Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Inside Housing
Board members and regulation

Stories with this category.

  • It's not always right to buy

    18/05/2012

    The government must be careful its homeownership drive does not backfire, argues Carl Brown

  • Accreditation for landlords coming soon

    18/05/2012

    The Welsh government will outline plans for compulsory registering of private landlords in a white paper on Monday.

  • Fit for the future

    18/05/2012

    Housing providers are pushing boundaries to address the challenges facing the sector, but they must tread carefully

  • Funding arm of the law

    18/05/2012

    The introduction of police and crime commissioners is both an opportunity and a challenge

  • Helena loses £6m tax appeal

    18/05/2012

    A stock transfer housing association has lost an Appeal Court case against a multimillion-pound tax bill.

  • Mapping the full footprint

    18/05/2012

    How easily could your organisation calculate its complete carbon footprint? If the answer is ‘not very’, then a new worldwide standard could be just what you need. Elisabeth Jeffries looks at how it works

  • Performance review

    18/05/2012

    The HCA’s new regulatory regime will focus on landlords’ governance and financial viability. Ian Davis and John Maton from Trowers and Hamlins explain.

  • Struggle to be heard

    18/05/2012

    You end up with hopelessly simplistic policy if you don’t listen to the front line, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

  • The heart of the matter

    18/05/2012

    Ruth Cooke may have taken on the chief executive’s role at Midland Heart, but, as Gavriel Hollander finds out, she plans to put her employees at the centre of decision making.

  • Southern landlords plan 23,000 home merger

    17/05/2012

    Two housing associations have announced they have begun merger talks in a move that would create one of the largest social landlords in the east of England.

  • Watchdog criticises lack of action on subletting

    17/05/2012

    The government’s spending watchdog has criticised housing associations for not using a data matching system to identify homes that have been sublet unlawfully.

  • Government policies 'are failing housing'

    17/05/2012

    The government’s housing policies are failing to mend Britain’s ‘broken housing market’, according to a damning report from three leading housing bodies.

  • Accord appoints Lovell for £50m repairs contract

    16/05/2012

    Midlands-based housing association Accord has awarded a £50 million repairs contract to Lovell.

  • Licensed premises

    15/05/2012

    A simple licensing scheme for private rented properties could help to improve standards and tackle rogue landlords, writes Colin Wiles.

  • The new leaders

    14/05/2012

    As the finalists for our Rising Stars competition are announced, Blair McPherson considers what it means to be a leader in 2012

  • Housing Heroes Award winners unveiled

    11/05/2012

    The winners of the 2012 Housing Heroes Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London.

  • Unfair blame

    11/05/2012

    Social landlords, as readers of Inside Housing know only too well, are facing a whole host of challenges.

  • HCA promises transparency

    11/05/2012

    The new social housing regulator has pledged to be transparent, despite not holding meetings in public.

  • Is anyone there?

    11/05/2012

    Large housing associations offer a number of ways for tenants to contact them but in practice it’s not always easy to get through, says Lara Oyedele

  • Look who’s talking

    11/05/2012

    When residents on Islington’s Andover estate complained about anti-social behaviour, they never expected their details to be sent to the perpertrators. Here, Rhiannon Bury kicks off our safer communities special by investigating the damage done by the council’s data blunder

  • Midland Heart staff get a say

    11/05/2012

    Front line staff at a midlands-based housing association could have a say in how the organisation spends its £16 million a year surplus under plans to increase employee involvement in the business.

  • Rising Stars 2012 finalists announced

    11/05/2012

    The finalists of Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Rising Stars competition to find the most talented young housing professionals have been announced.

  • Rising to the challenge

    11/05/2012

    The three finalists in the Rising Stars competition have been announced. Here they set out why they should be named as the UK’s most talented young housing professional

  • Boris hands deputy mayor role to housing advisor

    09/05/2012

    Boris Johnson’s housing advisor, Rick Blakeway, has been appointed deputy mayor for housing in London.

  • Last chance to enter homelessness awards

    09/05/2012

    Entries for this year’s Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards must be in by noon tomorrow (10 May).

  • Ex-Westminster housing boss takes Camden post

    04/05/2012

    Westminster Council’s former director of housing has moved over to Camden to become its new director of housing and adult social care.

  • Tough times

    04/05/2012

    You can’t help but feel sorry for the social housing regulator.

  • Labour wins control of key councils

    04/05/2012

    The Labour Party has gained control of key councils across England in local elections held yesterday.

  • A charitable case for relief

    04/05/2012

    Exemptions from CIL are available but it’s advisable to check the details, says Mark Burrows, associate at Penningtons Solicitors

  • Landlords warned off bedroom tax loophole

    04/05/2012

    Landlords risk breaching loan agreements if they reclassify properties to protect their tenants from the ‘bedroom tax’.

  • Making it pay

    04/05/2012

    Procurement red tape is costing the housing sector dear

  • No ‘end of TSA bonus’ for Unite staff

    04/05/2012

    Staff at the social housing regulator are unlikely to ballot on strike action in the near future, a source close to the union has confirmed.

  • One Support to cut wages as it loses council care contracts

    04/05/2012

    More than 200 staff at one of London’s biggest housing associations face pay cuts after councils slashed care contracts worth millions of pounds.

  • Safe from harm

    04/05/2012

    A new tool will help landlords use the courts to tackle anti-social behaviour, says Helen Tucker

  • Terrible error

    04/05/2012

    Lessons can be learnt from even the most unfortunate mistakes

  • The future’s bright

    04/05/2012

    The government’s social housing reforms will make the sector fairer - Newham’s approach to allocations will not, says Grant Shapps

  • Power players join forces to ‘stress test’ green deal

    03/05/2012

    Landlords, energy companies and major retailers have joined forces to provide the first comprehensive stress test of the government’s flagship retrofit scheme.

  • Labour strategy to target private rented sector

    03/05/2012

    Labour will soon be launching tough proposals for the private rented sector, shadow housing minister Jack Dromey told delegates at a homelessness conference

  • CIH launches journal for Republic of Ireland

    02/05/2012

    The Irish housing minister has launched a new journal for housing professionals in the Republic of Ireland.

  • Colour charts

    01/05/2012

    As voters across England, Scotland and Wales prepare to go to the polls, we assess the key battlegrounds for housing

  • Contractor sheds 200 jobs through £1bn merger

    01/05/2012

    The merger of two housing contractors has resulted in 200 job losses.

  • Study identifies key big society role for landlords

    01/05/2012

    Housing associations should be central to big society work in Scotland, according to a report.

  • One week left to complete assaults survey

    01/05/2012

    Frontline housing professionals have a week to complete Inside Housing’s survey on assaults against housing staff.

  • Pickles reiterates benefits of scrapping Audit Commission

    30/04/2012

    The abolition of the Audit Commission will save almost three times more than expected, the communities secretary said today.

  • Green energy consultancy rebrands after buy out

    30/04/2012

    Green energy consultancy Camco Advisory Services, which works extensively across the housing sector, has rebranded following a management buy-out of the company from its international parent.

  • Housing association body appoints new chief

    30/04/2012

    The Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations has appointed a new chief executive.

  • HCA panel rejects all calls for consumer regulation

    27/04/2012

    The new social housing regulator has already rejected 20 complaints about consumer regulation following its creation on 1 April.

  • A vote for housing

    27/04/2012

    Housing finally ignited as a major political issue in the run-up to the London mayoral elections this week. Carl Brown investigates how some of the main contenders plan to tackle the issue

  • Give the regions a chance

    27/04/2012

    Central government is distancing itself from regional policy, which is why Liverpool’s first elected mayor will have a vital role to play, says Ann O’Byrne

  • Uncertain times for tenants

    27/04/2012

    Co-operatives need clarification over tenure regime for members, says Brynmor Adams, barrister at Five Paper

  • Report: ‘Build rules must be simplified’

    26/04/2012

    Procurement processes in the housing sector are ‘onerous and costly’, thanks to overzealous interpretations of European Union procurement rules, according to a report.

  • Marathon runners raise £20,000 for Hact

    23/04/2012

    Runners raised more than £20,000 for the Housing Association Charitable Trust in the London Marathon yesterday.

  • Landlords merge to save thousands of pounds

    23/04/2012

    More than half a million pounds worth of efficiency savings will be made as a result of two Birmingham housing associations joining forces to become one organisation.

  • Survey to investigate assaults against housing staff

    23/04/2012

    Inside Housing has launched a survey on assaults against housing staff.

  • Contributing to the problem

    20/04/2012

    The old, thorny issue of social housing allocations reared its head again this week.

  • Landlords named in top 50 employers for women

    20/04/2012

    Metropolitan and Genesis housing associations have been named as two of the country’s top employers for women by a national newspaper.

  • Power to protect

    20/04/2012

    A new framework gives the Scottish Housing Regulator full authority to monitor social landlords

  • Redressing the balance

    20/04/2012

    An equal pay claim ruling will affect the culture of ALMOs and councils, says Jack Harrington, partner at Pannone

  • Shortlist announced for UK Housing Awards 2012

    20/04/2012

    The shortlisted entries for the 2012 UK Housing Awards have been revealed.

  • Taking charge

    20/04/2012

    Grainia Long has taken over as chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing at a time of huge change for the sector. Rhiannon Bury finds out how she plans to help landlords improve their lot

  • Landlord wins tribunal over £5m repair row

    19/04/2012

    Leaseholders of eight blocks of maisonettes which underwent a £5 million repair and refurbishment have lost their bid to avoid paying thousands of pounds towards the cost of the work.

  • CIH unveils vision for the future

    18/04/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has promised to put customers first and encourage sector involvement over the next three years in its new corporate plan.

  • David and Goliath

    13/04/2012

    Local councils are often portrayed, especially in the local press, as the bad guys, trampling on tenants and refusing to listen to what residents really want.

  • Housing body calls for funding clarity

    13/04/2012

    Housing associations and co-operatives need clarity about where funding will come from if they are to provide housing support to tenants, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has claimed.

  • Andy Ludlow call for entries

    13/04/2012

    Organisations working with homeless people in London can enter the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards 2012.

  • Intricate network

    13/04/2012

    Social housing providers spend billions of pounds outsourcing services, so how can they be sure their chosen sub-contractors won’t run into trouble? Simon Brandon takes a crash course in supply chain risk management to find out

  • Ministerial mission

    13/04/2012

    Keith Brown has been in charge of Scottish social housing for less than 12 months but in that time he has helped shape the sector for years to come. Martin Hilditch finds out how

  • Housing group appoints new chief executive

    11/04/2012

    A landlord has announced that it has appointed a new chief executive.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Founder of housing co-operative dies

    10/04/2012

    A Ugandan refugee who went on to set up and chair one of the United Kingdom’s largest housing co-operatives has died.

  • 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.

  • Strike out

    05/04/2012

    After months of preparation the new social housing regulator launched this week and has already been hit by a potential difficulty.

  • Broadening its horizons

    05/04/2012

    Amicus Horizon is in rude health again following an austerity programme. Gavriel Hollander charts its progress.

  • 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.

  • Executive’s future unclear

    05/04/2012

    The fate of the UK’s largest social landlord has been left hanging due to behind-the-scenes wrangling over its future.

  • Firing up the Welsh economy

    05/04/2012

    Imaginative social enterprise could help communities in Wales emerge from austerity

  • New housing regulator faces strike threat

    05/04/2012

    Staff working for the new social housing regulator are threatening to strike over a claim for a one-off £500 ‘end of Tenant Services Authority bonus’.

  • Open-door policy

    05/04/2012

    Allowing private landlords to validate local housing allowance claims can help councils simplify their procedures and cut their housing waiting lists. Neil Merrick heads to Derbyshire to find out how

  • That extra mile

    05/04/2012

    A team of dedicated housing professionals - including one of Inside Housing’s very own reporters - is gearing up to run the London Marathon for Hact. Nick Duxbury has the inside story - and a bit of a limp

  • Council consults tenants over plans for housing

    04/04/2012

    Sandwell Council has become the latest local authority to ask tenants if they want to bring the management of their homes back in house.

  • Social landlord among group of green deal leaders

    04/04/2012

    A housing association and two leading social housing contractors are among 22 organisations that have signed up to pioneer the government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme.

  • Lazy consensus

    04/04/2012

    Private companies could force housing providers to reassess how they do business, argues John Wade

  • Private firms approved to become social landlords

    04/04/2012

    Three profit-making companies are set to become social landlords after gaining approval from the Tenant Services Authority before the regulator closed last week.

  • Scottish regulator reveals plans for 51 landlords

    04/04/2012

    The new Scottish Housing Regulator has published its first tranche of regulation plans for 51 housing associations in its first week of power.

  • Housing stalwart dies following cancer battle

    04/04/2012

    A stalwart of the housing sector has passed away following a seven month battle with cancer.

  • 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.

  • Troubled landlord appoints new board

    03/04/2012

    A troubled housing association in Northern Ireland has appointed seven new board members.

  • 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.

  • Former TSA chair takes on new role with landlord

    03/04/2012

    The former chair of the Tenant Services Authority has taken on a new role just a few days after his old post was abolished.

  • Maggie Punyer

    03/04/2012

    Maggie Punyer has been appointed to the board of Accent Housing Group.

  • 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.

  • New regulator outlines need for strong boards

    02/04/2012

    Strong management boards are vital to social landlords’ prospects of succeeding in a challenging environment, the new social housing regulator has said.

  • Landlords agree to swap more than 700 homes

    02/04/2012

    Four housing associations have agreed a stock swap of 736 homes to provide better services for residents.

  • Stock transfer associations consider partnership

    02/04/2012

    Two stock transfer housing associations in London are examining ways they could work together to make service delivery more efficient.

  • 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.

  • Merger creates 32,000-home landlord

    02/04/2012

    The merger of two housing associations to create a new 32,000-home landlord has been confirmed.

  • A lasting legacy?

    30/03/2012

    So that’s it. After three and a half years the Tenant Services Authority will cease to exist from midnight on Saturday.

  • TSA hosts final board meeting before abolition

    30/03/2012

    The final open board meeting of the Tenant Services Authority took place today ahead of its abolition at midnight on Saturday.

  • Caring is sharing

    30/03/2012

    More effective data-sharing between local authorities and housing providers can help tackle problems such as unlawful sub-letting

  • Conflict of interest hits member's role at watchdog

    30/03/2012

    A key member of the Homes and Communities Agency’s new regulatory committee will not be involved in specific case work so as to allay fears over conflicts of interest.

  • Hyde director quits her post

    30/03/2012

    A senior housing association director has abruptly left her post following disagreements with the organisation’s chief executive.

  • Out in the open

    30/03/2012

    As the housing minister calls for transparency, Victoria Jardine says associations are already subject to disclosure requirements

  • Review could change regulatory framework

    30/03/2012

    The new regulatory framework for social landlords could change later in the year following a review of how for-profit landlords are regulated.

  • Take pride

    30/03/2012

    A passion for helping people - coupled with a few more formal skills - are the qualities needed to be a good housing professional, says Lara Oyedele

  • The gospel according to Matthew

    30/03/2012

    On Monday, Matthew Bailes takes charge of regulation at the Homes and Communities Agency as the Tenant Services Authority shuts its doors for good. Martin Hilditch meets the self-confessed career civil servant to find out what’s in store.

  • Charity leaves 'under-resourced' work programme

    29/03/2012

    A London-based charity has dropped out of the government’s flagship welfare to work programme claiming that it is insufficiently resourced to get homeless people into work.

  • Landlord appoints new chair

    29/03/2012

    Housing association Home Group has appointed a new chairman.

  • Hundreds mark Landlord's 150th anniversary

    29/03/2012

    Around 1,800 people attended a special service at Westminster Abbey today to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Peabody.

  • Stock transfer creates first UK housing mutual

    29/03/2012

    A greater Manchester council has finalised the UK’s largest housing mutual following a successful stock transfer.

  • CIH offering support to Irish professionals

    29/03/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is moving into the Republic of Ireland in a bid to offer housing professional across the border advice and support.

  • 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.

  • CIH governing board chair resigns

    28/03/2012

    The chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s governing board has resigned.

  • Campaigners take protest to CLG headquarters

    28/03/2012

    Defend Council Housing campaigners have staged their first protest outside the Communities and Local Government department’s headquarters.

  • 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.

  • Landlord secures £100m management contract

    27/03/2012

    Housing association Plus Dane has won a £100 million contract to manage housing stock for Cheshire West and Cheshire Council.

  • New standards mark shift to economic regulation

    27/03/2012

    Social landlords will have to comply with a value-for-money standard as part of a new regulatory framework published yesterday.

  • Welfare champion dies following battle with illness

    27/03/2012

    A former Conservative social security minister who championed child benefits in the 1980s has died.

  • German lessons - part 2

    26/03/2012

    We have a lot to learn from the German private rented sector, writes Colin Wiles.

  • History lessons

    26/03/2012

    Will history look more favourably on the Tenant Services Authority than Grant Shapps did?

  • All due credit

    23/03/2012

    With a little over a week to go before the system of social housing regulation changes, landlords have won what looks like a significant victory.

  • All-new tenant panel show

    23/03/2012

    Last year the government said it wanted powerful new tenant panels to hold landlords to account. So how will they work? Martin Hilditch finds out

  • Do the maths

    23/03/2012

    New accounting rules will cause headaches for housing associations

  • In the spotlight

    23/03/2012

    Housing has a key role to play in the economic and social well-being of the country, says Pat Ritchie

  • Landlords fail to disclose judgements findings

    23/03/2012

    Social landlords are failing to make reference to the findings of regulatory judgements in their own board reports, breaching recommended practice.

  • Landlords join up to avoid ‘bedroom tax’

    23/03/2012

    Landlords across Merseyside are launching a region-wide home swap scheme in a bid to protect their tenants and rental income from the impact of the government’s ‘bedroom tax’.

  • Landlords: cuts will affect service standards

    23/03/2012

    More than a fifth of social landlords think they will be forced to lower service standards as a result of government spending cuts.

  • 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.

  • More cuts to come

    23/03/2012

    Hidden in the Budget was the threat of more pain for the social housing sector

  • New rules

    23/03/2012

    The Charities Act 2006 will affect landlords registered as Industrial and Provident Societies, says Elizabeth Davis

  • Services cut for 46,000 vulnerable people

    23/03/2012

    More than 46,000 of England’s most vulnerable people have had vital care services scrapped or scaled back after council budget cuts forced the termination of hundreds of support contracts.

  • Tenant Services Authority drops call for mergers

    23/03/2012

    The social housing regulator has dropped plans to make social landlords look at whether they should merge with other organisations.

  • Tenant woes

    23/03/2012

    Tenant panels will have to step in as the regulator’s remit is cut back

  • Surpluses double at largest housing associations

    22/03/2012

    The largest English housing associations’ combined surplus almost doubled last year.

  • Benefit IT system 'not fully operational' for launch

    22/03/2012

    The Department for Work and Pensions has admitted that the IT system designed to handle the direct payment of housing benefit to tenants as part of the universal credit will not be fully operational by the time of implementation on October 2013.

  • Success for housing jobs and training scheme

    22/03/2012

    A cross-Wales scheme which aimed to improve recruitment in housing has provided more than 2,500 job and training opportunities in three years, it was announced today.

  • Housing Heroes 2012 shortlist unveiled

    22/03/2012

    The organisations and individuals that are in the running for this year’s Housing Heroes Awards have been announced.

  • Flintshire tenants reject transfer plans

    21/03/2012

    Flintshire council looks set to retain its housing stock after tenants overwhelming rejected plans to transfer homes to a housing association.

  • 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.

  • Cause for concern

    20/03/2012

    A recent security breach highlights why social housing providers should consider how they handle data, say legal experts Alison Deighton and Amy Carswell

  • Welsh housing groups urged to seek partners

    20/03/2012

    Housing organisations need to work with partners in other sectors to mitigate the impact of budget cuts, a senior Welsh Assembly Government official has said.

  • RICS calls for reform of regulation

    20/03/2012

    The government should reform the regulatory regime for residential property, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has said.

  • Close inspection

    19/03/2012

    Tenant panels are set to play a key role in the regulation of the social housing sector. As tenant groups launch documents outlining their make up, Nic Bliss examines the challenges facing the new bodies.

  • CIH launches ASB logging tool

    19/03/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has launched the Community Harm Statement, a system of logging incidents of anti-social behaviour designed to help social landlords highlight the impact on communities.

