggestions that the coalition is about to announce plans to build 450,000 new homes each year.
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Housing charity to reduce support due to cuts
04/08/2011
People suffering from housing problems in one of the most deprived parts of the country will received reduced support thanks to cuts in council funding.
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Landlord secures £50 million for new homes
04/08/2011
A housing association has secured £50 million funding to help towards building 4,000 new homes.
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Rural communities hit by lack of affordable housing
04/08/2011
Rural communities could die out if a critical shortage in affordable housing is not addressed, a campaign group has argued.
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Fast eviction proposal will not work, says lawyer
04/08/2011
Government plans to allow landlords to take some old convictions into account when repossessing a home due to anti-social behaviour will not make evictions easier, it has been warned.
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'Pinnock' defence tenant loses eviction fight
03/08/2011
A housing association has won a court battle to recover possession of one its homes from a tenant claiming the ‘Pinnock’ defence.
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RICS says public housing construction falling
03/08/2011
Construction of public housing has fallen in the second quarter of 2011 as spending cuts begin to hit.
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Olympic park neighbourhood names revealed
03/08/2011
The names of the five housing neighbourhoods which will be built on the Olympic Park have been revealed.
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New power proposed to evict 'bad' tenants quicker
03/08/2011
Social landlords will be able to take into account tenants’ previous convictions for certain offences to enable them to evict troublesome people quicker, it has been revealed.
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House builder posts first half loss
03/08/2011
House builder Taylor Wimpey has posted a small loss for the first half of 2011, figures show.
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Homelessness support networks to merge
02/08/2011
A homelessness charity and a housing support service are to merge.
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Housing charities suffer £7 million hit
02/08/2011
Councils have cut more than £7 million from homelessness and housing services, according to the latest figures.
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Millions of pounds released for housing benefit support
02/08/2011
Millions of pounds of funding has been released by the government to help councils deal with cuts to housing benefit.
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Coalfield assets move to HCA
01/08/2011
The Homes and Communities Agency has officially taken control of more than 50 coalfield assets from Regional Development Agencies across England.
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Fire safety guidelines for tower blocks released
29/07/2011
Landlords have been issued with a new set of guidelines to minimise the threat of fire in high-rise tower blocks.
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Review into service charges launched
29/07/2011
Social landlords are set to be grilled by politicians over service charges issued to tenants.
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House prices fall across England and Wales
28/07/2011
House prices have fallen across most of the country in the last year, latest figures from the Land Registry reveal.
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Landlords call for rail station to help create 2,500 homes
28/07/2011
A group of social landlords say the creation of a Crossrail station in a deprived part of London could lead to the development of thousands of homes.
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ALMO chief loses appeal against sacking over pay
28/07/2011
A former housing boss has lost her appeal against a council decision to sack her over accusations of gross misconduct.
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Landlord is third highest spender with government card
28/07/2011
A housing association spent more money with a government pay card than the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the BBC, a freedom of information request has revealed.
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Millions lost in PFI funding following review
28/07/2011
A scheme which promises to deliver thousands of new homes across the country has had its funding reduced following a series of reviews.
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Housing association hands over homes
27/07/2011
A housing association has passed over management of almost 100 homes in a former mining town to a different provider.
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Fed concerned by section 106 payments
27/07/2011
The National Housing Federation is concerned councils are too eager to accept cash payments from developers instead of affordable housing.
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Housing association leads 700 home development
27/07/2011
The London Development Agency has picked a housing association as preferred developer for a 700 home regeneration scheme.
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Labour slams timing of planning shake up
27/07/2011
The Labour Party has accused the government of damaging house building by delaying its planning reforms, which were published this week.
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Only one PFI housing scheme yet to pass test
26/07/2011
All but one of the 13 housing projects under procurement in the private finance initiative are a step closer to starting after passing value for money reviews.
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£1.6 billion of repairs contracts up for grabs
26/07/2011
A housing group has issued a tender for repairs and maintenance work worth up to £1.6 billion.
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Tenants vote to take control of estate
25/07/2011
An iconic council estate will be handed over to the community to run after an overwhelming majority of tenants voted to take control.
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New London Plan revealed
25/07/2011
The mayor of London has published his 20-year plan for development of the capital.
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Asylum seekers at risk with legal aid cuts
22/07/2011
Cuts to legal aid are putting asylum seekers at serious risk of harm, a group of top lawyers has argued.
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Housing association agrees partnership with landlord
22/07/2011
A housing association has agreed to become a subsidiary of one of the country’s biggest social landlords.
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Women missing out on senior housing roles
22/07/2011
Not enough women are being encouraged to apply for senior roles in the housing sector, a housing association chief executive has warned.
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Leading social housing contractors plan merger
22/07/2011
Two of the social housing sector’s biggest contractors are planning to merge.
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Council accepts £22m in lieu of affordable homes
21/07/2011
A council has agreed to accept a £22 million payment from a private developer instead of affordable homes after concluding these would devalue the development.
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Winners of NFA 2011 awards announced
21/07/2011
The winners of the 2011 National Federation of ALMOs have been announced at a ceremony in Manchester.
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Self build homes could double in a decade
21/07/2011
The number of self-build homes built each year could double in the next decade if new proposals are implemented.
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Health service urged to sell spare land for homes
21/07/2011
Government plans to build thousands of new homes have received a boost after the NHS confirmed it was looking at selling off surplus land.
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High Court to hear housing benefit challenge
21/07/2011
A High Court challenge against the legality of housing benefits cuts is due to be heard today.
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Benefit cheat caught modelling on adult website
20/07/2011
A glamour model who falsely claimed £62,747 of benefits while receiving money to pose for adult websites has been jailed for 10 months.
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Thousands of homes planned as army base closes
20/07/2011
Plans to build thousands of homes in Berkshire are a step closer after the Ministry of Defence confirmed an army base is to close.
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New CIH deputy to focus on learning
20/07/2011
A focus on learning and development will ensure the housing sector succeeds during a period of change, the new deputy chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.
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Affordable homes bid totals emerge
19/07/2011
Details of bids for the affordable homes programme are beginning to emerge with organisations having mixed success in securing funding.
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Consultation launched into local planning changes
19/07/2011
A consultation into proposed changes to local planning regulation has been launched by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
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Council planning solar panels for all homes
19/07/2011
A council is making plans to install photo-voltaic solar panels onto all its housing stock.
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Londoners asked for their views on planning
18/07/2011
The London Assembly is calling on communities to take part in an investigation into the future of planning in the city.
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Legal first in housing benefit scam case
15/07/2011
A family of housing cheats has been jailed in a landmark case where the judge delivered the verdict after accusations of jury tampering arose.
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Council allocations policy to favour armed forces
15/07/2011
A local authority has pledged to give members of the armed forces priority access to social housing and has set aside 15 homes.
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Contractor self delivers gas following Kinetics subsidiary collapse
15/07/2011
A contractor has taken over control of gas maintenance for a London authority after its sub-contractor went into administration.
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Senior CIH executive resigns
14/07/2011
The deputy chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has resigned from his post.
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Successful bidders for affordable homes programme revealed
14/07/2011
The list of successful bidders in the affordable homes programme has been revealed.
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Thousands of extra homes expected as affordable bids announced
14/07/2011
Thousands of extra homes are expected to be built under the affordable homes programme after the government revealed figures for the scheme.
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Government green-light for 1,600-home regeneration
13/07/2011
A £115 million regeneration project which promises 1,600 new homes has been given the seal of approval by the government.
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Administrators appointed for Kinetics
13/07/2011
Social housing contractor Kinetics has entered into administration with around 550 staff across five sites affected.
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Finalists announced for Sustainable Housing Awards 2011
13/07/2011
The finalists for the Sustainable Housing Awards 2011 have been announced.