  • Council slammed over family that slept in car

    16/03/2012

    The Local Government Ombudsman has criticised a London council which refused temporary accommodation to a young family, forcing them to sleep in a car.

  • New regulatory regime to begin in Scotland

    16/03/2012

    The Scottish Housing Charter has been rubber stamped by the government, marking the start of a new regulatory regime in Scotland.

  • Last chance to complete the insidehousing.co.uk survey

    16/03/2012

    If you haven’t yet told us what you think of Inside Housing’s website, and want to be in with a chance of winning £250 of Marks & Spencer vouchers, today is your last chance.

  • A taste of the future

    16/03/2012

    Gloucester City Homes is set to be the first arm’s-length management organisation to transfer to the council-owned, community-owned model. So can this put the pop back into ALMOs? Rhiannon Bury finds out

  • An open book

    16/03/2012

    The government wants to extend the Freedom of Information Act to cover housing associations. So, would the move help tenants hold their landlords to account or waste precious time and money? Lydia Stockdale finds out

  • Buyer’s market

    16/03/2012

    New procurement legislation aims to make it easier for small housing organisations to compete for contracts

  • Clear rules

    16/03/2012

    A new framework helps landlords to be better employers and promote equality and diversity

  • Girl’s murder sparks tightening of procedures

    16/03/2012

    The horrific murder of a teenage girl by a serial sex attacker in Leeds has prompted a national shake-up of measures which track the movements of dangerous ex-offenders.

  • New model

    16/03/2012

    The COCO model could be the future for arm’s-length management organisations

  • Revealed: councils’ new borrowing power

    16/03/2012

    The government’s social housing finance revolution will boost the borrowing power of English councils by a whopping £2.9 billion, analysis of government figures reveals.

  • The finance frontier

    16/03/2012

    On 28 March local authorities will boldly go where they have never been before as a new era of self-financing dawns. Keith Cooper finds out if they are ready for their journey into the unknown.

  • The road ahead

    16/03/2012

    It’s been a long journey down the yellow brick road, but from 1 April a new housing regulator will focus largely on English housing associations’ economic activity. Keith Cooper investigates what this change in policy direction means for the sector.

  • Tied up in red tape

    16/03/2012

    Boring bureaucracy can prevent housing officers from giving their customers the best service, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

  • Landlord borrowing up 22 per cent

    14/03/2012

    Social landlords arranged 22 per cent more loan facilities in the last three months of 2011 than in the previous quarter.

  • 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.

  • Blurring of the boundaries

    09/03/2012

    A large swathe of the sector gathered in Brighton this week for the first major housing conference of the year.

  • 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.

  • Counting the cost

    09/03/2012

    The Welfare Reform Act may cut the housing benefit bill, but at what cost, asks Lord Best

  • A shift in perception

    09/03/2012

    The Shift index measures landlords’ sustainability. Jess McCabe finds out how they score

  • Aster applies to deregister

    09/03/2012

    Aster plans to deregister its parent company and its care and support arm to reduce regulation.

  • Gloucester ALMO to form first COCO

    09/03/2012

    An arm’s-length management organisation is set to become the first to put its tenants in control under a new management model that has won the backing of the housing minister.

  • HRA reform prompts wave of stock transfers

    09/03/2012

    Housing revenue account reform is prompting councils to sell off homes in a new wave of stock transfers.

  • Landlords braced for impact of benefit reform

    09/03/2012

    Social landlords are preparing to commit significant amounts of extra cash and resources to ready themselves for the impact of the Welfare Reform Bill, which was expected to receive royal assent yesterday.

  • Licence to regulate

    09/03/2012

    She aspired to be James Bond but there’s nothing top secret about the way Kay Blair plans to regulate social landlords in Scotland. Martin Hilditch kicks off our special issue by arranging a rendez-vous with the chair of the new housing watchdog

  • Pause for thought

    09/03/2012

    Consider the drawbacks before becoming a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, warns Anne Swarbrick, head of charities at Anderson Strathern Solicitors

  • Private firms bid to be social landlords

    09/03/2012

    The Tenant Services Authority has seen a rash of applications from private sector companies looking to register with the regulator.

  • Struggling to get work

    09/03/2012

    Nearly 60 per cent of social housing tenants are unemployed, so why are housing providers finding it hard to win contracts under the government programme designed to tackle worklessness? Nick Duxbury investigates

  • Government's welfare reforms become law

    08/03/2012

    Fundamental changes to the housing benefit system have become law after the Welfare Reform Bill received royal assent.

  • Former Ujima boss in court as £3.5m trial begins

    08/03/2012

    The former chief executive of Ujima Housing Association, Keith Kerr, has appeared in Southwark Crown Court, charged with three counts, ‘a theft, a fraud and a forgery’ amounting to £3.5 million.

  • TSA chair calls for royal commission on housing

    08/03/2012

    A royal commission should be set up to recommend a 20-year housing strategy, the chair of the Tenant Services Authority has said.

  • Government allocates £3.5m to green deal training

    08/03/2012

    The government is making £3.5 million available to train assessors and installers for its flagship green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • Housing boss attacks sector’s stance on migration

    06/03/2012

    A housing association chief has hit out at the sector for failing to get to grips with the link between housing and migration.

  • Social landlords urged to get back to basics

    06/03/2012

    Social landlords should concentrate on getting the basics right and avoid being ‘flashy’, a leading academic has said.

  • Union loses appeal over 'three monkeys' ruling

    06/03/2012

    Trade union Unison has lost a case against its former representative at the Tenant Services Authority after a four-and-a-half-year dispute.

  • Council completes 3,000 home stock transfer

    06/03/2012

    The transfer of more than 3,000 homes from South Lakeland District Council to South Lakes Housing went through yesterday.

  • In house grounds team to save landlord £1.2m

    06/03/2012

    A housing association has launched an in-house grounds maintenance service in a move which it believes will allow it to save £1.2 million over five years.

  • Moat transfers care home management

    05/03/2012

    Moat has transferred the management of five of its care homes to Look Ahead Housing following its decision to withdraw from the market.

  • Tenants draw up charter for housing associations

    05/03/2012

    A residents’ body in east London has drawn up a ‘tenants’ charter’ it hopes will be adopted by housing associations.

  • Rating upgraded as landlord responds to TSA fears

    05/03/2012

    The social housing regulator has upgraded the governance rating of a housing association that had previously been warned it needed to take action to ensure it was being capably led.

  • Opening up

    05/03/2012

    Viridian chief executive Matthew Fox explains why his organisation is taking the leap to become more transparent

  • Homes for Scotland announces new chief exec

    02/03/2012

    The house building industry body Homes for Scotland has announced the appointment of Philip Hogg as its new chief executive.

  • Damage limitation

    02/03/2012

    So after weeks of ‘ping-ponging’ between the two houses of parliament and months of, at times, ferocious debate, the welfare reform bill is finally on the verge of becoming an act.

  • Grainia Long: ‘We must return to core values’

    02/03/2012

    The housing sector needs to go back to its roots if it is going to fulfil tenants’ housing aspirations, the new chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.

  • 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.

  • Scotch toast

    02/03/2012

    The new Scottish Housing Regulator revealed its final plans for keeping a watch on housing providers this week.

  • Unlocking ambitions

    02/03/2012

    A year after becoming a housing association, First Choice Homes Oldham is counting its blessings, as Nick Duxbury discovers

  • TSA boss to stand down as regulator closes

    01/03/2012

    The Tenant Services Authority has confirmed its managing director will stand down when the regulator’s powers transfer to the Homes and Communities Agency on 1 April.

  • South east landlords to exchange 779 homes

    01/03/2012

    Two members of the G15 group of London’s biggest social landlords have finalised a stock swap deal that will see 779 homes change ownership.

  • Scottish Housing Regulator framework published

    29/02/2012

    The Scottish Housing Regulator has backed down on plans to limit the time board members can be in post following heavy opposition from the sector.

  • Housing associations in 1,500-home swap talks

    28/02/2012

    Two housing associations in the south west of England are negotiating a stock swap involving more than 1,500 homes.

  • NHF appoints replacement for assistant director

    27/02/2012

    The National Housing Federation has appointed an interim assistant director of research and futures.

  • 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.

  • A complex future

    24/02/2012

    The days of the simple, traditional social housing provider look to be coming to an end.

  • 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.

  • Concerns over new housing watchdog

    24/02/2012

    The chair of the new English social housing regulator has maintained it will be effective despite revealing its entire committee could be axed after just one year.

  • Playing a political game

    24/02/2012

    As councils gain more power over housing the subject is becoming a key issue for local elections, says Stuart Macdonald

  • Power shift

    24/02/2012

    In May 10 cities will vote on whether they want an elected mayor. Here Rhiannon Bury finds out what’s at stake for housing

  • Stay strong

    24/02/2012

    Uncertainty remains despite the announcement of the members of the Homes and Communities Agency regulatory committee

  • The time of my life

    24/02/2012

    The first Rising Stars winner gives advice to anyone thinking of entering the competition this year

  • CIH reveals new chief executive

    23/02/2012

    Grainia Long has been named as the new chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Care chief executive resigns

    23/02/2012

    The chief executive of the Care Quality Commission has resigned amid widespread criticism of the care homes watchdog.

  • Report calls for action on neighbourhood plans

    23/02/2012

    The Mayor of London should produce best practice guidance on neighbourhood plans, according to a report published by the London Assembly’s planning and housing committee today.

  • Last chance to enter the UK Housing Awards

    22/02/2012

    Organisations that haven’t yet entered the UK Housing Awards have just two days to submit their entries.

  • Council to take 42,000 home ALMO back in house

    21/02/2012

    Tenants of the largest arm’s-length management organisation have voted for the body to be scrapped and the running of their homes taken back in house.

  • Moat completes 361 home transfer to Orbit

    21/02/2012

    Moat has transferred 361 homes to Orbit as part of a 1,600-home stock rationalisation programme.

  • Healey admits central build targets were a failure

    21/02/2012

    Former housing minister John Healey has admitted the approach of the last Labour government to building more homes through central targets was a failure and that the party ‘turned over’ too many housing ministers.

  • Pickles names heads of social housing regulation

    20/02/2012

    Eric Pickles has today announced the appointees to the Homes and Communities Agency committee which will regulate the social housing sector.

  • Resource cuts prompt concern over local scrutiny

    20/02/2012

    Cutting budgets for scrutiny functions risks undermining arrangements for local accountability, according to research.

  • Risky business

    17/02/2012

    Swan Housing Group became the latest housing association this week to reveal its response to the challenges of a new financial model for housing.

  • First clues revealed on housing strategy

    17/02/2012

    Ministers in Northern Ireland have outlined the first indications of the assembly’s forthcoming housing strategy.

  • FIT for success

    17/02/2012

    Last Thursday Inside Housing’s Green Light campaign enjoyed its biggest success since launching in November.

  • Housing director in cocaine case

    17/02/2012

    A senior director at a housing group was supplying friends with cocaine obtained from her detective husband who used police records to stay ahead of the law, a court has heard.

  • Interviews for chief executive role begin

    17/02/2012

    Interviews for the new chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing are to kick off next week.

  • Legal fear over new ASB power

    17/02/2012

    Landlords in Wales could face lengthy legal challenges when evicting anti-social tenants if judges are not briefed adequately, according to housing sector representatives.

  • 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.

  • Manion on a mission

    17/02/2012

    Kicking off our north special is a man whose controversial approach to housing has earned him a reputation as a maverick. After 14 years as chief executive of Irwell Valley Housing Association, Stuart Macdonald finds livewire Liverpudlian Tom Manion as fired up as ever.

  • Tenant report plan under fire

    17/02/2012

    Landlords are expecting the Scottish Housing Regulator to water down stringent requirements to consult tenants in its new regulatory framework.

  • What do you think of insidehousing.co.uk?

    16/02/2012

    Tell us what you think of Inside Housing’s website to stand a chance of winning £250 of Marks & Spencer vouchers.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Shapps renews call for landlords' transparency

    14/02/2012

    Grant Shapps has repeated his call for housing associations to become more transparent.

  • 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.

  • To pay or not to pay

    10/02/2012

    Board member pay was the subject of this week’s focus, Jess McCabe rounds up the discussion

  • The penny drops

    10/02/2012

    Grant Shapps’ attempts to use new regulatory standards for landlords to promote his tenant cashback policy appear to be coming unstuck.

  • 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.

  • A joint venture

    10/02/2012

    Recognition of the importance of housing is welcome, but can it be translated into action, asks Stuart Macdonald

  • Burying the hatchet

    10/02/2012

    ‘We didn’t have a positive relationship at all - and this year has completely changed that,’ says David Cressey, head of housing at Scottish Borders Council.

  • Council housing staff forced to job swap

    10/02/2012

    Housing staff at Birmingham Council could find themselves turning librarian or receptionist for the day as the council looks to save money on personnel costs.

  • Housing bodies critical of TSA's new framework

    10/02/2012

    New value for money rules are too prescriptive and could lead to social landlords struggling to meet them, housing bodies have warned.

  • Landlords urged to pay £2m to fund new forum

    10/02/2012

    Tenants are set to push councils and housing associations to pay them up to £2 million to enable them to have a stronger voice on the national stage.

  • Making their comeback

    10/02/2012

    After being dealt a major blow when the National Tenant Voice was shut down, tenants are now preparing to make more noise than ever before. Martin Hilditch finds out why this is a new dawn for them.

  • The Riot Report

    10/02/2012

    Following the riots that swept through some of England’s major cities in August Inside Housing, the Chartered Institute of Housing and the National Housing Federation launched The Riot Report: How housing providers are building stronger communities.

  • Disabled man 'failed' by council over housing claim

    09/02/2012

    An investigation into the poor housing provided for a disabled man in Wales has found ‘systemic failures’ by the council.

  • Regeneration of Olympics handed to new body

    09/02/2012

    Boris Johnson has announced the creation of a mayoral development corporation that will be responsible for the regeneration legacy of the 2012 Olympics in London.

  • 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.

  • Greenhalgh and Randall to lead red tape cull

    09/02/2012

    A highly controversial council boss and a leading solicitor have been appointed to spearhead a government initiative to combat bureaucracy in housing.

  • Government attacked over views on housing

    09/02/2012

    The president of the Chartered Institute of Housing has criticised ministers for ‘pointed and inaccurate’ comments regarding the state of the housing market.

  • MPs demand joined up approach to elderly care

    08/02/2012

    The government needs to integrate housing, social care and health work to stop older people being let down by fragmented care services, a group of MPs has said.

  • On the right track?

    06/02/2012

    Why do the boards of smaller housing associations appear to be less effective, asks Mike Wilkins

  • Tenants respond to resident engagement rewards

    06/02/2012

    Rewarding tenants who participate in resident involvement schemes results in a greater level of engagement, according to research.

  • Root of all evil

    05/02/2012

    Is there evidence that board members perform better if they are paid? Steve Gough, board member at Magma Housing Association and Magna Group, and housing lecturer, is still to be convinced.

  • Final acts

    03/02/2012

    After months of wrangling the government looks set to get its way on the Welfare Reform Bill, says Carl Brown

  • Cash questions

    03/02/2012

    All week Inside Housing readers have been debating the virtues of the tenant cashback scheme. Jess McCabe picks out some key themes.

  • Union claims right to buy reform is a ‘shoddy scam’

    03/02/2012

    Construction union Ucatt has described the government’s plans to reform right to buy as a ‘shoddy scam’ in its response to a consultation on the proposals.

  • Watchdog shuts down sale and rent back market

    03/02/2012

    The Financial Services Authority has shut down the market for businesses that buy homes from struggling homeowners and then rent them back to them.

  • 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.

  • Don’t be a Twit

    03/02/2012

    Housing organisations may not make for interesting tweets but their tenants certainly do, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

  • Exit strategy

    03/02/2012

    Tenants are wholly responsible for exercising break clauses, says Matthew Lake

  • New CIH vice president warns on future

    03/02/2012

    The new vice-president of the Chartered Institute of Housing has pledged he will strive to help the housing sector adapt to the fast-changing environment.

  • On the merger trail

    03/02/2012

    The trend is growing for bigger housing associations to gobble up smaller landlords by merging. But does bigger always mean better? Carl Brown reports.

  • Regulator plans to axe landlords' right to appeal

    03/02/2012

    The social housing regulator is planning to scrap landlords’ right to appeal against its most serious decisions - forcing any challenges to the High Court.

  • Size doesn’t matter

    03/02/2012

    Efficiency is key to getting through the years ahead, regardless of scale.

  • Steering the right course

    03/02/2012

    Housing organisations are experiencing change at a rate of knots. Here, Simon Brandon analyses the results of a new governance survey to find out how their leaders are coping

  • Aster merges subsidiaries to save £25 million

    02/02/2012

    Aster Group is to merge three of its subsidiaries in a bid to cut costs and improve services.

  • Paul Tennant wins CIH election contest

    01/02/2012

    Paul Tennant has been voted vice president of the Chartered Institute of Housing following a hard fought campaign.

  • 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.

  • Regulatory judgements on five landlords published

    31/01/2012

    The social housing regulator has published regulatory judgements on five landlords.

  • Report claims mergers do not create success

    31/01/2012

    Mergers do not automatically create efficiency and improved services, a report published today has found.

  • Consultants join forces to create network

    31/01/2012

    Eight housing consultancy groups and individuals have joined together to launch a network for social landlords.

  • Detrimental regulation

    27/01/2012

    We are now just eight weeks away from the end of the Tenant Services Authority and the beginning of a new era for social housing regulation.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Forward thinking

    27/01/2012

    This year’s UK Housing Review by the Chartered Institute of Housing takes a look at how coalition government policies are affecting housing trends. Here, Hal Pawson, Steve Wilcox and John Perry give the lowdown on the report

  • Freedom fighters

    27/01/2012

    The debate over housing association transparency sheds light on the relationship the sector has with politicians, says Stuart Macdonald

  • Middle ground

    27/01/2012

    A proposed definition of intermediate market rent needs expanding or landlords could risk breaching new standards, says Jonathan Cox

  • New regulation to cause a dip in eco-standards

    27/01/2012

    Eco-standards could slump across the social housing sector as a result of government regulatory reforms, a leading green body has warned.

  • Race for chief executive role out of the gates

    27/01/2012

    The first runners and riders are emerging for the role of chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Same day delivery

    27/01/2012

    A new pilot scheme modelled on the emergency services aims to help tenants within hours of reporting repairs. Alex Wellman finds out how the scheme works in practice.

  • The apprentices: hired or fired

    27/01/2012

    Many social landlords are helping young people get into employment by offering them apprenticeships. But should these opportunities guarantee them a job at the end? Not necessarily, as Lydia Stockdale finds out

  • The repairs rule book

    27/01/2012

    Contractor Forrest launched a code of conduct for its repairs and maintenance workers last summer, improving customer satisfaction as a result. Here Sally-Ann Smith explains how it works

  • The transfer window

    27/01/2012

    Be aware of employees’ rights when a change of service provision occurs, warns Marc Long, partner at Clarke Willmott

  • Candidates clash over 'distrust' of housing sector

    25/01/2012

    The two candidates competing to be vice president of the Chartered Institute of Housing have clashed over government perception of the housing sector.

  • Regulator will not define ‘serious detriment’ clause

    25/01/2012

    The social housing regulator has said there will be no clear definition of the ‘serious detriment’ that will see it intervene in consumer regulation cases.

  • 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.

  • Auditor slams work programme

    24/01/2012

    The government has so far spent £63 million winding up welfare to work contracts, including settlements with 10 providers that went on to win contracts on the work programme.

  • The local way to centralism

    20/01/2012

    Two different localist policies could come into conflict over the next few months.

  • 50 per cent of landlords making cutbacks

    20/01/2012

    Half of all housing associations either reduced back office staff numbers in 2011 or are planning to do so in the next 12 months as they prepare to comply with a new regulatory framework.

  • Home Group to stream live meetings

    20/01/2012

    One of England’s largest housing associations will open up its board meetings and launch e-petitions in a bid to strike a deal with the government over transparency.

  • Home is where the heart is

    20/01/2012

    Why social landlords should get involved in local enterprise partnerships.