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Residents reassured over Southern Cross
13/07/2011
Liverpool Council has reassured residents of troubled care home Southern Cross that their future is secure.
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Social housing sector not strong enough claims report
13/07/2011
Social housing has become a ‘Cinderella’ sector which does not play a strong enough role in the UK economy, a new report argues.
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Contracts signed on £330 million project to deliver 2,300 new homes
13/07/2011
Plans to develop brownfield sites into 2,300 new homes in Sheffield are a step closer with the signing of a £330 million contract.
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Call made for providers to have greater role in dementia care
12/07/2011
An organisation has called for a greater role for specialist housing providers when dealing with people with dementia as a report says £1 billion could be freed up for community services by reducing hospital beds.
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Contractor wins £45m five-year deal with housing association
12/07/2011
A contractor has won a five-year deal worth £45 million to provide maintenance for 15,000 homes.
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Households in temporary accommodation after rat infestation
12/07/2011
A woman in her 80s has been bitten by a rat after an infestation which has caused the council to put two households into temporary accomodation.
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Report: homes cut in half and investment to fall with affordable rent
08/07/2011
Development of homes in the capital could be cut in half and private investors scared away from housing associations if affordable rent is implemented, a report warns.
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Contractor posts losses of £135 million
08/07/2011
A contractor has posted pre-tax losses of £135 million for last year but has claimed localism and the Green Deal are opportunities to improve.
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House builder to develop 446 FirstBuy homes
08/07/2011
House builder Bovis homes has received government funding to build 446 homes under the FirstBuy scheme for first time buyers.
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Warning issued over solid fuel burners after death of tenant
08/07/2011
Social landlords are being urged not to neglect the maintenance of solid fuel burners after a housing association tenant died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
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No mention of Shapps' five-year tenancy pledge in consultation
07/07/2011
The government has said the majority of new affordable rent tenants will be given tenures longer than the new two-year minimum, but neglected to say how long.
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Boost for first-time buyers in Scotland
07/07/2011
The Scottish Government has given £250,000 towards a scheme to help first-time buyers get purchase a new home.
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Amnesty offered to subletting cheats by housing association
06/07/2011
A housing association is offering an amnesty to housing cheats who are subletting their homes in London.
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Local areas promised benefits after RDA land switch to HCA
06/07/2011
Money raised from the sale of Regional Development Agencies’ assets will be ploughed back into local areas, the Homes and Communities Agency has pledged.
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Contractor wins work for 985 homes
06/07/2011
A contractor has been chosen to undertake repairs and maintenance on 985 housing association homes for a three year period.
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Report reveals ASB barrier to more people accessing social housing
06/07/2011
The fear of anti-social behaviour on housing estates is the main barrier to people wanting to live in social homes, according to a new report.
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£20m fund for national rough sleeping scheme
06/07/2011
The government has pledged £20 million to a scheme which tries to help as many rough sleepers off the street as possible.
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Council checks fridges after tower block fire
06/07/2011
A council is undertaking an audit to find out how many homes may have faulty fridges after a fire in a tower block was caused by one of the appliances.
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Further 800 homes planned for Battersea site
06/07/2011
Around 800 new homes could be built next to Battersea Power Station after four giant gas holders were earmarked for decommissioning.
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Watchdog warns councils are failing homeless
06/07/2011
A watchdog has warned councils are not doing enough to prevent homelessness and are failing to provide interim accommodation for those in priority need.
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Private renters twice as likely as social counterparts to be full time workers
05/07/2011
A survey of housing in England has revealed that households in the private rented sector are twice as likely to be in full time employment as those in social housing.
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Family income too low to live off with Universal Credit
05/07/2011
The introduction of the Universal Credit could leave working families trapped in a situation where their income is well below what they need to live, a new report claims.
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Guide to stop private tenants being exploited released
05/07/2011
Citizens Advice has handed out a number of top tips for private tenants whose homes are in need of repair to stop them being exploited by landlords.
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New chief executive announced for homeless charity
05/07/2011
A homeless charity has appointed a new chief executive.
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Government 'bulldozing' policies through - charity claims
04/07/2011
The government has been accused of ‘bulldozing’ through unpopular policies while snubbing advice from people on the front line.
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Eviction notice handed to families on illegal Traveller site
04/07/2011
A council has issued an eviction notice against almost 100 families living on an illegal Traveller site.
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CLG deny staff member who insulted Pickles on Twitter is sacked
04/07/2011
The Department for Communities and Local Government has denied reports that a member of staff caught tweeting critical remarks about Eric Pickles has been sacked.
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Report claims waiting lists to grow and new builds to fall
04/07/2011
Social housing waiting lists will get much worse within the next two years as the government’s affordable housing scheme will see starts drop by more than a third, a report warns.
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Regeneration scheme promises 20,000 new homes
01/07/2011
A regeneration scheme has been launched which is claimed could build up to 20,000 new homes by 2020.
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House builder sells Scottish operation
01/07/2011
Housebuilder Redrow has sold its Scottish operation to Springfield Properties Plc for £49 million.
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Current welfare system 'completely broken' claims IDS
01/07/2011
Universal Credit will change people’s lives and replace a welfare system which is ‘completely broken’ and ‘divorced from its founding ideals’ a government minister is expected to say.
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Cuts stopping homeless receiving vital help, claims report
01/07/2011
Government cuts are preventing homeless people from getting the help they need and are affecting frontline services in support, a new report reveals.
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Hundreds to be evicted from illegal Traveller site
01/07/2011
Around 100 families are to be removed from an illegal Travellers site in Essex after the council gave the go-ahead to evict them.
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Housing must be priority in supporting vulnerable children argues CIH
30/06/2011
Housing providers must be seen as key agencies in the support of vulnerable adults and children to ensure tragedies such as Ryan Lovell-Hancox do not happen again, the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.
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Former lunatic asylum gets housing green light
30/06/2011
Developers have been given the green light to turn a 19th century lunatic asylum into 260 homes.
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Strike hits CLG head office
30/06/2011
The head office of the Department for Communities and Local Government has been hit with a picket line by workers on strike.
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Families in temporary accomodation after tower block blaze
29/06/2011
Families whose homes were damaged in a fire in a south London tower block have been put in temporary accommodation while repairs take place.
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Steering group appointment first step to cutting home building red tape
29/06/2011
The appointment of former Environment Agency chairman Sir John Harman to a group tackling the complexity of home building standards is the first step to cutting red tape, Grant Shapps has said.
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Councillors oppose housing benefit cuts
29/06/2011
More than half the Conservative and Lib Dem councillors in England oppose government changes to housing benefit, a survey reveals.
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Routine social housing inspections axed
29/06/2011
The Tenant Services Authority has scrapped routine inspections of social housing providers.
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Campaign to raise profile of affordable housing
29/06/2011
A campaign is launching in parliament today to put pressure on the government to prioritise affordable housing.
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Planning granted for regeneration of former Rover factory
24/06/2011
The regeneration of a former car manufacturing site in Birmingham to a 2,000-home community is a step closer following the approval of planning permission.
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Thousands fewer homes to be built because of localism
24/06/2011
Localism will hit house building in the future with 31,000 fewer homes expected to be built each year, a new report claims.
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Housing associations could be subject to FOIs
23/06/2011
Housing associations may soon be subject to freedom of information requests after the housing minister announced plans to launch a consultation with providers.
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Rising Stars winner announced
23/06/2011
Carla Keegans has been chosen as the winner of Rising Stars at the Chartered Institute of Housing conference at Harrogate this afternoon.
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Report into changes facing organisations released
23/06/2011
A report into the challenges facing housing organisations and the need to transform has been launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing.
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Report shows needs of homeless people in Scotland
23/06/2011
A new report has outlined the support homeless people in Scotland want from local authorities.
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Action plan to cut carbon in built environment announced
22/06/2011
The government has unveiled an action plan to work with industry bodies to cut carbon across the construction sector and built environment by 2050.