  • Landlord vice president criticised over benefit plan

    20/01/2012

    A housing association has distanced itself from its vice president after she tabled an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill that would slash benefit for families with three or four children.

  • Dromey apologises for breaking Commons rules

    19/01/2012

    The shadow housing minister has been forced to apologise to MPs after a standards committee found he had broken rules about registering income.

  • CIH confirms new president

    18/01/2012

    Robin Lawler has been confirmed as the new president of the Chartered Institute of Housing for 2012.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Presidential hopeful dismisses allocation plans

    17/01/2012

    Plans to overhaul housing allocations are like ‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic’ according to one of the candidates for the role of Chartered Institute of Housing vice president.

  • 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.

  • Landlord told failings caused by poor management

    16/01/2012

    Northern Ireland’s social development minister has denied that fraudulent dealings led to ‘serious failings’ in a housing association which was banned from building last year.

  • Guidelines issued to protect against rogue bailiffs

    16/01/2012

    Tenants are to be given extra protection from rogue bailiffs after new government guidelines were issued.

  • Candidates sought for lifetime achievement award

    16/01/2012

    A lifetime achievement award for people working in social housing is to be presented for the first time at this year’s UK Housing Awards.

  • Lording it up

    13/01/2012

    ‘The Lords is not like the Commons, they actually listen to what’s said before deciding how to vote,’ one peer told Inside Housing this week.

  • Caught out

    13/01/2012

    Social landlords should consider instructing investigators when they suspect fraud, say Samantha Darlington and Neil Lawlor

  • Chief executive brought in to save association

    13/01/2012

    A trouble-shooting chief executive who has been drafted in to save Northern Ireland’s largest housing association has blamed failures in the senior management team for years of financial problems.

  • Data overload

    13/01/2012

    Subjecting housing associations to freedom of information requests will do more harm than good

  • Make plans crystal clear

    13/01/2012

    Landlords face needless court action if they fail to consult tenants properly, says Robert Wassall, head of social housing at Blake Lapthorn

  • 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.

  • Peers launch second benefit plans rebellion

    13/01/2012

    The government is facing a second battle inside a month to get housing benefit reforms agreed by the House of Lords.

  • Time for change

    13/01/2012

    Regulating private landlords will help tenants and reduce housing benefit and health care costs, says Richard Kemp

  • Audit office to investigate affordable rent scheme

    12/01/2012

    Scrutiny will be cast over the financial viability of housing providers taking part in the Homes and Communities Agency’s affordable homes programme after the National Audit Office launched a probe into the £1.8 billion scheme.

  • Developers invited to give views on red tape

    12/01/2012

    Social housing developers are being invited to tell the government what regulatory and administrative burdens they would like to see axed.

  • Stonewall names ex-housing boss as gay champion

    12/01/2012

    A housing association chief executive who left his post suddenly at the end of last year has been named as Stonewall’s individual champion of the year.

  • 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’.

  • Northern merger to create 32,000-home landlord

    12/01/2012

    The merger of two northern housing associations has been given the green light by residents, paving the way for the creation of a new 32,000-home landlord.

  • CIH head rejects Shapps' attack on social housing

    11/01/2012

    The outgoing president of the Chartered Institute of Housing has added her voice to those criticising Grant Shapps for attacking the social housing profession.

  • Don’t demonise tenants

    11/01/2012

    Midland Heart chief executive Tom Murtha responds to comments made by Grant Shapps on social housing allocations

  • 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.

  • Housing providers named in top employment list

    11/01/2012

    Seven housing providers have been rated among the most gay-friendly places to work in the UK.

  • 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.

  • Council planning transfer of Traveller sites

    10/01/2012

    Gloucestershire Council is considering transferring its Gypsy and Traveller sites to a registered provider after failing to access funds to support them.

  • 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.

  • Association buys up 150 flats for private rent

    06/01/2012

    Glasgow Housing Association has acquired 150 flats in a £14 million deal to shore up its social housing business.

  • Tax avoidance

    06/01/2012

    A dispute over the cost of amendments to the bedroom tax reveals the true motivation for the policy, says Carl Brown

  • CIH begins search for chief executive

    06/01/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has begun its search for a new chief executive following the death of Sarah Webb last year.

  • ‘Everyone should have a chance to prove themselves’

    06/01/2012

    Ten weeks ago Inside Housing launched a competition inviting aspiring young journalists to write about how living in their communities has affected their chances in life. Here, Nick Duxbury introduces contest winner Kemoy Walker

  • Rise from the ashes

    06/01/2012

    Housing organisations must pick themselves up and dust themselves off to meet 2012’s challenges head on

  • Rule change

    06/01/2012

    Landlords must prepare for big changes in the way they are regulated, says Ruth McNaught

  • Shout it from the rooftops

    06/01/2012

    Further planning rules under the Localism Act could increase the need to consult residents, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • The end of the world as we know it?

    06/01/2012

    How will the social housing sector fare in 2012? Jess McCabe gathers a round table of industry experts to get their predictions.

  • The year ahead

    06/01/2012

    Stuart Macdonald takes a look at what 2012 could bring for the housing sector

  • CIH appoints new head of policy and practice

    05/01/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has named its new director of policy and practice.

  • Councils to choose auditors after shake up

    05/01/2012

    The inspection of local authority housing services will be shaken up after the government outlined plans for councils to be able to appoint their own auditors.

  • Work experience

    05/01/2012

    Islington, along with many London boroughs, has a deep divide between rich and poor.

  • Council plans ALMO as self financing approaches

    05/01/2012

    Shropshire Council is considering setting up a new arm’s-length management organisation in response to the move to self financing.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • TSA reveals judgements on 10 housing associations

    03/01/2012

    The social housing regulator has published findings from assessments of the operations of 10 housing associations.

  • 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.

  • ALMO chief exec stands down amid review

    03/01/2012

    The chief executive of an arm’s-length management organisation in the north east of England has stood down as a review of local housing services in the area is launched.

  • Housing figures recognised in New Year honours

    03/01/2012

    The head of affordable housing at the Homes and Communities Agency is one of several leading figures in the sector whose work has been acknowledged by the Queen in the New Year honours list.

  • 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.

  • Bedroom revolution

    23/12/2011

    The dust is settling on the government’s defeat over its plans for a bedroom tax for underoccupying social tenants.

  • Residents back rehousing families outside borough

    23/12/2011

    A survey of Harrow residents has found the majority consider it acceptable for families to be rehoused outside the London borough.

  • Council concerns over ALMO delay in house move

    23/12/2011

    A council has delayed plans to bring its arm’s-length management organisation back in house after concerns were raised about its performance.

  • New head of housing appointed at CLG

    22/12/2011

    The Communities and Local Government department has appointed a new head of housing.

  • 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.

  • Lords love-in

    16/12/2011

    Inside Housing today received a picture of Lord Richard Best surrounded by a pink heart with the words ‘Love You’ above it.

  • Brian Gegan

    16/12/2011

    One of the housing sector’s best known figures, Brian Gegan, has taken the reins as chair of East Lothian Housing Association.

  • Government formally scraps quangos

    16/12/2011

    The government has formally scrapped hundreds of public bodies, including the tenant services authority and regional development agencies.

  • Review of the year

    16/12/2011

    What a year. From the economic doom and gloom to the summer’s riots, social landlords have had their work cut out over the past 12 months. Here, Inside Housing looks back at the highs and lows

  • Scare tactics

    16/12/2011

    Landlords must take statutory demands seriously but they are often inappropriately used, says Anna-Liisa Walden

  • 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.

  • Landlord signs up workforce despite strike threat

    15/12/2011

    A housing association threatened with strike action is claiming that three quarters of workers have agreed a new contract.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Union agrees to ballot staff for strike

    13/12/2011

    A housing association could be hit with strike action after union members agreed to go ahead with a vote for industrial action.

  • Legal threat fails to block 6,000 home transfer

    13/12/2011

    Campaigners have dropped a threat to use legal action to halt the transfer of more than 6,000 council homes to a housing association.

  • Controversial council leader to stand down

    12/12/2011

    One of the most influential and controversial housing policy figures in local government is to stand down.

  • Allocations overhaul to favour ‘responsible’ tenants

    12/12/2011

    Westminster Council has unveiled a range of sanctions and rewards for social housing tenants and applicants as part of a new ‘vision’ for its public services.

  • Homelessness charity chief stepping down

    09/12/2011

    The boss of the UK’s homelessness umbrella organisation has stepped down from her role after more than seven years in charge.

  • Regen proposals 'breach London Plan'

    09/12/2011

    A 5,579-home regeneration scheme which includes controversial plans to knock down two housing estates does not comply with the London Plan, the Greater London Authority has said.

  • Back to grass roots

    09/12/2011

    Tenants must seize the opportunities presented by regulatory reform, says Paul Eastwood

  • Must work harder

    09/12/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority is bucking the trend for job shortages, but its vacancies must be filled, says Martin Hilditch

  • New horizons

    09/12/2011

    Landlords could benefit from looking to Europe and forming multinational housing associations

  • The new face of regulation

    09/12/2011

    In his first interview since being appointed chair of the new housing regulator, Julian Ashby tells Carl Brown what the future holds for the sector.

  • TSA can’t fill key financial posts

    09/12/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has been operating without ‘critical’ regulatory staff and is experiencing delays in making regulatory judgements as its transition to the Homes and Communities Agency looms.

  • Renting rip-off

    08/12/2011

    Grant Shapps should direct his transparency drive at letting agents, not housing associations, says Jules Birch

  • 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.

  • Housing bodies join forces to scrutinise

    07/12/2011

    The Tenant Participation Advisory Service, HouseMark and the Chartered Institute of Housing are set to launch a new scrutiny scheme in the New Year.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Online poll seeks your views on the riots

    06/12/2011

    Inside Housing is offering the chance to win £100 in Marks & Spencer vouchers in exchange for your views on the riots.

  • Does size matter?

    05/12/2011

    If the government wants to encourage larger housing associations it must also address stock rationalisation, argues Colin Wiles

  • Getting up to speed

    05/12/2011

    Following on from last year’s fundraising success, two more Inside Housing hacks are taking up the marathon mantle for 2012

  • Stevenage takes ALMO back in house

    02/12/2011

    The decision taken by Stevenage Council to bring its housing stock back in house has taken effect.

  • Institute names head of audit and risk board

    02/12/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has named the chair of a new audit and risk board, which will report on the effectiveness of the institute’s governance.

  • State intervention

    02/12/2011

    The ambiguous status of housing associations and whether they should be classified as public or private bodies was in the spotlight again this week.

  • Care regulator criticised for lack of reviews

    02/12/2011

    The regulator for care homes has come under fire for failing to adequately monitor services for vulnerable people.

  • Metropolitan chief executive to stand down

    02/12/2011

    The chief executive of Metropolitan Housing Partnership has announced he is leaving the organisation.

  • Tax exemption could save associations millions

    02/12/2011

    A change to VAT regulations, announced in the chancellor’s autumn statement earlier this week could save housing associations tens of millions of pounds.

  • CIH: regulate private sector

    02/12/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has called for more regulation to maintain standards in the private rented sector.

  • Getting stuck in

    02/12/2011

    The Localism Act successfully completed its passage through parliament last month, putting residents at the heart of local decision making. So how will it affect the way landlords do business? Rhiannon Bury attends a round table of experts to find out

  • Housing staff strike as 700,000 face job loss

    02/12/2011

    Social landlords across the UK battled to keep crucial services open during the national public sector strike over pension changes.

  • Regulations promote controversial repairs scheme

    02/12/2011

    Landlords have accused the government of using new regulations to implement a controversial housing policy through the back door.

  • Solar cuts threaten 4,500 jobs at Carillion

    01/12/2011

    Carillion Energy Services emerged as the biggest casualty of the government’s early cut to the feed in tariff so far as it announced that the solar reforms meant 4,500 jobs were under threat.

  • Scottish housing association chief to retire

    01/12/2011

    A stalwart of the housing sector in Scotland has announced his retirement.

  • Leaders warn of worsening social housing crisis

    01/12/2011

    Social housing leaders believe the sector is in crisis and the situation is likely to get worse.

  • Economy threatened by ‘terrifying’ job cuts

    30/11/2011

    The interim chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has described predictions of public sector job cuts as ‘terrifying’.

  • Housing services hit by public sector strike

    30/11/2011

    Housing offices across the UK are set to close or offer reduced services today as staff join around two million public sector workers who are striking over pensions.

  • Job loss warning as public sector pay capped

    29/11/2011

    Chancellor George Osborne has announced a plan to limit public sector pay increases in his autumn statement to parliament.

  • Council confirms decision to take ALMO in house

    29/11/2011

    Islington councillors have rubber-stamped a decision to scrap its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Housing staff set to join public sector strike

    28/11/2011

    Social housing providers will be hit by a national day of strike action on Wednesday over plans to change public sector pensions.

  • Protecting your reputation

    28/11/2011

    How should employers address the threats posed by social networking sites? Lawyer Siobhan Fitzgerald explains

  • Under pressure

    25/11/2011

    Inefficient housing associations will from April have nowhere to hide – that is the strong message from the new regulatory framework published this week.

  • Candidates shortlisted for CIH role

    25/11/2011

    Two candidates have been announced for the vice presidency of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Dangerous type

    25/11/2011

    The demotion of a housing employee over comments he made on Facebook highlights the grey area between employees’ public and private lives. Here, Lydia Stockdale finds out how others can avoid getting themselves into trouble

  • Genesis eyes deals to manage 1,500 private homes

    25/11/2011

    Genesis Housing Group is finalising deals which could see it managing more than 1,500 private rented homes within months.

  • Landlords to be inspected by Care Quality Commission

    25/11/2011

    Social landlords that are deemed to be at risk of breaching care standards will face investigation by the Care Quality Commission.

  • News flash

    25/11/2011

    Mainstream media must engage with the wider housing issues it has ignored for so long

  • Pepper potting problems

    25/11/2011

    In mixed tenure estates landlords could struggle to recoup costs for upkeep of communal areas, says Simon Bagg, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • Poll to probe association boards

    25/11/2011

    A new survey is to probe how well housing associations are governed.

  • Wandsworth to link tenancies to employment

    24/11/2011

    Councillors in Wandsworth have approved a pilot scheme that will see social tenants allocated housing on the condition that they find work.

  • Campaigners threaten legal action to block transfer

    24/11/2011

    Campaigners are threatening to use legal action to block the transfer of 6,500 local authority homes despite the move being approved by tenants.

  • Developers backtrack on affordable homes pledges

    23/11/2011

    Private developers are tearing up agreed planning applications to submit new ones with lower affordable homes quotas in a bid to take advantage of a council policy.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Council views sought on £29bn debt hand out

    22/11/2011

    The government has launched a consultation with councils ahead of the introduction of controversial self-financing reforms.

  • TSA sets out fresh approach to regulation

    22/11/2011

    The social housing regulator has launched a consultation on plans to change the way it regulates landlords.

  • Private firms welcomed into social housing sector

    21/11/2011

    A number of publicly-listed companies are in discussions with the Tenant Services Authority about setting up social housing subsidiaries.

  • Regulation reassurance

    18/11/2011

    The new world of regulation for housing associations is now looking likely to get off to at best, a confusing start.

  • Fed calls for landlords to promote themselves more

    18/11/2011

    The chief executive of the National Housing Federation has called on housing associations to promote themselves more and provide a wider range of products and services.

  • Broaden your horizons

    18/11/2011

    Landlords can learn valuable lessons by looking abroad, says Richard Kemp

  • Landlords await their fate ahead of strategy

    18/11/2011

    Prime minister David Cameron is expected to announce new funding and plans to build up to 450,000 new homes in the government’s long-awaited housing strategy.

  • New regulator battling to meet standards deadline

    18/11/2011

    The chair of the new social housing regulator has expressed his frustration that it has been forced to delay consultation over the new standards landlords will have to meet.

  • Rise in serious work injuries since recession

    18/11/2011

    The number of housing officers seriously injured at work has jumped by 17 per cent since the start of the economic downturn.

  • Shining stars

    18/11/2011

    We reveal details of the winners of the 2011 UK Housing Awards

  • Tooled up for success

    18/11/2011

    Social landlords could save thousands of pounds and boost tenant satisfaction by improving their repairs services. Here, Debbie Larner explains how a new campaign aims to help them do just that

  • What’s in the post?

    18/11/2011

    Landlords’ administrative errors can lead to time-consuming court cases, says Jane Plant, associate at Weightmans

  • Scottish housing regulator under fire

    17/11/2011

    The new social housing regulator in Scotland has come under fire from the sector over plans to change how long board members can be in post.

  • Reasons for rejection

    16/11/2011

    Housing associations can face legal challenges if they don’t give clear reasons for rejecting tender bids. Public procurement specialist Bill Hull explains

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • CIH head warns sector over housing strategy

    15/11/2011

    The interim chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has warned that the government’s housing strategy might merely repeat previous announcements.

  • 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.

  • Register for free fire and gas safety webinar

    15/11/2011

    Inside Housing is running a free webinar on improving fire and gas safety on 29 November.

  • Housing association to slash pay for care staff

    15/11/2011

    Around 400 social care and support staff at Family Mosaic are facing pay cuts following the slashing of its supported housing budget.

  • 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.

  • Retail repairs

    11/11/2011

    As Inside Housing reported this week, Spectrum Housing Group has had early discussions with major retailers B&Q and Argos about potentially doing work for them through its in-house repairs subsidiary.

  • Building the future

    11/11/2011

    There may be dark times ahead but the sector is determined to come out on top. Simon Brandon asks some top housing bosses what they think the coming years hold

  • Care reforms could double associations' regulation

    11/11/2011

    Housing associations which provide care services could end up with two regulators poring over their finances, under new government proposals.

  • Counting the costs

    11/11/2011

    Just because you are successful at trial doesn’t mean you will recover all your legal costs, says Dan Butler

  • Editor’s cut

    11/11/2011

    Rising Stars competition winner Carla Keegans guest edited this week’s edition of Inside Housing. Here’s how she got on in the hot seat.

  • How to be a rising star

    11/11/2011

    This week, Inside Housing is guest edited by inaugural Rising Stars winner Carla Keegans. Alex Turner asks what qualities could help you scale the same heights

  • Meeting the minister

    11/11/2011

    Is the housing sector political? When Rising Stars competition winner Carla Keegans spent a day shadowing housing minister Grant Shapps, she didn’t expect to be left questioning the purpose of her career.

  • The shape of things to come

    11/11/2011

    It’s been a unique and fun experience to edit an edition of Inside Housing as one of my Rising Stars competition prizes.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Council asks regulator to stop landlord homes sale

    09/11/2011

    An Essex Council has appealed to the social housing regulator to prevent a housing association from selling off four homes on the open market.

  • Jack Dromey investigated over salary claims

    09/11/2011

    Shadow housing minister Jack Dromey is being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over claims that he failed to declare part of his salary.

  • Ladder video lands safety officer in trouble

    09/11/2011

    Housing contractor Morrison has suspended one of its health and safety officers after he was filmed falling off a ladder.

  • 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.

  • Loss of Commission could harm empty homes

    07/11/2011

    The scrapping of the Audit Commission will lead to fewer councils tackling empty homes, a consultant has warned.

  • MPs back appointment of regulator chair

    07/11/2011

    A committee of MPs has backed Julian Ashby’s appointment as chair of the new Homes and Communities Agency regulation committee.

  • Tributes paid as 'tireless' housing veteran dies

    04/11/2011

    Terry Edis, chair of both the Walsall Alliance of Tenant Management Organisations and the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations, died yesterday (Thursday 3 November) after a period of ill health.

  • Battening down the hatches

    04/11/2011

    Inside Housing’s exclusive salary survey shows it’s been a difficult 12 months for most housing employees. Simon Brandon reports on the regime of pay freezes and increased workloads introduced by organisations as they battle the economic gloom

  • Broader horizons

    04/11/2011

    Given the turmoil engulfing the Eurozone, this week might seem an odd time to predict the set up of a cross-border social landlord, but that is what happened at the International Housing Summit in Rotterdam.

  • Energy performance certificate overhaul

    04/11/2011

    Energy performance certificate assessors will have to complete extra training and tests under government plans for an overhaul of the system ahead of the launch of its flagship retrofit scheme.