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Call made for associations to help tenants more
22/06/2011
Smaller housing associations with no intention of developing homes should push the money they generate into social innovation projects to better the lives of their residents, it has been argued.
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Supermarket in talks to register as housing association
22/06/2011
A major supermarket chain is in talks to move into the sector and is in the process of registering as a housing association, it has been claimed.
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Charter to tackle ASB launched
22/06/2011
A new charter for anti-social behaviour has been launched with hundreds of landlords in England pledging to sign up.
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Ex-ALMO chief sentenced for benefit scam
22/06/2011
The former chair of an ALMO and her husband who pleaded guilty to gaining property by deception and falsely claiming benefits have avoided being sent to jail.
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Housing workers 'under siege'
21/06/2011
Workers in the housing sector must sharpen their skills and broaden their horizons to succeed or face coming ‘under siege’ from outside sectors.
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Pickles puts stop on Beatle home demolition
20/06/2011
Plans to demolish the former home of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr have been put on hold after Eric Pickles stepped in.
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Under the hammer
20/06/2011
The old adage that one man’s treasure is another man’s trash is a saying which has paid dividends in auction houses across the world for years.
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Housing costs causing stress and mental health problems
18/06/2011
The cost of housing is causing high levels of stress and depression in the UK, research shows.
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New chair for G15 housing group
17/06/2011
The G15 group of housing associations will have a new chair at the beginning of July.
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Report into housing future welcomed by politicians
17/06/2011
Opposing politicians have pledged to take on board a report which calls on housing associations to change the way they work and open up to private tenants.
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Organisations shortlisted for council house management
17/06/2011
A shortlist of housing organisations has been invited to submit tenders for the management of 5,600 council-owned homes in Cheshire.
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Construction company to launch solar PV division
17/06/2011
A construction firm is to launch a new division which will design, fund, build and install solar photovoltaic panels to existing homes throughout the country.
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Government welfare minister to speak at CIH conference
17/06/2011
A minister who suggested caps to benefits could be relaxed before government stepped in to deny it will be speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing conference.
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Council offered £78 million to reduce affordable housing quota
16/06/2011
Westminster Council has been offered £78 million to put towards affordable housing after developers of Chelsea Barracks said they could not meet their 50 per cent quota.
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Housing association chief executive retires
16/06/2011
The chief executive of one of the country’s largest housing associations is stepping down after 12 years in the role.
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Charity calls for welfare bill delay
16/06/2011
A charity has called for the Welfare Reform Bill to be put on hold until the government properly explains how the universal credit will work.
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City seeks planning charge exemption
16/06/2011
The planning officer for the City of London will claim today that businesses could be harmed if office space is turned into homes.
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Housing pledge for 250,000 Londoners from mayoral hopeful
15/06/2011
A London assembly member has launched his bid to oust Boris Johnson with a pledge to build homes for 250,000 Londoners.
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Council drops director of housing role to save money
15/06/2011
A London council has ditched the role of director of housing to save money as part of government cuts.
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Report claims renting is more expensive than buying
15/06/2011
Renting a home is more expensive than buying in eight out of 10 homes across the country, a new survey claims.
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Man dies in flat blaze
15/06/2011
A man has died in a flat fire in Birmingham.
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Fire breaks out at Galliard Homes site
14/06/2011
A fire has broken out on the roof of a construction site in The Strand in central London.
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Housing association fits two-room adaption for disabled boy
14/06/2011
A housing association has adapted a disabled boy’s home by fitting a two-room extension tailored to the youngster’s needs.
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HCA beats home starts target by more than half
14/06/2011
The Homes and Communities Agency has outstripped expectation in the number of home starts by more than 60 per cent.
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Private landlords to cut homes let to tenants on benefits
14/06/2011
More than half of private landlords are planning to reduce the number of homes they let to tenants on housing benefit because of cuts to Local Housing Allowance, a survey has found.
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Minister to call for more to be done to fight carbon emissions from homes
13/06/2011
The UK needs to do more to fight carbon emissions in homes and buildings or risk losing the war against climate change, the communities minister will warn tomorrow (Tuesday).
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Call for landlords to help private renters as figures predict two million drop in homeowners
13/06/2011
Housing associations should make plans to provide for private renters as figures show the number of homeowners will fall by almost two million people, a report claims.
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HCA gives extra funding to provide more affordable homes to council
13/06/2011
An affordable housing project will provide Bradford with 50 new homes after the Homes and Communities Agency stepped in with extra funding.
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£26,000 benefit cap may be relaxed
13/06/2011
Government plans to cap benefits at £26,000 could be relaxed to accommodate ‘exceptional circumstances’.
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Queen's Birthday Honours recognises housing sector
13/06/2011
Stalwarts of the housing sector have been rewarded for their hard work in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2011.
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Contractor says billions could be saved by switching outsourcing
10/06/2011
A contractor claims savings of up to £2.9 billion could be made by housing associations, ALMOs and councils if changes were made to the outsourcing of housing maintenance and management.
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Demand pricing people out of rental market
09/06/2011
More people are being priced out of the rental market as increased demand and a lack of properties pushed rent higher, a report reveals.
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Crisis looms for elderly and vulnerable care, union warns
08/06/2011
A crisis in care for elderly and vulnerable people could be around the corner as evidence shows the problems facing Southern Cross may not be a one-off, a union has warned.
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Labour criticises public land plans
08/06/2011
The shadow housing minister has questioned whether government plans to release public land for house building will address the shortage of affordable homes.
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Landlord received no warning ahead of double murder
08/06/2011
A landlord said it received no warning from partners that a tenant and her daughter who were shot and killed had complained to police of harassment.
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Shapps defends fixed-term tenancies against Shelter report
07/06/2011
The housing minister has defended government plans to implement fixed-term tenancies after a homeless charity released a report which showed similar schemes were not working abroad.
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100,000 new homes to be built as government plans to release land
07/06/2011
The government is to release thousands of acres of public land to build up to 100,000 new homes.
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Fixed-term tenancies are failing abroad, report says
06/06/2011
Doubts have been raised over plans to introduce fixed term tenancies after a report revealed the same policy has been unsuccessful in other countries.
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Residents to be given power to tackle unwanted street clutter
06/06/2011
Residents should get together and decide how to use new powers to create the neighbourhood they want, Grant Shapps has said.
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Localism Bill will not empower communities - campaign group says
06/06/2011
The Localism Bill will not deliver the government’s promise to empower local communities and deliver sustainable development, a pressure group claim.
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DCLG worker faces disciplinary action over Twitter attacks
06/06/2011
A civil servant at the Department for Communities and Local Government has been suspended after he was caught mocking ministers on Twitter.
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Shapps announces plan to restrict social housing for high-earners
06/06/2011
The government is looking into the possibility of preventing people earning £100,000 or more from living in social housing.
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Further details of Green Deal revealed
02/06/2011
Further details of the Green Deal have been released by the government including which measures are suitable for a property and plans to ensure consumers are not ripped off.
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New homes branded a 'big con' by union
02/06/2011
The new homes bonus is a ‘big con’ which penalises northern councils, according to Unison.
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Not enough being done to tackle fraud claims report
02/06/2011
Public bodies have scope to do more to protect against fraud, a new report claims.
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Mother and son evicted for messy garden
02/06/2011
A woman and her teenage son have been evicted from their home after failing to tidy their garden.
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BBC Panorama investigation: Housing association says more monitoring needed
01/06/2011
A housing association has claimed that alleged abuse of adults with learning disabilities seen on a BBC Panorama investigation could have been avoided with third party monitoring.
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House prices rise across much of the country
01/06/2011
House prices have risen across much of the country in the past month but remain lower than at the same time last year.
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Six-year-old dies in fall from tower block
01/06/2011
A six-year-old boy has fallen to his death from an eight-storey window in a Leeds tower block.