  • Look closely

    04/11/2011

    Don’t sign on the dotted line before checking contracts carefully for errors, says Matthew Lake

  • Redundancies costing landlords millions

    04/11/2011

    Housing associations have doled out millions of pounds in redundancy and severance packages as the effects of the recession on their workforces continued to take their toll.

  • The get out of jail free card

    04/11/2011

    Associations that enter into leases with councils must beware as authorities have a get-out clause, says Jacqueline Knox, director at Wragge & Co

  • 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.

  • New regulator chair voices concerns for landlords

    02/11/2011

    The new chair of the social housing regulator has told MPs it would be a ‘considerable achievement’ if no housing associations suffer serious problems in the next three years.

  • Peers halt lifetime tenancy ‘reward’

    01/11/2011

    Ministers have narrowly avoided introducing legislation that would have rewarded anti-social tenants with lifetime tenancies.

  • Government bows to pressure on direct complaints

    01/11/2011

    The Localism Bill has been amended to make it easier for tenants to take complaints to the housing ombudsman.

  • Landlord transfers temp accommodation homes

    31/10/2011

    A housing association has transferred ownership of 130 of its temporary accommodation homes to another landlord.

  • Swap shop

    31/10/2011

    It started off as the ‘right to move’ then it was the ‘freedom pass’ now it has become ‘homeswap direct’.

  • Housing association to be wound up

    28/10/2011

    A housing association in Northern Ireland is to be wound up after a report found serious failings in its financial management.

  • Path to victory

    28/10/2011

    There will be a victory for tenant power on Monday when the government will almost certainly succeed in amending the Localism Bill to ensure tenants can still complain directly to the housing ombudsman.

  • Government set for ombudsman complaints u-turn

    28/10/2011

    The government is set to backtrack on plans to bar tenants from taking their complaints to the Housing Ombudsman Service.

  • £30m investment fund launched by landlord

    28/10/2011

    One of England’s largest housing associations has launched an investment fund to generate £1.5 million a year for community projects.

  • 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.

  • CIH reveals ‘radical’ new board

    28/10/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has announced a ‘radical’ new 11-strong governing board which it hopes will enable it to better engage with members.

  • 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.

  • OK computer?

    28/10/2011

    The government has a bad reputation when it comes to implementing new IT systems. So can its plans to deliver the universal credit online work or are critics right to be concerned? Carl Brown investigates

  • Taking control of the media

    28/10/2011

    In the wake of the summer’s riots, landlords are using social media to debunk stereotypes and show the good in their communities. Charlotte Goddard finds out how

  • CLG advertises for new housing boss

    27/10/2011

    The Communities and Local Government department is advertising for a new head of housing.

  • Council seeks transfer to dodge £145m bill

    27/10/2011

    A council is seeking to transfer its stock to a housing association to avoid taking on £145 million of debt through reform of the housing revenue account.

  • Peers want universal credit IT reassurance

    26/10/2011

    Peers have asked for reassurances that a new IT system which will underpin the implementation of the new universal credit will be monitored to prevent it failing.

  • New regulatory board members announced

    26/10/2011

    The chair of a new committee which will take over the financial regulation of housing associations has been announced.

  • Survey reveals councils' fears for vulnerable

    26/10/2011

    Almost nine in ten councils have acknowledged that cutting their housing related support will put vulnerable people at risk, according to a survey.

  • Pie in the sky?

    25/10/2011

    Is cloud computing a ray of light or a gathering storm? Alison Deighton, data protection expert at law firm TLT, takes up the case

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Taking the tough option

    21/10/2011

    An effort to persuade the government to allow tenants to opt to have their housing benefit paid to their landlord predictably failed last night.

  • Government rejects direct payment amendment

    21/10/2011

    Peers have failed in a bid to give tenants the right to have their housing benefit paid direct to their landlord.

  • Armed for the future

    21/10/2011

    There were many topics of conversation buzzing round our inaugural parliamentary reception at the House of Lords on Monday, but a recurring theme was the future of arm’s-length management organisations.

  • Housing boss receives 8 per cent pay cut

    21/10/2011

    The chief executive of Wrekin Housing Trust saw his pay plummet by more than 8 per cent - one of the largest drops in the sector this year.

  • Synergy gets OK to collapse structure

    21/10/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has given the go-ahead for the housing associations that make up Synergy Housing Group to merge.

  • Through the looking glass

    21/10/2011

    Housing employees may be outwardly confident about their careers, but our exclusive job satisfaction survey in conjunction with Altair reveals a significant number are covering up worries about the future of the sector. Lydia Stockdale investigates

  • Welcome flexibility

    21/10/2011

    Two landlords have been named top employers for working families. Lydia Stockdale talks to one about how flexible time-keeping benefits managers and employees alike

  • Worries on the rise

    21/10/2011

    I wrote last week of grim economic news and, unfortunately, this week has seen more of the same.

  • ALMO looks set for chop as cabinet passes decision

    20/10/2011

    England’s largest arm’s-length management organisation is set to be axed despite achieving the best inspection results in the country.

  • Pension scheme to review member benefits

    20/10/2011

    The social housing pension scheme is conducting a review of the benefits available to its members.

  • TSA considers end of appeals process

    20/10/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority may recommend its internal appeals process is scrapped once its powers are transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency.

  • 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.

  • Major provider merges subsidiaries to save cash

    18/10/2011

    Sovereign Housing Group has collapsed its subsidiaries into a single organisation in a cost-cutting move for the 33,000-home landlord.

  • Pickles wants services integrated to help families

    18/10/2011

    The communities secretary has called on councils to integrate local services to save million of pounds and help the UK’s most troubled families.

  • CIH to begin recruiting new chief exec

    14/10/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing will announce the new members of its governing board and begin the recruitment process of a permanent chief executive in the next few weeks.

  • Giving good guidance

    14/10/2011

    How housing association staff are mentoring troubled teenage tenants. Emily Rogers reports

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Shadow CLG secretary attacks Localism Bill

    12/10/2011

    The new shadow communities secretary has panned the government’s flagship Localism Bill, saying it only passes responsibility for cuts and not power.

  • 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.

  • New shadow housing minister following reshuffle

    10/10/2011

    The Labour party has announced its new shadow Communities and Local Government team as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

  • 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.

  • New chairman for Black Country Housing

    07/10/2011

    Black Country Housing Group has appointed a new chairman following the death of Sarah Webb last month.

  • Labour announce shadow cabinet reshuffle

    07/10/2011

    Labour leader Ed Miliband has appointed Hilary Benn as the new secretary for communities and local government as part of the shadow cabinet reshuffle.

  • 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.

  • Merger to create 32,000-home northern giant

    04/10/2011

    Two northern housing associations have agreed a merger deal that will result in the creation of a 32,000-home landlord in the north west, Cumbria, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.

  • Campaign to transform housing sector launched

    04/10/2011

    Plans to encourage housing leaders to work together to transform the sector were announced yesterday at the Conservative party conference in Manchester.

  • Circle 33 under watchdog’s eye

    30/09/2011

    The social housing regulator is monitoring a subsidiary of one of England’s largest housing associations after a major overspend on repairs and maintenance.

  • Don’t be partners in crime

    30/09/2011

    Landlords must review their anti-corruption procedures and that of their partners or risk a large fine, says Kerry Gwyther, partner at TLT Solicitors

  • Synergy at work

    30/09/2011

    The wait is almost over. When moving jobs, you’re as professional as you can be out of respect to your colleagues and those who’ve paid your salary, but it’s only human to think of the future.

  • Borough to license all private landlords

    28/09/2011

    A London borough has begun moves to set up a licensing scheme for all private landlords.

  • NHF asks landlords to review strategy

    23/09/2011

    The National Housing Federation has called on eight housing associations to lead a review of members’ satisfaction with the trade body.

  • Scaling new heights

    23/09/2011

    Think you’ve got what it takes to become a housing sector chief executive? Simon Brandon uncovers the golden rules to help you reach your career summit

  • TSA failing to spend tenant panel budget

    23/09/2011

    Money to set up new tenant panels has been underspent amid allegations that the government is not doing enough to promote the programme.

  • Watchdog’s IT security fears

    23/09/2011

    Computer problems which have already cost tens of thousands of pounds could be jeopardising the security of the social housing regulator, according to one of its directors.

  • Split politics

    22/09/2011

    The debate around whether eviction of social housing tenants should be used as a punishment for convicted rioters became party political this week.

  • Salary survey seeks views of housing sector

    22/09/2011

    Hays Social Housing is carrying out a survey of pay across the sector for Inside Housing, and we need your input.

  • National body to support private tenants

    22/09/2011

    A national organisation has been set up to support tenants in the private rented sector.

  • Housing association leaves care role as cuts bite

    21/09/2011

    One of the south east’s leading housing associations is withdrawing from its role as a care provider in sheltered and supported housing.

  • Landlord removed from TSA supervision

    21/09/2011

    Derbyshire’s Three Valleys has been removed from supervision by the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Campaigners target riot eviction council meeting

    21/09/2011

    Campaigners are due to picket Wandsworth Town Hall to protest against a council’s plans to evict a council tenant whose son is alleged to have been involved in the riots.

  • Cornwall approves plans for 10,000-home ALMO

    21/09/2011

    Councillors in Cornwall have approved plans to create a single arm’s-length management organisation covering the whole county.

  • Last chance to complete our skills survey

    21/09/2011

    Our latest skills survey, run with consultancy Altair, has had a great response but we’d still like more people to take part and stand a chance of winning £500 of Marks and Spencer vouchers.

  • Chair to be picked for HCA regulation committee

    20/09/2011

    The chair of the new Homes and Communities Agency regulation committee will be selected later this month.

  • Housing association announces new chief exec

    16/09/2011

    Riverside has announced the person who will take over as group chief executive.

  • Money matters

    16/09/2011

    How do council housing heads and arm’s-length management organisation bosses fare in the salary stakes? Lydia Stockdale reveals the results of Inside Housing’s exclusive poll

  • Nest egg necessities

    16/09/2011

    Social landlords have just a year to prepare for pension reforms. Chris Crichton, solicitor at TLT Solicitors, explains more

  • Shapps hails pay freeze for chief execs

    16/09/2011

    Housing minister Grant Shapps said he is ‘encouraged’ by the findings of Inside Housing’s exclusive annual salary survey which shows the majority of chief executives at the UK’s largest housing associations have had their salaries frozen.

  • The big freeze

    16/09/2011

    Kicking off our chief executive salaries special, Inside Housing’s annual survey reveals the economic downturn has put most pay on ice. Lydia Stockdale reports

  • The great divide

    16/09/2011

    Sky-high chief executive salaries divide society and take the UK back to Victorian levels of inequality

  • The secret diary of a chief exec

    16/09/2011

    They may earn mega-bucks but with great power comes great responsibility. Katie Puckett finds out what it’s like to be a housing sector boss

  • Computer says no

    15/09/2011

    We have all, at one time or another, experienced the frustration of IT problems, whether at home or in the workplace.

  • A degree of complacency?

    12/09/2011

    Should the news that several universities, including Birmingham, have stopped offering housing degree courses worry our sector? I think it should.

  • Housing association answers DIY SOS call

    12/09/2011

    A housing association is helping to renovate a dilapidated youth centre for Children In Need.

  • Social housing fraud costs taxpayer £2bn a year

    12/09/2011

    Social housing tenancy fraud costs the British taxpayer more than £2 billion a year, a study has shown.

  • Overcrowding board to reach beyond housing

    09/09/2011

    Health officials could sit alongside housing sector figures on a new board to monitor overcrowding in the capital, the advisor to the Mayor of London has said.

  • Call for end to VAT on shared services

    09/09/2011

    Housing associations are calling on the taxman to scrap VAT on all shared services in a move that could save millions of pounds.

  • Cleaning up the mess

    09/09/2011

    A year ago this week the collapse of social housing contractor Connaught caused panic, leaving landlords struggling to maintain services. Here, Carl Brown asks whether landlords and contractors have learned their lesson

  • Energy efficiency fund for London

    09/09/2011

    London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled a green refurbishment fund for public sector buildings in London worth £100 million that can be accessed by councils and housing associations.

  • Goodbye to graduation?

    09/09/2011

    Universities are dropping some housing courses. So, is this bad news for the sector or is it time for a new method of learning? Alex Wellman investigates

  • Landlords to fight NBS debt re-price

    09/09/2011

    Up to 40 housing associations are fighting an attempt by Newcastle Building Society to re-price long-term debt after the lender took the rare step of invoking clauses in its loan agreements that could cost the sector tens of millions.

  • Ombudsman concerned by direct complaint ban

    09/09/2011

    The housing ombudsman has admitted he is worried by government plans to bar tenants from complaining to him directly.

  • Out of commission

    09/09/2011

    The Audit Commission has completed its final inspection. So what did the watchdog achieve and will it be missed? Simon Brandon finds out

  • Proceed with caution

    09/09/2011

    One year on from the collapse of Connaught, the obvious conclusion is that lessons have not been learned.

  • Riot panel may scrutinise landlords

    09/09/2011

    The government’s inquiry into the August riots may scrutinise how social landlords have tackled anti-social behaviour, its chair has revealed.

  • Sarah's legacy

    09/09/2011

    The housing sector lost one of its leading lights this week when Sarah Webb died.

  • Sheltered lives

    09/09/2011

    Care providers must demonstrate they have acted fairly when changing services to avoid costly legal action, says Robert Wassall

  • Solving the land puzzle

    09/09/2011

    If organisations share buildings the leftover sites can be pieced together for development, says Alan Stokes

  • Up in arms

    08/09/2011

    Rarely can a single eviction notice have caused such a furore.

  • House of Lords opposes tenant complaint amendment

    08/09/2011

    Peers have voted against a plan to preserve the right of tenants to complain directly to the Housing Ombudsman about their landlord.

  • Housing conditions amongst worst in Europe

    08/09/2011

    Vulnerable people in Britain live in some of the worst housing conditions in Western Europe, reports launched tomorrow will say.

  • Agents and landlords must be qualified, says trade body

    08/09/2011

    A private landlords body has said it is disappointed the government has decided not to require landlords and agents to be professionally qualified.

  • Scottish government publishes wrong housing figures

    07/09/2011

    The Scottish government has corrected its council waiting list figures after omitting 33,000 people.

  • Politicians praise Sarah Webb

    07/09/2011

    Politicians have paid tribute to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s chief executive who died on Sunday.

  • In the line of fire

    07/09/2011

    Social landlords often assume they have sole responsibility for fire safety in their properties, but the legal picture is not so straightforward. Ashley Borthwick from law firm TLT explains

  • Heartfelt tributes paid to Sarah Webb

    06/09/2011

    Tributes have been paid to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s chief executive who died on Sunday.

  • Sarah Webb dies following battle with illness

    05/09/2011

    The chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing died yesterday just days after standing down from the role.

  • Ombudsman sets out ‘offer’ to tenants

    05/09/2011

    The housing ombudsman has set out how his organisation will handle complaints from tenants once it takes full responsibility for the sector in 2013.

  • A new offer

    05/09/2011

    Housing ombudsman Mike Biles sets out how the Localism Bill will affect the way his organisation supports tenants

  • Working hard or hardly working?

    02/09/2011

    It is early days, but indications are that those hoping for the social housing sector to play a substantial role in the coalition government’s work programme will be disappointed.

  • Council to retain ‘poorly performing’ ALMO

    02/09/2011

    A London council plans to retain its arm’s-length management organisation despite its history of poor performance.

  • Councils failing to make homelessness a priority

    02/09/2011

    Some local authorities in Scotland will struggle to hit the country’s 2012 homelessness target, figures from the Scottish Government have revealed.

  • Guardian angel

    02/09/2011

    Housing staff who visit tenants’ homes alone are vulnerable to attack. Rhiannon Bury kicks off our technology special with a look at how mobile phone systems can help keep them safe

  • NHF to probe value for money

    02/09/2011

    The National Housing Federation is to carry out an in-depth review looking at whether it is providing a satisfactory service to its members.

  • Orbit business brings in £100k

    02/09/2011

    Orbit Group has sold £100,000 worth of back office functions to rival housing providers since launching a stand-alone external services business earlier this year.

  • The technology test

    02/09/2011

    Finding the right IT solution for your organisation can be a minefield. Lydia Stockdale discovers how it can be done

  • 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.

  • Weather any storms

    02/09/2011

    New guidelines will help landlords comply with the Human Rights Act, says Nnenna Morah, senior associate in the social housing team at Lewis Silkin

  • Zero in on tax rules

    02/09/2011

    Landlords can still use subsidiaries to receive VAT benefits but they must seek proper legal advice, say Richard Brooks and Victoria Jardine

  • Scottish regulator launches tenant consultation

    01/09/2011

    The housing regulator in Scotland has launched a tenant consultation on changes to the way housing quality is measured.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Housing body appoints new chair

    26/08/2011

    The National Federation of ALMOs has appointed a new chair.

  • A head for figures

    26/08/2011

    If your household income is cut substantially how would you respond?

  • Breaking free

    26/08/2011

    In just seven months councils will be freed from the shackles of the housing revenue account. So how are their self-financing plans shaping up? Jules Birch finds out.

  • Rising to the occasion

    26/08/2011

    She beat stiff opposition to be crowned Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing’s first ever Rising Star. Here Carla Keegans turns the tables on the CIH by grilling its chiefs on everything from membership fees to how to make people care about housing.

  • TSA to crackdown on value for money

    26/08/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority will take a stronger line on value for money after finding it could not account for more than a third of the operating cost variations between landlords.

  • 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.

  • CIH chief executive to stand down

    24/08/2011

    The chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Sarah Webb, is to stand down following a period of ill health.

  • South west associations plan home swap

    24/08/2011

    Two housing providers in south west England are planning to swap a total of 1,360 homes to make their services more efficient.

  • Institute seeks members for governing board

    24/08/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is recruiting members for a new governing board that will set the strategic direction for the body.

  • Chief executive announces retirement

    23/08/2011

    A housing association chief executive has announced his retirement after 40 years in the sector.

  • ALMO faces sex and race claims

    19/08/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation is facing sexual and racial discrimination claims from a male employee who was overlooked for a management role.

  • Another piece of junk?

    19/08/2011

    Tenant satisfaction surveys are no longer compulsory. So were they a waste of paper or a vital way to measure landlords’ performance, asks Emily Rogers

  • Care giant pays £24,500 over bungled home closure

    19/08/2011

    One of England’s largest providers of care and support for older people has been found guilty of maladministration and paid out £24,500 because it failed to consult elderly residents about its plans to close a retirement home.

  • Friendly reminder

    19/08/2011

    The housing sector is notably absent from the list of gay-friendly employers

  • Good form

    19/08/2011

    Form filling is boring. It takes up time and money that could be spent more productively. Three cheers, then, for the new ‘light touch’ regulatory regime which strips the amount of paperwork forced upon landlords? Not quite.

  • Housing sector launches inquiry into English riots

    19/08/2011

    Social landlords and their communities are being asked to devise solutions that will help prevent a repeat of last week’s riots in England, as part of a major new study.

  • The sky’s the limit

    19/08/2011

    There’s no such thing as overly ambitious plans when it comes to helping vulnerable people

  • Time to focus

    19/08/2011

    Associations should prepare for freedom of information requests and greater transparency

  • UK-GBC to develop green training framework

    16/08/2011

    The UK-Green Building Council is setting up a task group to develop a training framework for sustainable development.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Housing association chief exec to step down

    15/08/2011

    The chief executive of Birmingham-based housing association Midland Heart has announced he will step down next year.

  • Housing staff pulled out of troubled estates

    12/08/2011

    Front line housing staff have been withdrawn from estates across England to protect their safety in the wake of this week’s riots.

  • Survey to assess how housing work is changing

    12/08/2011

    Inside Housing and consultancy Altair are running a job satisfaction survey to assess how the housing sector is coming to terms with the changing economic and political climate.

  • Take a look around

    12/08/2011

    Social landlords can learn a lot from each other if their staff only take the time to look around, says Richard Kemp

  • Unite calls on duke to save Centrepoint staff

    12/08/2011

    A trade union plans to ask the Duke of Cambridge for cash to prevent pay and job cuts at a homelessness charity he supports.

  • United front

    12/08/2011

    Local authorities must recognise that homelessness is an issue for the whole council if they are to avoid complaints

  • Unsung heroes

    12/08/2011

    Police and fire officers are rightly in the spotlight this week as they battle the rioters.

  • Council set to renew contract with ALMO

    10/08/2011

    Westminster Council has agreed in principle to renew its contract with arm’s-length management organisation City West Homes.

  • Threat of violence closes rough sleeping service

    09/08/2011

    A London homelessness charity has been forced to close early and abandon its late night rough sleeping rescue service as the city braces for another night of violence.

  • 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.

  • Council threatens looters with eviction

    09/08/2011

    Greenwich Council is promising to evict tenants who are found to have been involved in looting in the London riots.

  • 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.

  • Closure of architecture body cost £4.6m

    08/08/2011

    Closing down the government’s architecture watchdog cost the taxpayer £4.6 million, accounts show.

  • Union attacks CEO for USA trip as pay cuts planned

    08/08/2011

    A trade union has criticised the head of a homelessness charity for visiting the USA with patron Prince William as the organisation consults its staff on pay cuts.

  • Communities worried about new planning powers

    05/08/2011

    Communities and planners are concerned about aspects of new planning powers being dictated by top-down policies, research has revealed.

  • 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.

  • Public sector told to make better use of assets

    05/08/2011

    The government has called on councils to make better use of the assets they hold, as it published details of buildings and land owned by public sector bodies.

  • Council admits failing mentally ill woman

    05/08/2011

    Cardiff Council has apologised to the mother of a young mentally ill woman who was left destitute because of ‘manifest failings’ in its handling of her case.

  • Guess who?

    05/08/2011

    It might be unclear what the regulator’s boss Claer Lloyd-Jones’s title is, but as Martin Hilditch finds out, we finally have some indication of what the Tenant Services Authority has been up to in the past year.

  • Wind of change

    05/08/2011

    A host of new laws are set to change the landscape for Welsh social landlords. Michael Northcott reports

  • 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.

  • Contractor buys struggling home care business

    04/08/2011

    Social housing firm Mears has increased its involvement in the care and support sector with a £7.4 million acquisition.

  • 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.

  • Council decides to retain ALMO

    03/08/2011

    Lambeth Council will retain its arm’s-length management organisation after a consultation on its future.

  • Union says housing staff discriminated by council

    01/08/2011

    A council has been accused of discriminating against deaf members of staff during a shake-up to its housing department.

  • Council to keep ALMO following review

    01/08/2011

    Brent Council has decided to maintain its arm’s-length management organisation and will now consult with tenants.

  • Date set for move to self financing

    29/07/2011

    Councils will buy their way out of the existing housing finance system on 28 March 2012, the government has said.

  • TSA chief has been using wrong job title

    29/07/2011

    Claer Lloyd-Jones has been calling herself the chief executive of the Tenant Services Authority since December despite having another job title behind the scenes.

  • Let the Games begin

    29/07/2011

    From fielding competitors to providing accommodation, social housing will be making a highly eclectic contribution to next year’s Olympic Games. Nick Duxbury finds out how the sector is limbering up to the challenge

  • Team spirit

    29/07/2011

    Full marks (or should that be a gold medal?) to Inside Housing’s Nick Duxbury for daring to get in the ring with heavyweight boxer and Olympic hopeful Warren Baister.

  • Proposals for pension contributions revealed

    28/07/2011

    The government has set out proposals to increase the amount civil servants put into their pensions in 2012/13.

  • 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.

  • TSA forks out £370,000 on two chief execs

    28/07/2011

    The social housing regulator shelled out more than £370,000 to pay for two chief executives last year.

  • Guide to help councils with Localism Bill launched

    23/07/2011

    A best practice guide to help local authorities take advantage of new powers under the Localism Bill has been published.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Leading social housing contractors plan merger

    22/07/2011

    Two of the social housing sector’s biggest contractors are planning to merge.

  • Associations win battle over sex offender data

    22/07/2011

    Scotland’s largest police force has been ordered to tell three housing associations where convicted paedophiles and sex offenders are living.

  • Hands up for housing

    22/07/2011

    The government has scrapped housing’s inspector, and its regulator, so who will hold landlords to account? Simon Brandon speaks to four ALMO tenant chairs to find out whether residents themselves can fill the void

  • HCA tries to silence landlords

    22/07/2011

    The Homes and Communities Agency has attempted to gag landlords that wanted to reveal their funding allocations under the £1.8 billion affordable homes programme.

  • Hyde sells bulk of care arm to Family Mosaic

    22/07/2011

    Cuts to Supporting People funding have prompted Hyde Group to sell its entire care and support subsidiary.

  • Tales of fortune

    22/07/2011

    Arm’s-length management organisations face tough choices over their futures. Lydia Stockdale kicks off our special issue by exploring the opportunities and pitfalls that lie in wait.

  • CLG faces £40m bill to lay off 650 workers

    21/07/2011

    The Department for Communities and Local Government will spend £43.2 million on redundancy payments, its accounts reveal.

  • Lords call for reduction of Localism Bill

    20/07/2011

    Peers have called on ministers to reduce the Localism Bill to make it easier for communities to take on more planning powers.

  • Labour attack 'dithering' planning document

    20/07/2011

    The Labour party has criticised government ‘dithering’ over the publication of a major planning document.

  • 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.

  • HCA hit with £300k redundancy bill

    20/07/2011

    The Homes and Communities Agency paid three senior executives more than £300,000 in redundancy payments last year.

  • Special agents

    19/07/2011

    Is your organisation ready for the introduction of new rights for agency workers, asks Siobhan Fitzgerald, lawyer at TLT

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Law body attacks ombudsman 'filter'

    15/07/2011

    The Law Commission has suggested making tenants take complaints to a local representative before the housing ombudsman could hinder investigations.

  • Housing complaints plan criticised

    15/07/2011

    Three leading housing bodies have united to oppose plans that would stop tenants issuing complaints directly to the housing ombudsman.

  • I should COCO

    15/07/2011

    Few expected arm’s-length management organisations to feature in David Cameron’s new vision for public services.

  • In the line of fire

    15/07/2011

    Since the Lakanal House fire which killed six people, Andy Cloke has made it his business to teach landlords how to prevent tower block blazes. Kicking off our fire safety special, he tells Martin Hilditch about the challenges he faces.

  • IT problem at TSA costs regulator £14,000-a-month

    15/07/2011

    The social housing regulator was forced to suspend the overhaul of its IT systems after major problems with the new system emerged.

  • Living hell

    15/07/2011

    Tackling rogue private landlords should be a priority for the government, after all it’s the lack of affordable homes that leads tenants to their doors, argues Bill Randall

  • Senior CIH executive resigns

    14/07/2011

    The deputy chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has resigned from his post.

  • Government paper says squatting ban could raise homelessness

    14/07/2011

    Proposals to criminalise squatting could increase homelessness and put pressure on the police and council housing departments, the government’s impact assessment of its policy has said.

  • Landlords and charities oppose squatting plans

    14/07/2011

    Government plans to make squatting a criminal offence have come under fire from both landlords and charities.

  • Call made for Scottish Government to prioritise housing

    14/07/2011

    Three major housing bodies have joined forces to call on the Scottish Government to make housing a national priority.

  • HCA publishes affordable homes agreement

    13/07/2011

    The Homes and Communities Agency has published a delivery agreement which will form the basis for contracts published under the £1.8 billion affordable homes programme.

  • Bill to improve image of private rented sector in Wales

    13/07/2011

    A housing bill aiming to boost the image of the private rented sector is included in the Welsh legislative programme announced this week.

  • 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.

  • White paper reveals proposals to make ALMOs independent

    12/07/2011

    Arm’s-length management organisations could become fully independent under government plans to give more choice to tenants.

  • Kinetics move into administration confirmed

    11/07/2011

    Social housing contractor Kinetics will go to court this afternoon to seek administration.

  • Remaining Kinetics firms face administration

    11/07/2011

    The remaining part of social housing contractor Kinetics is set to go into administration, according to one of its housing association clients.

  • Chair sought for TSA replacement

    11/07/2011

    The government has begun the search for a chair of the regulatory body that will replace the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Ujima defendants plead not guilty

    08/07/2011

    Three men accused in relation to a £3.5 million fraud against Ujima Housing Association denied the charges in court yesterday.

  • Cut price contracts threaten progress

    08/07/2011

    Slashing staffing levels and using cheaper, unskilled workers will undo all the positive work towards tackling homelesness

  • Inspections of private landlords are failing

    08/07/2011

    Councils are failing to pinpoint dangerous, damp and overcrowded private rented homes, research by a leading environmental health officer has discovered.

  • Peers in plot to fight benefit cap

    08/07/2011

    Labour peers are to challenge government plans to cap benefits.

  • Spectrum holds out for 2014 restructure

    08/07/2011

    ‘Based on 2006 logic it was a perfectly reasonable assumption that we could further collapse the group in the long term…that we would be able to re-finance the new group on more advantageous terms and make further efficiency savings,’ says Wayne Morris, chief executive of Spectrum Housing Group.

  • Unions threaten more action against council

    08/07/2011

    Birmingham Council has accused unions of misrepresenting the scale of strikes in its housing department last week.

  • 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.

  • Chief Executives and their seven deadly sins

    07/07/2011

    The resignation this week of Andrea Hill, the controversial chief executive of Suffolk County Council, has been big news in the East of England.

  • Shapps pledges to cut waiting lists

    07/07/2011

    Housing minister Grant Shapps will today promise that the government’s social housing reforms will cut waiting lists.

  • Scrapping Audit Commission was ‘missed opportunity’

    07/07/2011

    The sudden abolition of the Audit Commission was a ‘missed opportunity’ to reassess how the performance of local authorities is monitored, a committee of MPs has found.

  • Council loses race case against former ALMO employee

    06/07/2011

    A former arm’s-length management organisation employee has won a landmark race case against Leeds Council.

  • 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.

  • Shapps hints at further powers for communities

    05/07/2011

    The housing minister has hinted at further powers for communities to fund regeneration in local areas.

  • New chief executive announced for homeless charity

    05/07/2011

    A homeless charity has appointed a new chief executive.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Dilnot report into funding care to suggest cap on costs

    04/07/2011

    A report on the future of funding care and support which is published today will suggest a £35,000 cap on care costs for individuals.

  • Air your views on cashback

    01/07/2011

    The director of affordable housing at the Communities and Local Government department is among the speakers signed up for a free Inside Housing webinar looking at tenant cashback.

  • Associations to remain private bodies despite FOI switch

    01/07/2011

    Forcing housing associations to respond to freedom of information requests is unlikely to threaten their classification as private entities, the Office for National Statistics has indicated.

  • Charities slam £350m legal aid funding cut

    01/07/2011

    Plans to reduce legal aid will deny vulnerable people legal advice as they struggle to cope with housing benefit cuts, charities have warned.

  • Striking the first blow

    01/07/2011

    ‘Reform is essential because we can’t go on as we are,’ David Cameron told council workers this week.

  • TSA sets out inspection role

    01/07/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has rejected all of the Audit Commission’s suggestions on how social landlords should be policed.

  • Warning re-issued over housing association's financial health

    30/06/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has re-issued its warning about a social housing provider’s financial health.

  • Gallions upgraded in regulatory judgement

    30/06/2011

    Gallions Housing Association has improved its financial health, the Tenant Services Authority has said.

  • 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.

  • A career in housing anyone?

    30/06/2011

    I’ve been reading Sarah Webb’s speech at Harrogate in which she makes a passionate defence of our sector and challenges some of the attacks being made upon social housing.

  • Council housing staff join strikes

    30/06/2011

    Staff from Camden Council’s housing repairs department are striking today after department restructuring resulted in redundancies.

  • 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.

  • Council calls for local authorities role in new regulator

    30/06/2011

    Complaints from councils concerned about poorly performing landlords should spring the new social housing regulator into action, a major London authority has urged.

  • 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.

  • Areas express interest in trialing neighbourhood plans

    29/06/2011

    Almost 100 areas have expressed an interest in applying for grants to help them trial neighbourhood plans, government figures have revealed.

  • Housing staff prepare to go on strike

    29/06/2011

    Housing staff in two councils will walk out tomorrow (Thursday) in solidarity with national public service strikes.

  • Routine social housing inspections axed

    29/06/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has scrapped routine inspections of social housing providers.

  • Harrogate is history

    28/06/2011

    So Harrogate is no more and next year the great and the not so good of the housing world will assemble at Manchester.

  • Rok pensions threatened by £90m deficit

    28/06/2011

    The administrators of Rok have revealed the company has a £90 million deficit in two pension schemes.

  • NHF slams transparency plans

    27/06/2011

    The National Housing Federation has claimed government plans for greater transparency in the social housing sector will be costly and pointless.

  • Audit Commission chief hits out at TSA

    24/06/2011

    The head of the Audit Commission launched a valedictory attack on the Tenant Services Authority’s proposals for social housing regulation, a letter from the axed inspectorate revealed.

  • Harrogate memories

    24/06/2011

    For nearly 30 years housing’s great and good have gathered in North Yorkshire every summer. As the Chartered Institute of Housing’s conference and exhibition prepares to move to Manchester, Lydia Stockdale finds out what the delegates will remember most fondly

  • 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.

  • Housing associations should take wider role

    23/06/2011

    Housing associations must be vehicles for social change and not just provide a roof over people’s heads, a leader in social thought has said.

  • 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.

  • Threat of harm will trigger TSA action

    23/06/2011

    Landlords which put residents in harm’s way will face tough action under the new stripped-down social housing regulatory regime, the head of the Tenant Services Authority has warned.

  • 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.

  • Mr Motivator

    23/06/2011

    Martin Kinsella is chief executive of a charity that has twice been rated the best organisation to work for by The Sunday Times. Lydia Stockdale finds out how he does it

  • ASB consultations miss young people

    22/06/2011

    Landlords are failing to consult some groups of tenants on anti-social behaviour policy due to an over reliance on traditional methods of engagement.

  • CIH signs 10-year deal with Ocean Media Group

    22/06/2011

    Inside Housing publisher Ocean Media Group and the Chartered Institute of Housing have signed a new 10-year contract to run conferences and events.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Councils to test Supporting People changes

    21/06/2011

    Local authorities are to begin piloting new approaches to delivering Supporting People services from this summer.

  • Housing reform scorecard to hold government to account

    21/06/2011

    Three leading housing organisations have joined forces to hold the government to account on its housing reforms.

  • 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.

  • ALMO race discrimination case puts council in dock

    17/06/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation employee has told an employment tribunal that he faced repeated racial discrimination from colleagues over a seven-year period, between 2003 and 2010, in a landmark legal case.

  • Cracking efficiency

    17/06/2011

    It’s undisputed that housing must be provided more efficiently, but how best to do it? Inside Housing convened a round table of industry experts to find out. Caroline Thorpe reports

  • Different approach

    17/06/2011

    Diversity in the workplace is not just about staff, says Allison Sofekun, director of corporate services at Genesis Housing Association

  • Poor performing housing associations pushed to merge

    17/06/2011

    Northern Irish housing associations will be encourage to merge to improve their performance, the country’s new housing minister has said.

  • Tackling the cyber stalkers

    17/06/2011

    The internet has helped social landlords communicate with tenants but it has also created a platform for the harassment of staff and residents alike. Carl Brown investigates

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Councillors waive affordable housing contribution for private members club

    14/06/2011

    Conservative members on Westminster Council’s planning sub-committee have been criticised for waiving affordable housing contributions worth a total of £870,000 on two new developments.

  • Shapps launches tenant panels to hold landlords accountable

    14/06/2011

    The housing minister has pledged a £535,000 training programme for tenant panels to help residents hold landlords to account.

  • 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.

  • A model of discretion

    10/06/2011

    It’s his job to police all organisations that handle public data. Christopher Graham, the information commissioner, tells Simon Brandon why he’s got his eye on the housing sector. Photography by Simon Brandon

  • Appy days

    10/06/2011

    A fortnight ago you met them. Now it’s time to discover what they can do. We challenged the five finalists in the Rising Stars contest - Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing’s bid to find housing’s top talent - to design a phone app which would improve life for them, their employer, their residents - or all three. Here’s what they came up with.

  • Beware broken promises

    10/06/2011

    The Defective Premises Act may not apply to negligent building work in existing homes. Emma Wiltshire, senior associate at Clarke Willmott, explains

  • Driving the agenda

    10/06/2011

    In order to decide on its local offers, Gloucester City Homes ran a roadshow and set up a residents’ steering group. Here, Lisa Howarth explains how

  • Housing association gets injunction to stop tenant abuse

    10/06/2011

    A major social housing provider has reported a former tenant to the police following years of online harassment of its chief executive.

  • Housing inspection stopped in its tracks

    10/06/2011

    Serious concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of social housing regulation after it emerged that not a single landlord inspection has been requested in almost a year.

  • London council pact to protect children

    10/06/2011

    Councils in London are drawing up an agreement to stop vulnerable families in social housing being placed outside their home boroughs as town halls try to save money.

  • Tales of the inspected

    10/06/2011

    In his speech in June last year to the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference, the housing minister pledged to ‘cut out unnecessary inspection’ and instead promote ‘tenant empowerment’ through tenant scrutiny panels.

  • The right support

    10/06/2011

    In the wake of recent failings, care providers must find new ways to maintain quality services which respond to the changing needs of clients

  • Tips from the top

    10/06/2011

    A mentoring scheme is helping talented housing professionals break through the glass ceiling. Lydia Stockdale finds out who is benefiting from this process

  • Housing a major point of Localism Bill Lords debate

    08/06/2011

    Housing was a key issue during the second day of the first Localism Bill debate in the House of Lords yesterday.

  • CIH conference leaves Harrogate for Manchester

    07/06/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is moving its flagship annual conference and exhibition from Harrogate after more than 25 years.

  • Housing inspectorate preparing to close

    06/06/2011

    The Audit Commission’s housing inspectorate began winding down on Friday after almost a decade as the sector’s watchdog.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Out of reach

    03/06/2011

    Housing staff are being urged to keep a closer eye on vulnerable children as benefit caps threaten to uproot their families. Keith Cooper reports

  • Rogue landlord regime ruled illegal

    03/06/2011

    A Lancashire council has been forced to ditch a regime to root out rogue landlords after the High Court ruled it illegal.

  • The White way

    03/06/2011

    After a turbulent year in which it was dogged by rumours of internal unrest, Hyde Group has a new boss. In his first interview since taking the job, Steve White talks to Carl Brown

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Back to work

    27/05/2011

    Social networking and media can be used to help residents find employment. The fifth in our series of articles advising how to assist tenants into employment focuses on making online connections. Matt Lewis reports

  • Housing officer in jail threat over ant infestation

    27/05/2011

    One of the England’s highest paid housing officers is being threatened with jail for contempt of court for allegedly failing to carry out agreed pest control work on a tenant’s home.

  • Scotland to integrate housing policy with education and health

    27/05/2011

    The Scottish Government will link housing, health and education policies much more closely in the future.

  • The future has landed

    27/05/2011

    As the contest to find housing’s brightest young leaders hots up, Rhiannon Bury asks the five finalists why they think they have what it takes to win

  • Homeless charity gets new chief

    26/05/2011

    A homeless charity has appointed a new chief executive.

  • Chief executive appointed to Scottish Housing Regulator

    26/05/2011

    The Scottish Housing Regulator has appointed a chief executive.

  • Internet mapping tool launched to help find empty homes

    24/05/2011

    Online mapping tools to help councils identify empty homes were launched by the Communities and Local Government department yesterday.

  • 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.

  • Housing Heroes 2011 winners announced

    20/05/2011

    The winners of the Housing Heroes Awards 2011 have been announced at an awards ceremony in London.

  • Scotland housing minister announced

    20/05/2011

    The Scottish government has announced a housing minister to work under Alex Neil, who became the cabinet secretary for the housing brief yesterday.

  • Rising Stars finalists unveiled

    20/05/2011

    Chartered Institute of Housing president Paddy Gray has announced the finalists of a competition to find the Rising Stars of the housing world.

  • Landlords targeted by electronic con

    20/05/2011

    The social housing regulator has issued an urgent warning after a sudden jump in the number of electronic frauds targeting landlords.

  • Spreading the load

    20/05/2011

    Politicians want councils to deliver savings by sharing their services. Can it work for housing? Lydia Stockdale reports

  • Temporary solution

    20/05/2011

    New agency worker rules come into force in the autumn. Anita Pati explains why social landlords should be aware of the implications now

  • Scottish housing secretary announced

    19/05/2011

    Housing in Scotland has been given a cabinet position by the Scottish National Party, with Alex Neil remaining in the brief.