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Developer secures consent for more than 3,000 homes
01/06/2011
Developer St. Modwen has announced it secured planning consent for more than 3,000 new homes in the first half of the financial year.
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ALMO launches scheme to tackle extreme hoarders
01/06/2011
An ALMO has launched a program to tackle serial hoarders who often end up living in unsanitary conditions due to their habit.
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Contractor awarded £50 million work for 15,000 homes
01/06/2011
A contractor has won a £50 million deal to provide maintenance and refurbishment work to a housing association’s 15,000 stock.
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Thousands of young people face losing their home with benefit cuts
31/05/2011
Thousands of residents face losing their homes as a result of a cut in housing benefit, a homeless charity has claimed.
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Report calls for mortgage cap
31/05/2011
Mortgages should be capped at 90 per cent of property values and at a maximum of three-and-a-half times household income, a new report says.
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Housing benefit cuts could push families to loan sharks
31/05/2011
Plans to cut housing benefit could force thousands of families into the hands of loan sharks, campaigners argue.
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Homeless charity gets new chief
26/05/2011
A homeless charity has appointed a new chief executive.
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Chief executive appointed to Scottish Housing Regulator
26/05/2011
The Scottish Housing Regulator has appointed a chief executive.
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20,000-home development on hold after Localism Bill fears
26/05/2011
Plans to build 20,000 homes in Stevenage have been thrown out after the Planning Inspectorate deemed the council’s draft Core Strategy ‘unsound’.
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Police failed mother who killed herself and disabled daughter
25/05/2011
Police are to face disciplinary action for failing to take ‘sufficient action’ to protect a woman who killed herself and her disabled daughter after years of abuse.
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Green bank is key to efficiency scheme
25/05/2011
The Federation of Master Builders has said the green investment bank is the only way the government can deliver its flagship green deal policy.
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Mortgage rescue scheme overspent and missed goals
25/05/2011
A scheme launched in January 2009 to help households avoid repossession has supported less than half the people expected and gone £35 million over budget.
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Duo return to roles in HCA and TSA
24/05/2011
Robert Napier and Anthony Mayer have both been reappointed to their positions as chairmen of key housing organisations.
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Unsung heroes of housing rewarded
23/05/2011
Hundreds converged on the London Hilton in Park Lane, Mayfair, on Friday to celebrate the best and brightest in British housing.
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Inquest to be held into death of boy who fell from window
20/05/2011
An inquest into the death of a teenage boy who fell from a window in a tower block will take place in October.
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Armed forces to get top housing priority
20/05/2011
Members of the Armed Forces are to be given top priority for all low cost home ownership schemes.
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Council to give greater priority to employed people
20/05/2011
Working households are to be given greater priority at a London authority after the new leader declared he was launching a reform of housing.
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Unemployed to join homeless selling Big Issue
19/05/2011
A magazine launched to provide jobs for homeless people is allowing the unemployed to take part.
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Councils join forces for sustainable future
18/05/2011
An agreement between three councils to shift to more sustainable communities and fight climate change has been signed.
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Support for local housing provision launched
18/05/2011
A new service has been launched by the CIH to help housing professionals and councillors deliver new homes.
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Shapps outlines zero carbon standard
18/05/2011
The government has outlined its long-awaited definition of zero carbon homes, but said some details have yet to be confirmed.
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Development partner for £80 million regeneration project chosen
16/05/2011
Mulalley teamed with One Housing have been appointed as the development partner for the Ladderswood Estate in Enfield.
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Builders release positive trading updates
11/05/2011
House builder Barratt Homes is predicting an upturn in profits by the end of its financial year.
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Clegg promises to help refugees
11/05/2011
The deputy prime minister has pledged to support people from across the globe seeking refuge in the UK.
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Builders cast doubt on efficiency scheme
04/05/2011
The Federation of Master Builders has questioned whether the government’s green deal scheme will results in the expected gains in energy efficiency.