  • 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.

  • Fire safety report into timber-framed buildings get responses

    17/05/2011

    Proposals to tackle fire threats in timber-framed buildings in London have met with a mixed response.

  • Northern Ireland housing executive appoints new chief

    17/05/2011

    The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has appointed Dr John McPeake as its new chief executive.

  • Competition body eyes Capita's Tribal deal

    17/05/2011

    The Office of Fair Trading is to consider whether Capita’s acquisition of consultancy Tribal’s social housing business is a merger and whether it would reduce competition.

  • Interim director of housing and regen for GLA appointed

    17/05/2011

    David Lunts has been appointed interim director of housing and regeneration at the Greater London Authority.

  • Northern Ireland appoints new housing minister

    17/05/2011

    The minister with responsibility for housing in Northern Ireland will be Nelson McCausland, it has been announced.

  • Council takes ALMO services back in house

    17/05/2011

    A Yorkshire council is to move its housing management services in house to save £1 million a year.

  • IH columnist to head council after Green win

    13/05/2011

    Inside Housing columnist Bill Randall is to lead Brighton and Hove council following the elections last week.

  • Landlords offered free advice on tenancy fraud

    13/05/2011

    Social landlords are being given access to free advice on making the best use of their stock by tackling tenancy fraud and helping people downsize.

  • Assembly Government names housing minister

    13/05/2011

    The new Welsh Assembly Government has announced that Huw Lewis, former deputy minister for children, has been appointed as minister for housing, regeneration and heritage.

  • Home Office cuts ASB team in half

    13/05/2011

    The Home Office is slashing the number of people who work in its anti-social behaviour team by half.

  • Pickles launches guide to beat council fraud

    11/05/2011

    Eric Pickles has unveiled a 10-point plan for tackling council fraud.

  • Northern Ireland Assembly to pick housing minister

    09/05/2011

    The new Northern Ireland housing minister will be appointed on Thursday following last week’s assembly elections.

  • New chief exec named for Housing Action Charity

    09/05/2011

    The Housing Action Charity has announced it will have a new chief executive in August.

  • A new way of thinking

    06/05/2011

    Helen Clifton visits the housing association which believes philosophy is key to tackling the sector’s thorniest problems

  • Common ground

    06/05/2011

    Mediation is becoming an increasingly popular way of settling disputes. But what’s involved? Roger Levitt and Greg Campbell explain

  • Going by the book

    06/05/2011

    Redundancy terms for Supporting People staff must comply with the law, says Natasha Halliday

  • Large drop in empty homes put down to demolition write-offs

    06/05/2011

    A dramatic fall in the number of empty homes may have been caused by councils writing off properties previously earmarked for demolition under the housing market renewal programme.

  • Symphony: ‘merger will save £80 million’

    06/05/2011

    In the first of our new series we visit Symphony Housing Group

  • Ten jobs to go in NHF reshuffle

    06/05/2011

    Four regional managers at the National Housing Federation are to lose their jobs following a restructure.

  • Tenants’ watchdog introduces new logo

    06/05/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has changed its logo ahead of plans to absorb its functions into the Homes and Communities Agency.

  • Warning signs

    06/05/2011

    A recent spate of ‘vulnerable to deterioration’ judgements has prompted grumblings that the housing watchdog is handing out tougher rulings. So is it? The Tenant Services Authority’s Jonathan Walters reveals all

  • Thousands left without benefits following computer failure

    04/05/2011

    A bank holiday weekend systems error has delayed benefit payments to thousands of Cheshire residents.

  • Former CLG director joins land body

    04/05/2011

    A former director general at the Communities and Local Government department has joined the Urban Land Institute.

  • Tenants and landlords celebrate Royal Wedding

    29/04/2011

    Housing providers have joined with residents to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

  • Housing association resolves palm cross row

    28/04/2011

    A housing association electrician who refused to stop displaying a palm cross in his company van has agreed a compromise with his employers.

  • £900k saving plan pays off

    28/04/2011

    A housing group’s strategy to set up a virtual board to avoid high bank charges when collapsing its structure is working, its director of operations has said.

  • Open book approach

    28/04/2011

    An open book policy has allowed one landlord to cut repair costs by making them more transparent. Emily Rogers reports

  • Purchasing power

    28/04/2011

    Housing providers are used to counting the financial cost of the items they procure. But tough carbon cutting measures mean they must also keep an eye on their environmental cost. Here Caroline Thorpe reveals the carbon footprint of 15 of the items most commonly purchased by the sector

  • The cost cutters

    28/04/2011

    New research shows how social landlords are pruning procurement costs. Simon Brandon kicks off our procurement special with a look at where savings can be made

  • Unnecessary red tape must be cut

    28/04/2011

    The bureaucracy involved in adhering to European tendering rules inhibits landlords’ procurement

  • Anti-social behaviour switch for Baroness Newlove

    27/04/2011

    The Home Office’s safer communities tsar will join the Department for Communities and Local Government to advise on how to tackle anti-social behaviour in communities.

  • Council under fire for housing executive pay

    27/04/2011

    A council has come under attack after announcing plans to recruit a housing chief on a six figure salary in addition to the current director of housing.

  • Revised TSA standard enables tenancy reforms

    27/04/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has published its revised tenancy standard which enables housing associations to introduce fixed-term tenancies and charge higher rents.

  • Communities urged to celebrate Royal Wedding

    26/04/2011

    Grant Shapps has urged communities to hold street parties to celebrate the Royal Wedding this Friday.

  • Back to work

    21/04/2011

    Networking can be a useful tool for residents looking for a change of job, to gain work experience or to advance their careers. The fourth in our series of articles advising how to assist tenants into employment focuses on making connections. Matt Lewis reports

  • Out of Africa

    21/04/2011

    Charity Homeless International took 30 housing employees to build a community centre in a Tanzanian slum earlier this year. Pat Brandum, chief executive of WM Housing Group, explains what they learned from the experience

  • Setting a new standard

    21/04/2011

    As landlords and tenants gear up for the era of co-regulation, a pilot project is pioneering ways in which residents can hold housing providers to account. Chloë Stothart reports

  • Turning a blind eye

    21/04/2011

    It is a shame that the Tenant Services Authority has decided to step back from ensuring its fledgling co-regulatory approach can take flight.

  • Tweet yourself

    21/04/2011

    The housing minister does it at all hours. But is posting short, random messages online really a good idea for housing professionals? Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • CIH launches LGBT advice for housing associations

    20/04/2011

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has published advice for housing associations on how to provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender tenants.

  • Rational thinking

    20/04/2011

    Stock rationalisation is becoming increasingly popular as housing associations look to cut costs. Kate Silverman offers advice on making sure transfers run smoothly

  • BNP holds protest over cross ban

    20/04/2011

    The British National Party has held a protest outside the offices of a housing association which banned one of its staff from displaying a palm cross in his van.

  • Consultancy to advise on Audit Commission closure

    19/04/2011

    The Communities and Local Government department has appointed a consultancy to advise on disbanding the Audit Commission.

  • ALMO rapped over loan sharks warning

    18/04/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority for a leaflet warning about the activities of loan sharks.

  • Landlord orders removal of palm cross

    18/04/2011

    A housing association electrician is facing disciplinary action after he refused to remove a palm cross from his employer’s van.

  • An expensive business

    15/04/2011

    New regulations could make employing agency workers a lot dearer, says Tanya Harley, solicitor at Lewis Silkin

  • Birmingham university scraps housing course

    15/04/2011

    Birmingham City University has decided to cut its housing course and will no longer recruit any more students with immediate effect.

  • Legal warning over tenant repairs scheme

    15/04/2011

    Landlords could end up in court if tenants are injured after hiring cowboy builders to carry out repairs under plans to hand them responsibility for maintaining their homes.

  • Report: grant HAs freedom

    15/04/2011

    Housing associations should receive more freedom to manage their assets in return for developing community ownership models, according to think tank Respublica.

  • Super powers

    15/04/2011

    Despite some legal hurdles the future looks bright for a new joint ALMO in Kent, says Ian Doolittle

  • Housing Pact progress assessed

    13/04/2011

    The housing sector is being asked to gives its views on progress on the Housing Pact agreed at last year’s Chartered Institute of Housing conference.

  • HCA reports strong progress against goals

    12/04/2011

    The Homes and Communities Agency is on track to meet its key targets for 2010/11, it has reported.

  • Tributes paid to Sir Simon Milton

    12/04/2011

    The deputy London mayor responsible for policy and planning died yesterday following a short illness.

  • Top CEOs join THFC board

    08/04/2011

    The chief executives of two of England’s largest housing associations have joined the board of The Housing Finance Corporation as non-executive directors.

  • Let’s see what e-merges

    08/04/2011

    Consultancy KPMG made a startling claim in last week’s Inside Housing: that two-thirds of housing associations were considering a merger in the next five years. Activity in the past week suggests this might not be so fanciful.

  • Northern landlords merge to save cash

    08/04/2011

    Northern landlords are increasingly looking to mergers to save money and offset reductions in future development grant.

  • Scottish housing activist dies

    07/04/2011

    Tributes have been paid to Bill Kirkhope, a Scottish community and housing activist, who has died aged 88.

  • CLG to cut third of staff

    07/04/2011

    The Communities and Local Government department is to cut its staffing level by almost a third.

  • Shining examples

    07/04/2011

    The housing sector has a proud tradition of innovation. From almshouses to Almos, generations of creative housing professionals have found solutions to help society’s most needy.

  • Aberdeen Council failing to meet homelessness duties

    06/04/2011

    The Scottish Housing Regulator has found that Aberdeen Council is failing to meet its statutory homelessness duties.

  • Audit Commission savings 'ballpark'

    05/04/2011

    The government only produced a ‘ballpark figure’ for the savings it could make when it scrapped the Audit Commission, the housing minister admitted yesterday.

  • Housing adviser Julie Cowans dies after cancer battle

    04/04/2011

    A senior adviser on housing policy has died after a long-running battle with cancer.

  • Contest searches for new star

    01/04/2011

    A competition to find housing’s next leaders is being launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing this week.

  • Merger creates new social housing giant

    31/03/2011

    Two housing groups have merged to become one of the largest providers in England.

  • New accounts rules to cost landlords up to £500k

    31/03/2011

    Housing associations face forking out up to £500,000 over the next three years to bring their book keeping rules into line with international accounting standards.

  • Councils to be able to appoint own auditors

    31/03/2011

    The government proposes handing local authorities the power to appoint their own independent auditors.

  • Council takes ALMO back in house

    30/03/2011

    A London council is taking its arm’s-length management organisation back in house this Friday with the hope of saving more than £5 million.

  • ASB head steps down

    30/03/2011

    The managing director of an organisation supporting social landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour has announced he is stepping down.

  • Financial weaknesses found at two associations

    30/03/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has highlighted financial exposures at two housing associations in its latest set of regulatory judgements.

  • Scottish regulator board members appointed

    30/03/2011

    The first chair and board of the new Scottish Housing Regulator, which starts work on Friday, have been named.

  • Affordable rent will cause most upheaval

    29/03/2011

    Housing groups believe affordable rent will have the most significant impact of the government’s social housing reforms, a survey has found.

  • Calm down

    25/03/2011

    There’s no need for housing associations to panic about losing their charitable status, says Keith Jenkins

  • Joining forces

    25/03/2011

    Co-housing schemes are a great way to build stronger communities and are becoming ever more popular, says Bill Randall

  • Housing association assets reach £100bn

    24/03/2011

    Housing association assets have hit the £100 billion mark for the first time, a report from the Tenant Services Authority has found.

  • Network Housing Group CEO leaves

    22/03/2011

    The chief executive of Network Housing Group is to leave his job at the end of this month following a disagreement with his board.

  • Green candidate for mayor cites housing as key battle

    22/03/2011

    The Green Party’s candidate for the London Mayoral elections has pledged to make housing a key battlefield in her campaign.

  • Housing charity director to stand down

    21/03/2011

    The director of housing charity HACT is to leave the organisation.

  • Thousands of council staff earn more than £100k

    21/03/2011

    More than 2,000 council staff – including 73 in housing departments – received more than £100,000 last year, according to a pressure group.

  • Avoiding a slip-up

    18/03/2011

    The new affordable rents scheme is threatened by a banana skin in the shape of the Charity Commission. Martin Hilditch considers the risks to landlords.

  • Keeping it clean

    18/03/2011

    Social landlords must protect themselves against money launderers, says David Biggerstaff, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Pension reform will hit middle earners

    18/03/2011

    Housing’s middle earners would be hit hardest if the government sanctions the increase in pension contributions proposed by Lord Hutton, the Local Government Association has warned.

  • CIH recruits senior housing figures

    17/03/2011

    Two senior housing figures are taking up new positions at the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Pickles challenged on quango savings

    16/03/2011

    The chair of the Audit Commission has said the savings made by abolishing the body will be a fifth of those claimed by ministers.

  • Associations at risk of privatisation

    16/03/2011

    Associations risk being taken over by the government or the private sector if they don’t use their balance sheet capacity, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.

  • Former housing boss fined for forest fire

    15/03/2011

    A retired housing association chief executive who started a massive forest fire in Spain was last week given an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for three years, a bill for £9.1 million, and a £1,550 fine.

  • Annual tenant reports dismissed as false

    14/03/2011

    Housing associations’ annual tenant reports ‘will not make a blind bit of difference’ to the way they engage their tenants, a Tenant Services Authority board member has claimed.

  • Unison to fight ‘three monkeys’ tribunal ruling

    11/03/2011

    Unison has pledged to drag its former representative at the Tenant Services Authority through the courts after losing an employment tribunal.

  • Housing employees face longer working lives

    10/03/2011

    Housing staff will face larger pension contributions and have to work longer to cut the cost of public sector pension provision, a report said today.

  • Removing secure tenancies 'undermines big society'

    10/03/2011

    The government is undermining the big society through its policies including the removal of secure tenancies, according to journalist Rod Liddle.

  • Housing bodies dominate top employers list

    08/03/2011

    Social housing-related organisations have dominated the Sunday Times 100 best places to work for in the public and charity sector list, occupying nearly one in three positions.

  • Green deal fees could be cut for charities

    07/03/2011

    The government is considering charging lower fees to voluntary organisations who become providers of its green deal home energy efficiency programme.

  • TSA warns landlords over vulnerabilities

    07/03/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has warned two housing associations that they are ‘vulnerable to deterioration’.

  • Housing Heroes shortlist announced

    04/03/2011

    The shortlist has been announced for the Housing Heroes awards, which recognise the unsung heroes of the social housing sector.

  • Lambeth housing boss tops pay league

    04/03/2011

    Council housing bosses have received higher pay rises than their junior colleagues, with average pay reaching £131,865.

  • Landlords in top employers list

    04/03/2011

    A total of 14 housing-related organisations made it into the Sunday Times top 100 best companies to work for in the UK.

  • ALMO receives two-star inspection rating

    03/03/2011

    The Audit Commission has rated a London arm’s-length management organisation as ‘good’ with ‘promising’ prospects for improvement.

  • Scots seek views on housing charter

    02/03/2011

    The Scottish Government is seeking views on its charter aimed at improving social landlords’ performance in the country.

  • Ujima suspects apply for case to be thrown out

    01/03/2011

    Three men accused of a £3.5 million fraud at failed housing association Ujima have applied for the case to be thrown out of court.

  • Lovell lays off 500 Connaught workers

    28/02/2011

    Lovell has made around 500 former Connaught maintenance workers redundant, it has emerged.

  • First for-profit housing association registered

    25/02/2011

    A businessman has registered his new company as the first entirely for-profit housing association.

  • Lobby groups to monitor ministers

    25/02/2011

    A trio of lobby groups has launched a commission to monitor the coalition government’s housing policies.

  • Rochdale to create UK’s largest social housing mutual

    25/02/2011

    Rochdale Council is poised to create the country’s largest social housing mutual by converting its arm’s-length management organisation into a co-operative.

  • Take proper control

    25/02/2011

    A Supreme Court ruling makes it easier for social landlords to provide services to each other, says Mark London, partner at Devonshires

  • Audit Commission could run until 2014

    23/02/2011

    The Audit Commission could be open until 2014, despite ministers pledging to abolish it by the end of this year.

  • Genesis appoints replacement for finance boss

    23/02/2011

    Genesis Housing Group has appointed a new group director of finance after the surprise departure of Mark Gayfer last year.

  • HCA to cut workforce by a third

    22/02/2011

    The Homes and Communities Agency is consulting staff on restructuring plans that could see its workforce cut by a third.

  • Lovell profits up after Connaught buy out

    22/02/2011

    Morgan Sindall has said its affordable housing business has been strengthened by the acquisition of contracts from stricken rival Connaught last year.

  • Inspectors praise council housing service

    22/02/2011

    Inspectors have praised South Cambridgeshire’s strategic housing service as ‘good’ with ‘promising prospects for improvement’.

  • Back to work

    18/02/2011

    Landlords are under pressure to help workless residents, but many feel ill-equipped. The third in a series of articles advising on how to assist tenants into employment focuses on interview technique. Matt Lewis reports

  • Government acts on tower block safety

    18/02/2011

    Official guidance is being drawn up to help prevent a repeat of the Lakanal House tower block tragedy.

  • Isos hopes to double in size

    18/02/2011

    A housing group in the north east of England which is collapsing its group structure believes it can almost double in size through mergers in the next three years.

  • Muddy waters

    18/02/2011

    Important questions remain over the funding, form and function of local enterprise partnerships. LIz Jenkins and Charlotte Davey, from Clyde & Co, explain.

  • Warning as charity stung by TUPE laws

    18/02/2011

    Supported housing providers may have to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds in redundancy payments for services they unwittingly inherit from rival contract bidders.

  • You’re hired!

    18/02/2011

    With youth unemployment at an all time high, apprenticeship schemes are more important than ever. Lydia Stockdale finds out how one landlord is offering young people a hand

  • Slump threatens 250 jobs at Gentoo

    15/02/2011

    North eastern landlord Gentoo has announced it is considering making as many as 250 staff redundant at its construction firm.

  • Birmingham to cut 7,000 jobs

    14/02/2011

    The UK’s biggest council landlord plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs to save £300 million over the next three years.

  • Government confirms CABE merger

    14/02/2011

    The government has confirmed the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is to merge with the Design Council.

  • Barratt plans move into private sector

    11/02/2011

    One of the country’s largest house builders is planning to set up as a private landlord.

  • Cracking the glass ceiling

    11/02/2011

    Women are well represented in the social housing industry - but only up to middle management level. Lydia Stockdale reveals the results of Inside Housing’s exclusive women in housing survey and finds out what’s holding them back

  • Home Group breaks ranks over transparency call

    11/02/2011

    One of the UK’s largest housing associations has broken ranks with its counterparts by agreeing to comply with government demands for greater transparency.

  • Ladies first

    11/02/2011

    Women make up two thirds of the public sector workforce. So, when austerity measures start to bite, will they be the first to be shown the door? Kate Murray investigates.

  • Passport control

    11/02/2011

    Housing providers must ensure they don’t employ staff who have no right to work in the UK, says Matthew Wort, associate at Anthony Collins

  • Social landlords ‘more sustainable'

    11/02/2011

    Social landlords are becoming greener according to results revealed this week from the 2010 Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow benchmarking system.

  • Women fail to reach the top

    11/02/2011

    Women are under-represented on boards and in top executive posts, an Inside Housing survey of 67 of the largest social landlords in the UK has revealed.

  • Equal opportunities

    10/02/2011

    Ahead of tomorrow’s Women in Housing special issue, Ruth Burton, regeneration programme manager at Metropolitan Housing Partnership explains why the housing group formed its own women’s forum two years ago.

  • Housing services left out of council merger

    10/02/2011

    A proposed merger between three London councils will result in up to 500 job losses over three years, but housing services will remain independent.

  • Landlord avoids freedom of information act

    09/02/2011

    A decision on whether one of the largest housing associations in the UK should be subject to the freedom of information act has been put on hold.

  • New ALMO boss given two month deadline

    09/02/2011

    Lambeth Council has appointed an interim chief executive to its troubled arm’s-length management organisation, and given him two months to improve the body.

  • A fair future?

    09/02/2011

    Catrin Young examines how government reforms could hit housing sector pensions

  • TSA warns landlords over exposures

    09/02/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has issued warnings over exposures at four social landlords.

  • Manchester slashes jobs to save £109m

    08/02/2011

    Manchester City Council is to cut 395 posts in its neighbourhoods directorate as it looks to shed 2,025 jobs over two years.

  • Audit Commission spending was ‘justified’

    08/02/2011

    A former head of communications at the Audit Commission has hit out at ministers for criticising the watchdog’s spending habits.

  • CABE to merge with Design Council

    07/02/2011

    The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment will merge with the Design Council, with just 20 employees keeping their jobs.

  • Centrepoint to invest £10.5m

    04/02/2011

    London-based homelessness charity Centrepoint is set to expand its residential services into the north east after losing work in London.

  • Police hunt Ujima cash

    04/02/2011

    Police have pledged to recover money they believe was stolen from Ujima Housing Association.

  • Strictly boardroom

    04/02/2011

    New research reveals housing’s boardrooms are divided, as executives and their boards fail to see eye to eye. Caroline Thorpe analyses the results of Inside Housing’s inaugural governance survey and asks how serious the split is at a time when sloppy scrutiny is simply not an option.

  • Landlord to create eco-home factory

    03/02/2011

    Accord Group is to manufacture environmentally friendly homes on the site of a derelict factory in Walsall.

  • Leading economist joins Taylor Wimpey

    03/02/2011

    The head of an influential review of housing supply has joined the board of Taylor Wimpey.

  • Ujima fraud trial delayed until 2012

    01/02/2011

    The trial of the former chief executive of failed housing association Ujima could be delayed until January 2012, a judge said today.

  • Jobs axed at National Housing Federation

    01/02/2011

    The National Housing Federation has announced plans to close its Birmingham base as part of a major restructuring to cut costs.

  • Guilty verdict in Ujima trial

    31/01/2011

    The jury in the Ujima money laundering trial has found one of the two accused guilty.

  • Troubled contractor loses Liverpool deal

    31/01/2011

    Liverpool Mutual Homes has decided to cancel a contract with troubled social housing contractor Kinetics Group.

  • Woman jailed for knife threat

    31/01/2011

    A woman who brandished a knife at housing association workers when they told her to leave her home has been jailed for 15 months.

  • Capie made deputy chief of CIH

    28/01/2011

    Richard Capie has been appointed deputy chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Contractor Kinetics in £2m cash call

    28/01/2011

    Social housing contractor Kinetics Group has secured an extra £2 million investment from its majority investor to cope with supply chain restrictions imposed in the wake of the collapse of rival firms Connaught and Rok.

  • Positive discrimination

    28/01/2011

    Landlords must prove they provide specific benefits to avoid being caught by the Equality Act, says Philip Heath, partner at Weightmans

  • Prospect chief received largest pay rise

    28/01/2011

    A housing association chief executive who retires in April received the largest pay increase in the sector last year, Inside Housing can reveal.

  • Struggling ALMO loses chief executive

    27/01/2011

    The chief executive of Lambeth Council’s troubled arm’s-length management organisation has resigned.

  • Liverpool to shed 1,500 jobs as cuts bite

    27/01/2011

    Liverpool Council is set to axe 1,500 jobs because of government spending cuts.

  • Mears wins damages from Leeds Council

    27/01/2011

    Leeds Council will be ordered to pay damages to Mears after the authority was found to have breached regulations when tendering for a contract.

  • Weaknesses found at housing executive

    27/01/2011

    The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is setting up a group to oversee change within the organisation after a report identified a range of weaknesses.

  • TSA appoints new head of regulation

    26/01/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority has appointed a new director of regulation, replacing Richard Moriarty who left in December.

  • Ujima suspect thought cash was bonus

    25/01/2011

    One of the suspects in the Ujima money laundering case believed payments of stolen money into her bank account were a bonus for her husband, a court heard today.

  • Councils shun call to spare supported housing

    25/01/2011

    Councils are planning to push ahead with funding cuts to services for vulnerable people despite government recommendations, a survey has suggested.

  • Council agrees to close ALMO

    25/01/2011

    A London council has approved plans to close its arm’s-length management organisation and manage its 17,000 homes in house.

  • Jobs threat for homelessness charity

    24/01/2011

    More than 200 staff at homelessness charity Framework have been told they are at risk of redundancy.

  • Authority to license all HMOs

    24/01/2011

    A council has become the first to require every house in multiple occupation to be licensed.

  • Cause and effect

    21/01/2011

    Each year the Chartered Institute of Housing’s UK housing review analyses the trends in social housing. Here Hal Pawson, Steve Wilcox and John Perry give a sneak preview of this year’s report, which looks at the impact major government reforms will have on the sector.

  • Former Ujima chief charged with fraud

    21/01/2011

    The former chief executive of failed housing association Ujima has been charged with a £3.5 million fraud along with two other men.

  • Rok ‘n’ new role man

    21/01/2011

    Thousands of maintenance staff lost their jobs following the collapse of two major housing contractors last year. Former Rok employee Allan Jones was one of the lucky ones - a housing association stepped in to take him on. Here he describes the experience.

  • Suspension prompts exodus

    20/01/2011

    Half the board has left an arm’s-length management organisation after its parent council suspended the chief executive over governance concerns.

  • Union threatens Hull Council with tribunal

    20/01/2011

    Union bosses have threatened to haul Hull Council’s housing maintenance contractors before an employment tribunal after they refused to pay 129 maintenance workers.

  • Barnet scraps choice-based lettings scheme

    19/01/2011

    Barnet Council has scrapped its choice-based lettings scheme returning to a system where the council allocates people to the homes available.

  • Quarter of hostel bed spaces could go

    19/01/2011

    A quarter of hostel bed spaces for rough sleepers in England are threatened because of drastic Supporting People cuts, Homeless Link has warned.

  • L & Q set up in-house construction business

    18/01/2011

    London & Quadrant has set up its own in-house construction business.

  • Ujima suspects deny knowingly handling stolen money

    17/01/2011

    Two people accused of money laundering at failed housing association Ujima have denied they knew they were handling stolen money.

  • Labour politicians attempt to block Localism Bill

    17/01/2011

    Labour politicians have tabled a motion to block the second reading of the government’s Localism Bill, due to have its second reading this afternoon.

  • HCA sets up engineering panel

    17/01/2011

    A total of 15 companies have won a place on a new panel designed to make it easier for councils and housing associations to access technical engineering services.

  • One hundred thousand council jobs at risk, says the GMB

    17/01/2011

    The number of local authority jobs at risk has topped 100,000, a leading trade union has warned.

  • Mitie wins £110m contract

    14/01/2011

    Mitie has won a £110 million repairs and maintenance contract.

  • Exclusive: Homeless teens are ‘unsuitably’ housed

    14/01/2011

    Hundreds of vulnerable 16 and 17-year-olds are being housed by councils in accommodation the government considers unsuitable, research has revealed.

  • Hyde chief exit follows unrest

    14/01/2011

    The departure of Hyde’s chief executive followed months of disagreements between senior staff and board members about the direction of the 32,000-home group, Inside Housing can reveal.

  • Information laws could apply to associations

    14/01/2011

    A government drive to increase housing associations’ transparency took a fresh turn after the deputy prime minister indicated they should become subject to freedom of information laws.

  • Landlords plan major cost cuts

    14/01/2011

    Nearly one in four housing associations are planning to reduce their costs by more than £750,000 in the next financial year, according to a study by accountancy firm Baker Tilly.

  • Regulator failed to act on fire register pledge

    14/01/2011

    The Tenant Services Authority missed all three of its self-imposed deadlines to compile a fire safety register it promised to set up but later abandoned.

  • Revealed: the HCA’s eco-evaders

    14/01/2011

    Major social housing developers were granted permission to ignore national eco-standards for most of the government-funded homes they built.

  • Social duty

    14/01/2011

    The government deserves credit for two decisions this week on anti-social behaviour.

  • Stop the eco-dodgers

    14/01/2011

    To the uninitiated, last month’s claim from the Homes and Communities Agency that one of its key functions is now ‘enabling’ might seem a spurious piece of mandarin-speak. However, as new HCA chief executive Pat Ritchie and her predecessor Sir Bob Kerslake will attest, this is arguably the agency’s raison d’etre.

  • Thank you

    14/01/2011

    The festive season may be over but the season of goodwill lives on for the four housing charities set to benefit from Inside Housing’s Christmas appeal. In a special thank you note to readers, Caroline Thorpe reveals the grand total raised

  • Think it through

    14/01/2011

    Social landlords must bear new opportunities in mind when responding to the government’s consultation on flexible tenancies, says John Lines

  • What’s your vision?

    14/01/2011

    Thirty-six years in social housing gives me a long perspective on the greatest changes. The 1974 Housing Act created the housing association sector in its present form. The 1980s saw the introduction of the right to buy, compulsory competitive tendering, stock transfer, shared ownership and private finance.

  • £96.4m borrowing potential for HAs

    13/01/2011

    Four housing associations could increase their combined borrowing capacity by £96.4 million over five years by selling off stock or switching empty properties to different tenures.

  • Housing providers on top equality list

    13/01/2011

    Four housing providers have made a list of the top 100 of lesbian, gay and bisexual friendly employers.

  • Housing benefit cuts endanger Scottish homelessness pledge

    13/01/2011

    The Westminster government’s controversial housing benefit reforms risk scuppering Holyrood’s pledge to end homelessness in the country by 2012.

  • Central Beds Council 'slowest in the country' on benefits

    13/01/2011

    Inspectors have criticised Central Bedfordshire Council’s benefits service for being the ‘slowest in the country’ for paying claimants.

  • Crown Estate confirms sale to Peabody

    12/01/2011

    The Crown Estate has confirmed it will sell four London housing estates to Peabody.

  • Mears reports 'watershed' year

    12/01/2011

    Mears has reported a £100 million increased in its order book due to contract wins at the end of a ‘watershed’ year.

  • House prices fall more than expected, says Halifax

    11/01/2011

    House prices fell by 1.3 per cent in December, more than experts had predicted, according to figures from Halifax.

  • Government reveals plans to evict ASB tenants more quickly

    11/01/2011

    Landlords could be able to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour more quickly and easily in plans outlined by housing minister Grant Shapps today.

  • Workers forced onto housing benefit, says Unison

    11/01/2011

    Low wages and high rents are forcing hundreds of thousands of workers onto housing benefit, a trade union has warned.

  • Basildon ALMO could close

    11/01/2011

    Basildon Council is considering closing its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Work starts on major east London development

    10/01/2011

    This is what one of London’s biggest regeneration schemes will look like, where work has just started on the first phase.

  • Welsh council sets up own estate agency

    10/01/2011

    A council in Wales has set up an estate and lettings agency to bring in cash to the council and help the homeless.

  • EU migrants face destitution

    10/01/2011

    Migrants who come to the UK from within the European Union are more likely to end up destitute and in poor quality housing than other immigrants, a report has found.

  • New home approvals fall

    10/01/2011

    Planning permissions granted by local authorities to build new homes have dropped to one of the lowest levels for five year, says the Home Builders’ Federation.

  • Six evacuated from Housing Executive flat fire

    10/01/2011

    Six people have been rescued after a fire in a Northern Ireland Housing Executive tower block in Belfast.

  • Quango cull will not achieve savings

    07/01/2011

    The government’s ‘bonfire of the quangos’ has been badly managed and will not achieve the intended savings, a committee of MPs has found.

  • Anchor to drop agency services

    07/01/2011

    Anchor Trust is to sell its network of home improvement agencies to a private contractor for a nominal fee.

  • On better terms

    07/01/2011

    The withdrawal of the two-tier code will enable landlords to make savings on their recruitment costs, says Stuart McBride

  • You need partners

    07/01/2011

    Councils will need to join forces with house builders to achieve their localist aims

  • Community leader charged with fraud

    06/01/2011

    The former head of a Welsh regeneration scheme has appeared in court facing 13 fraud and theft charges.

  • HCA chair on New Year Honours list

    04/01/2011

    The chair of the Homes and Communities Agency is among several senior social housing figures to be recognised in the New Year Honours list.

  • Rok owed £360m at time of collapse

    24/12/2010

    Stricken contractor Rok owed at least £360 million at the time of its collapse in November, a report by administrator Pricewaterhouse Coopers has revealed.

  • Police seconded to housing association

    24/12/2010

    A housing association has seconded 12 police constables to tackle anti-social behaviour in what it claims is a first for a housing organisation in the UK.

  • Hyde chief exec to leave association

    23/12/2010

    Hyde chief executive David Eastgate is to leave the housing association at the end of the year.

  • Second ALMO becomes housing association

    21/12/2010

    A north-east council has become the second to convert its arm’s-length management organisation into a housing association.

  • Doncaster ALMO to shed 100 jobs

    20/12/2010

    Doncaster Council’s arm’s-length management organisation is expecting to lose around 100 jobs as a result of anticipated £2 million cuts to its budget.

  • Housing sector rejects fixed-term tenancies, says report

    20/12/2010

    Almost three quarters of housing professional said they do not support the government’s plan for fixed-term tenancies, a report has suggested.

  • Government urged to tackle dangerous dogs

    20/12/2010

    London’s deputy mayor for policing has urged the government to take action on dangerous dogs.

  • ALMO race case employee dismissed

    20/12/2010

    An ALMO employee who is bringing a case of racial discrimination against a former colleague has been dismissed by his employer.

  • Architecture body could escape quango cull

    17/12/2010

    The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment could be saved after agreeing a deal with another design body.

  • Merseyside providers given one star ratings

    17/12/2010

    Housing services in one of Britain’s poorest areas are still in need of improvement, according to inspectors.

  • TSA seeks views on new rent regime

    17/12/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has launched a consultation into modifying its standards to suit the new affordable rent regime.

  • Christmas appeal smashes its £1,000 target to help charities

    17/12/2010

    Inside Housing’s Christmas Appeal has smashed its £1,000 fundraising target.

  • Christmas quiz

    17/12/2010

    It’s a seasonal tradition to play games at Christmas so we decided to present you with our own festive puzzler. Lydia Stockdale puts your knowledge of the past year in housing to the test

  • Deputy Labour leader backs high-rise register

    17/12/2010

    Labour party deputy leader Harriet Harman has backed Inside Housing’s pledge to create a tower block register following the social housing regulator’s decision to ditch the idea.

  • Have you got 2020 vision?

    17/12/2010

    Housing associations’ board members must start looking to the future if they are to be ready for the challenges they face

  • Town & Country inquiry into bullying claim

    17/12/2010

    Kent landlord Town & Country Housing Group has launched an internal investigation into allegations that its chair bullied a former board member.

  • ALMO chief suspended after governance fears

    15/12/2010

    The chief executive of an arm’s-length management organisation has been suspended amid concerns about governance.

  • More enterprise partnerships approved

    14/12/2010

    Three more local enterprise partnerships have been approved covering Norfolk and Suffolk, the Black Country and Worcestershire.

  • Social landlords improve inspection scores

    13/12/2010

    A council and an arm’s-length management organisation have improved their ratings from the Audit Commission.

  • Controlled demolition

    10/12/2010

    As the new chief of the Tenant Services Authority, Claer Lloyd-Jones has been handed the job of overseeing the regulator’s closure by April 2012. In her first major interview since taking the job, she tells Caroline Thorpe why she’s ‘absolutely delighted’ to be there.

  • Lessons must be learned

    10/12/2010

    After the collapse of Connaught and Rok, it would be reckless to lose any more of our building services firms, says Chris Blackhurst

  • Money talks

    10/12/2010

    Housing providers are looking carefully at pay this year, following two years of pay freezes.

  • Passing the fitness test

    10/12/2010

    A new definition of charity means landlords must make sure their managers are fit for purpose, says Philip Heath, corporate partner at Weightmans

  • Pick and mix

    10/12/2010

    Tenants are demanding more powers to choose their services. But is this realistic in the current climate? Housing experts John Perry and Joanna Richardson think it is - if landlords follow their five-step guide

  • Enrolment costs

    08/12/2010

    Chris Crighton, specialist pensions lawyer at national law firm TLT, sets out what employers in the social housing sector will need to do to prepare for automatic enrolment in pension schemes

  • Public services director leaves Treasury

    07/12/2010

    A senior Treasury civil servant responsible for housing is to leave her post on 28 February.

  • Supported housing groups rejoin NHF

    07/12/2010

    Two housing providers who left the National Housing Federation after arguing its remit was too narrow have rejoined the organisation.

  • TSA finds weaknesses at two associations

    07/12/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has judged two social landlords to have financial weaknesses which could lead them into trouble.

  • L&Q staff ‘threatened’ at dog track consultation

    03/12/2010

    A landlord is to complain to police after protestors opposed to a plan to build on the site of a former dog track in east London allegedly threatened staff at a consultation event.

  • Birmingham Council to shut down ASB unit

    03/12/2010

    England’s largest local authority landlord is poised to axe its dedicated anti-social behaviour unit next year leading to the potential loss of 58 jobs.

  • Cornwall to review homes management

    03/12/2010

    Cornwall Council could create a county-wide arm’s-length management organisation to manage all of its homes.

  • Third of associations to freeze wages

    02/12/2010

    More than a third of housing associations are planning to freeze staff pay next year, according to a survey by consultancy EMA.

  • Housing services to tackle health problems

    01/12/2010

    A plan to involve housing services in tackling the causes of premature death and illness and reduce health inequalities was unveiled yesterday by health secretary Andrew Lansley.

  • Housing benefit cuts 'will save 160,000 jobs'

    30/11/2010

    Cuts in housing benefit have saved 160,000 public sector jobs, the chancellor claimed yesterday.

  • Features writer wins new journalist award

    30/11/2010

    Inside Housing deputy features editor Nick Duxbury has been recognised at the New Journalist of the Year Awards.

  • ALMO becomes housing association

    30/11/2010

    Warrington Council this week become the first local authority to convert its arm’s-length management organisation into a housing association.

  • Troubled ALMO appoints new chair

    26/11/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation whose entire board was sacked over a governance row has appointed a new chair.

  • IH reporter honoured at journalism awards

    26/11/2010

    Inside Housing senior reporter Isabel Hardman has picked up two prizes at the annual International Building Press National Journalism Awards.

  • Councils to shed 140,000 jobs

    26/11/2010

    Around 140,000 local authority jobs are expected to be lost in the next year as a result of spending cuts, council leaders have warned.

  • Get tenants on board

    26/11/2010

    There’s no one better to drive up social housing standards

  • Net yourself some savings

    26/11/2010

    Social landlords are turning to the internet to drive down the multi-billion pound cost of maintaining their homes. Michael Willoughby finds out why providers should log on.

  • The way I see it

    26/11/2010

    Landlords must increase energy efficiency now, before their tenants are left counting the costs, says Nick Sutton, a project manager at Trent & Dove Housing

  • Ministers seek right to buy powers

    25/11/2010

    The Welsh Assembly Government has introduced legislation to allow the suspension of the right to buy, and give it greater power over housing associations.

  • TSA to cut a third of support staff

    25/11/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority is planning to make a third of its support staff redundant, its interim chief executive has revealed.

  • Holt stands down as Mears chief executive

    25/11/2010

    The chief executive of social housing repairs and maintenance contractor Mears, Bob Holt, is stepping down from the role.

  • Shapps ends strategic housing inspections

    24/11/2010

    The government is scrapping strategic housing inspections, the housing minister announced this morning.

  • LGA chief agrees to £200k pay cut

    24/11/2010

    The chief executive of the Local Government Association has taken a pay cut of £200,000 following pressure from ministers and council chiefs.

  • Half of HCA director posts to be axed

    23/11/2010

    Half of the director posts at the Homes and Communities Agency are to be cut, and its administrative budget halved.

  • Care home in Christmas pay row

    23/11/2010

    A care home operator has come under fire for refusing to pay its staff extra for working on Christmas Day.

  • Housing association records day on Twitter

    19/11/2010

    A housing association is posting an overview of every contact it has with tenants today on social media website Twitter.

  • CLG reveals stripped back structure

    19/11/2010

    The Communities and Local Government department has unveiled its new top-level structure, which will see the number of director general posts halved.

  • Regulator raps Greenwich Council

    19/11/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has upbraided Greenwich Council for the way it has sought to repossess homes on an estate the London borough wants to knock down.

  • Survey assesses governance standards

    19/11/2010

    A survey scrutinising governance standards in the housing sector has now gone live.

  • Time to celebrate

    19/11/2010

    Revealing the victors of the 2010 UK Housing Awards

  • Construction firm to buy parts of Rok

    18/11/2010

    Mansell Construction Services is to buy parts of the construction and house building division of stricken contractor Rok for £7 million.

  • Administrators shed 1,800 jobs at Rok

    16/11/2010

    The administrators for Rok have announced 1,800 redundancies, but said discussions on the sale of the social housing business are continuing.

  • Regeneration director leaves CLG

    16/11/2010

    A Communities and Local Government director has become the first senior official to leave the department since its restructure was announced.

  • Council rejects 'poor' inspection rating

    15/11/2010

    A council has clashed with the Audit Commission after inspectors called its housing service ‘poor’.

  • Rok faces split as bids are finalised

    15/11/2010

    Administrators for the building and maintenance contractor Rok are hoping to announce which companies will take on its work this week.

  • Government gives NTV grant

    12/11/2010

    Four national tenant organisations have been given £50,000 from the government to look into ways of continuing to operate a national tenant council. 

  • Rok announces further job losses

    12/11/2010

    The administrators of Rok have announced a further 268 job losses in Scotland after a potential buyer for its plumbing, heating and electrical business pulled out.

  • A time for giving

    12/11/2010

    Inside Housing had something of a Baldrick moment when the idea of launching a Christmas Appeal first surfaced.

  • Alive and kicking

    12/11/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority remains committed to the future of regulation despite facing closure in 2012

  • ALMO pays chief exec £260k per year

    12/11/2010

    Hammersmith & Fulham Homes is paying its chief executive more than twice the average salary of the heads of England’s largest arm’s-length management organisations.

  • Former CIH president awarded biggest bonus of the year

    12/11/2010

    A former president of the Chartered Institute of Housing picked up a bigger bonus than any other housing association chief executive last year.

  • New regulator handed power to transfer assets

    12/11/2010

    The Scottish Government has ignored objections from housing providers and handed a raft of easy to deploy powers over governance to the new Scottish Housing Regulator.

  • Repairs crisis as Rok enters administration

    12/11/2010

    Several landlords are facing a second battle in as many months to keep repairs services running, after Rok went into administration this week.

  • Simply the best

    12/11/2010

    Nurturing employees is hard when financial rewards are few, but doing so is vital to the future success of housing organisations. Anita Pati finds out how to get the best from staff without breaking the bank

  • Support our charities this festive season

    12/11/2010

    Inside Housing this week launches its Christmas appeal designed to help some of the UK’s most important causes during the current turbulent economic times.

  • The end of pink power

    12/11/2010

    As he leaves the Tenant Services Authority, chief executive Peter Marsh talks to Isabel Hardman about his legacy and plans for the future.

  • The season of goodwill

    12/11/2010

    Help Inside Housing spread some Christmas cheer by donating to our appeal for the poorest and most vulnerable people in society. Caroline Thorpe explains how you can make a difference

  • Rok administrator makes 711 redundant

    11/11/2010

    The administrator for stricken contractor Rok has announced 711 redundancies.

  • UK Housing Award winners announced

    10/11/2010

    The winners of the 2010 UK Housing Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London.

  • Cracking down on corruption

    10/11/2010

    Kerry Gwyther, head of regulatory law at TLT, examines issues for registered providers and their boards in the Bribery Act 2010

  • Move to scrap housing targets ‘unlawful’

    10/11/2010

    Communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to scrap regional spatial strategies was unlawful, a court has ruled.

  • MPs to examine local authority inspection

    09/11/2010

    An influential committee of MPs has launched an inquiry into the government’s decision to abolish the Audit Commission.

  • ALMO secures top marks in inspection

    08/11/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation has been awarded a maximum of three stars following an Audit Commission inspection.

  • Regeneration stalwart to leave HCA

    05/11/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency’s director of placemaking is to leave after more than 17 years with the quango and its predecessor.

  • Departing TSA chief fears for regulation

    05/11/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has concerns about the financial health or governance of a dozen landlords, its outgoing chief executive has revealed.

  • Housing role for commission spin-off

    05/11/2010

    A John Lewis-style mutual company that is being set up to replace the Audit Commission is to carry out housing inspections.

  • Hyde finance boss quits

    05/11/2010

    The group finance director at Hyde Housing Association is to leave his post.

  • Landlords form ‘virtual’ boards to avoid bank fees

    05/11/2010

    An increasing number of housing associations are forming ‘virtual’ boards to avoid incurring million pound bank charges when they collapse their group structures.

  • Genesis appoints new chair

    04/11/2010

    Genesis has appointed a non-executive chair with experience of the commercial and charity sectors.

  • Small providers fear regulatory changes

    03/11/2010

    Smaller housing associations are concerned new powers for the Scottish Housing Regulator could see them forced into mergers.

  • Aldwyck takes over Connaught venture

    03/11/2010

    Housing group Aldwyck will become the sole owner of a maintenance firm it set up with collapsed contractor Connaught.

  • Catalyst to merge with subsidiaries

    03/11/2010

    Catalyst Housing Group is to collapse its structure, merging three housing associations into the parent company to save money.

  • Government blamed for housing job cuts

    03/11/2010

    A local authority has said government cuts are forcing it to axe around 700 jobs, harming its work with vulnerable people.

  • ALMO sheds managers to cut costs

    01/11/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation has cut its senior management team to save £400,000.

  • Goodbye to the golden nest-egg?

    29/10/2010

    Is it time to put your dreams of golf, gardening and cruises on ice? As the overhaul of public sector pensions gets underway, Lydia Stockdale explains how it could affect your retirement

  • It’s time to get even

    29/10/2010

    The Equality Act 2010 took effect this month but how will it affect social landlords? Sian Jones, partner at Morgan Cole, gives her view

  • Landlords take axe to hundreds of jobs

    29/10/2010

    Social landlords and the Communities and Local Government department have laid out plans for sweeping redundancies following the comprehensive spending review.

  • New TSA boss starts efficiency drive

    29/10/2010

    The new interim head of the Tenant Services Authority has said regulation faces an ‘exciting time’, as she pitched to land the role on a full-time basis.

  • Pay day mayday

    29/10/2010

    Inside Housing’s exclusive salary survey reveals that housing employees are getting a rough ride as the economic storm continues to rage. Caroline Thorpe reports on an unsettling climate of pay freezes, reduced benefits and job insecurity

  • Raise your game

    29/10/2010

    The recession may be putting obstacles in your way but it needn’t be the death of your career. Simon Brandon shows you how to make it to the next level

  • Settling for less than best

    29/10/2010

    British employment law is crippling employers while rewarding underperformers, it’s time for reform, says Helen Giles

  • Shine out of the darkness

    29/10/2010

    Social landlords now know the extent of the comprehensive spending review and, as expected, it brought bad news for housing providers.

  • The show must go on

    29/10/2010

    The recession has set the stage for a gloomy future, tempting your star performers to leave in search of more rewarding roles. But, as Anita Pati discovers, some clever stage management can help social landlords keep a captive audience

  • Time for a team talk

    29/10/2010

    Our leadership survey unmasks housing’s bosses as superheroes. Now they must make a superhuman effort to prepare employees for the tough economic times ahead. Lydia Stockdale examines whether they have what it takes

  • Time to retire?

    29/10/2010

    Clarification of changes to the Local Goverrnment Penion Scheme are eagerly awaited, says Patricia Critchley

  • Finance officer stole to fund cocaine habit

    28/10/2010

    A man has been jailed for a year for helping himself to £57,742 from the till of a café at a housing association.

  • Giant of social housing sector dies

    27/10/2010

    Colleagues and friends are mourning the passing of Mike Langstaff, one of the housing sector’s ‘giants’ of recent times.

  • Landlord axes 100 jobs as cuts bite

    26/10/2010

    A housing association is cutting 100 jobs as part of restructuring prompted by last week’s comprehensive spending review.

  • Timber frame case to increase insurance

    26/10/2010

    A legal case is threatening to drive up insurance premiums for the owners of completed timber-framed buildings.

  • Asylum system causes separation of familes, says report

    25/10/2010

    Accommodation support for failed asylum seekers is a major cause for the separation of families, says a charity report.

  • Planning system hampering better homes for older people

    25/10/2010

    More ‘joined up’ planning needs to be done to provide better homes for an ageing population, a report from the Local Government Association will suggest.

  • Council merger could save £100m

    25/10/2010

    The housing departments of three London councils could merge as part of a plan to save up to £100 million.

  • Cuts will have 'devastating impact' on Northern Ireland

    25/10/2010

    Politicians and social landlords in Northern Ireland have warned that the comprehensive spending review will have a ‘devastating impact’ on housing in the province.

  • Four in 10 jobs could go at CLG

    22/10/2010

    Up to four in 10 jobs could be axed at the department for Communities and Local Government following the spending review, it has been announced.

  • Sustainable Housing Award winners unveiled

    22/10/2010

    The winners of the 2010 Sustainable Housing Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London this afternoon.

  • Boris to set up housing taskforce

    22/10/2010

    Boris Johnson is to set up a housing investment task force to try and attract private financing to the sector.

  • Genesis finance director quits

    22/10/2010

    The director of finance of Genesis Housing Group is to leave his post without a job to go to.

  • Stick to the slow lane

    22/10/2010

    Social housing providers should be wary of acting too hastily if they agree to set up a car club, says Roger Yates, partner at Carter Lemon Camerons

  • Street smarts

    22/10/2010

    Now in their 12th year, the Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards continue to celebrate the many innovative projects that provide vital help to London’s homeless population. Anita Pati profiles this year’s winner and runners-up

  • The bonfire of the quangos

    22/10/2010

    The government is scrapping hundreds of quasi-public bodies, some of which are important to housing. But which ones will actually be missed and by whom? Chloë Stothart finds out.

  • TSA chair: new watchdog ‘a good thing’

    22/10/2010

    The chair of the Tenant Services Authority has said government plans for a new watchdog represent ‘a good day for regulation’.

  • TSA chief stands down as regulator is axed

    21/10/2010

    The chief executive of the Tenant Services Authority has announced he is stepping down.

  • Ready for the challenge

    20/10/2010

    There are no great surprises in the CSR – we all knew cuts were coming and in this current climate we all have to “do better with less” – this is where we need to think differently and maximise the potential of all our staff and resources to get the best out of them for those we serve.

  • Inspectors praise Bracknell landlord

    20/10/2010

    Inspectors have praised a stock transfer housing association for its ‘strong progress’ in the two years since it was set up.

  • HCA committee to regulate social housing

    18/10/2010

    An independent committee is to be set up with the Homes and Communities Agency to replace the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Minister tells associations to slash pay

    18/10/2010

    Housing associations in Northern Ireland must cut their chief executive pay packages, the social development minister warned today.

  • Salaries of top civil servants revealed

    18/10/2010

    Details of the most highly paid civil servants in the Communities and Local Government department have been published for the first time.

  • Pickles scraps council performance targets

    15/10/2010

    The government has announced it is scrapping a set of performance pledges for councils which include house building and sustainability targets.

  • Sector encouraged by regulatory plans

    15/10/2010

    The housing sector has welcomed government plans to continue independent regulation of social landlords.

  • Be careful not to get stung

    15/10/2010

    A court ruling means dismissed employees can now recover unlimited damages. Phil Allen and Emlyn Williams, partners at Mace & Jones, explain

  • Executive faces double review

    15/10/2010

    The Northern Irish social development minister has launched two separate reviews which will decide the fate of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

  • Expensive exit strategies

    15/10/2010

    In a time of massive spending cuts, some senior housing staff are leaving their organisations with bumper packages. Martin Hilditch reports on how almost £14 million has been doled out in the past two years by just 25 providers

  • Former president of the CIH dies aged 90

    15/10/2010

    A former president of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Mary Smith, has died at the age of 90.

  • Housing staff face pension cost hike

    15/10/2010

    Proposed changes to public sector pensions could have a direct impact on tens of thousands of housing professionals.

  • Is it safe to come out?

    15/10/2010

    New equality laws this month place the onus on social landlords to actively tackle discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender tenants. Ciara Leeming finds out whether landlords are ready to help.

  • Landlord suffers £25m land hit

    15/10/2010

    Places for People has seen the value of its land plummet by £25 million - a fifth of the total fall predicted for all housing associations in 2009/10.

  • New homeless hub planned for London

    15/10/2010

    A rough sleeping hub is likely to be set up in London to organise housing and support for homeless people, as part of a drive to end the problem by 2012.

  • Pathfinders to join forces with LEPs

    15/10/2010

    Two housing market renewal pathfinders are planning to merge with new local enterprise partnerships.

  • TSA deadline missed as regulator is axed

    15/10/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority is threatening to name and shame the 15 per cent of landlords who have failed to publish local standards plans.

  • When will the penny drop?

    15/10/2010

    Melinda Phillips, Barbara Laing and Jon Rosser: a roll call of distinguished and dedicated housing professionals, who share one rather less attractive achievement: all received staggeringly large payouts on departure from their respective organisations (Housing 21, Anchor and Town and Country).

  • More four bedroom homes needed to tackle overcrowding

    14/10/2010

    More four-bedroom homes - not three bedroom - are needed to ease overcrowding, a London Assembly planning and housing committee heard.

  • Council cuts staff to save £1.2m

    14/10/2010

    Slough council is to axe senior staff and members of its housing team to save £1.2 million.

  • Rules of employment

    12/10/2010

    Equality law has been given an overhaul. Employment lawyer Joanne Lunt outlines some of the implications for housing providers

  • Alison Seabeck to be shadow housing minister

    11/10/2010

    Alison Seabeck will be announced as the new shadow housing minister, her office confirmed this afternoon.

  • Miliband announces shadow CLG team

    11/10/2010

    The Labour Party has announced the MPs who will work with Caroline Flint to shadow the Communities and Local Government department.

  • Associations in £875 million merger talks

    11/10/2010

    Two Northern housing associations have announced they are in talks over an £875 million merger.

  • Housing executive faces governance audit

    08/10/2010

    The Northern Irish social development minister has launched an immediate inquiry into the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

  • Miliband to unveil shadow cabinet roles

    08/10/2010

    Former housing minister John Healey has won a place in the shadow cabinet after coming second in a ballot of Labour MPs.

  • £500k payment sparks review at Housing 21

    08/10/2010

    Housing 21 has been ordered to launch an investigation into its governance after its outgoing chief executive picked up a package worth more than half a million pounds.

  • Large associations’ pension liability doubles to £509.1m in 12 months

    08/10/2010

    The UK’s largest housing associations saw their pension liabilities double in the past year, their annual accounts have revealed.

  • Money talks

    08/10/2010

    If chief executives were more open about their salaries the public would see they’re not all greedy

  • NI housing director faces inquiry over links to contractor

    08/10/2010

    A housing director at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has been suspended over allegations about his relationship with a contractor.

  • Former Housing Corporation director dies

    06/10/2010

    David Cumberland, a former regional director of the Housing Corporation and prominent figure in the housing sector, has died aged 61.

  • TSA development director takes flight

    06/10/2010

    The head of market development at the Tenant Services Authority has announced he is leaving to join the Civil Aviation Authority.

  • TSA improves rating of Islington landlord

    06/10/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has upgraded its assessment of Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association.

  • HCA appoints interim chief executive

    05/10/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency has appointed an interim chief executive to replace Sir Bob Kerslake.

  • Housing Executive boss to retire

    05/10/2010

    The head of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Paddy McIntyre, has announced he is retiring.

  • Regulator was ‘catalyst’ for change at GHA

    04/10/2010

    The Scottish Housing Regulator has highlighted its work with Glasgow Housing Association in its annual report.

  • Chief exec departure prompts TSA inquiry

    04/10/2010

    Housing 21 has broken the Tenant Services Authority’s regulatory code over the departure of its former chief executive.

  • Southern merges with subsidiaries

    04/10/2010

    Southern Housing Group has amalgamated with two of its subsidiaries, James Butcher Housing Association and South Wight Housing Association.

  • Bad language

    01/10/2010

    Want to make shared ownership properties more attractive to mortgage lenders and potential homeowners? Then you need to toss out the technospeak, says Lydia Stockdale

  • Expert ease

    01/10/2010

    Eighteen months ago Inside Housing launched its new Need to know section in print and online.

  • HCA will take over from TSA

    01/10/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency will take on the economic regulatory function of the Tenant Services Authority, a government review has concluded.

  • Council receives zero-star rating

    30/09/2010

    The Audit Commission has branded a council’s landlord service ‘poor’ with ‘uncertain’ prospects for improvement.

  • Olympics chief to stand down

    30/09/2010

    The chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority will join Network Rail in the new year.

  • Arrest made in regeneration case

    28/09/2010

    A man has been arrested and six officers at Stoke-on-Trent’s regeneration department suspended as part of an inquiry.

  • GHA appoints new chairman

    28/09/2010

    A new chair has taken over at the UK’s largest housing association as it continues to reduce its stock.

  • Sector becoming more appealing to women

    27/09/2010

    The social housing sector is getting better at encouraging and retaining women but still needs to do more.

  • Orr says providers must embrace change

    27/09/2010

    The National Housing Federation chief executive has warned housing providers they won’t survive unless they are prepared to look at new ways of operating.

  • Document leak shows HCA is 'under review'

    24/09/2010

    The future of the Homes and Communities Agency looks uncertain as a leaked government document reveals that it is under review.

  • Snow urges landlords to raise their profile

    24/09/2010

    Broadcaster Jon Snow has urged delegates at the National Housing Federation annual conference to do more to get housing issues into the media.

  • Time to tighten the belts

    24/09/2010

    The wage rises may be less gravity defying than last year’s, the bonuses more rare; but the pay packets of housing association bosses revealed in our annual chief executives’ salary survey remain remarkably generous.

  • Who’s got the sweetest deal?

    24/09/2010

    Inside Housing’s annual chief executive salary survey reveals which housing association heads are unwrapping the tastiest pay packets - and compares them to council and arm’s-length housing heads for the first time. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • NHF chair hits back at Shapps’ pay attack

    23/09/2010

    The chair of the National Housing Federation has criticised housing minister Grant Shapps for his attack on housing association chief executive pay.

  • Average chief exec salary tops £150k

    23/09/2010

    The chief executives of England’s largest housing associations are paid £11,000 more than the prime minister on average, according to an Inside Housing survey.

  • Landlords told to make expenditure public

    22/09/2010

    Housing associations should publish full details of their expenditure to justify the ‘enormous’ salaries paid to some chief executives, the housing minister has said.

  • Shapps launches fresh assault on pay

    22/09/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps is to use a speech at the National Housing Federation conference today to attack housing association chief executive pay.

  • Take part in our salary survey

    21/09/2010

    Hays Social Housing is carrying out a survey of pay across the sector for Inside Housing, and we need your input.

  • Follow up inspection finds weaknesses

    20/09/2010

    A follow up inspection of Home Group has found services are not focused on customers and do not reach performance targets across the areas assessed.

  • Bully probe a ‘whitewash’

    17/09/2010

    A housing association employee who alleged they had been bullied by the chief executive of the organisation fears the investigation into the latter’s behaviour could be a ‘whitewash’.

  • Ex-Chorley Housing chair dies aged 71

    17/09/2010

    The former chair of a north west housing association has died.

  • Landlords reject Lovell deal over EU legal issue

    17/09/2010

    Former clients of stricken maintenance contractor Connaught are refusing to transfer their contracts to Lovell because of fears they may breach European Union law.

  • Selling yourself

    17/09/2010

    Landlords are under pressure to help workless residents, but many feel ill-equipped to deal with it. This is the first in a new series of articles which aims to supply clear advice and tips to help tenants into employment. Matt Lewis reports

  • Ealing votes to close arm's-length body

    15/09/2010

    Ealing council’s cabinet has officially approved plans to bring its arm’s-length management organisation back in-house.

  • Birmingham housing staff face dismissal

    15/09/2010

    Unions have warned that Birmingham council’s housing staff could lose their jobs as the authority looks to make financial savings.

  • Cestria boss quits despite bullying acquittal

    14/09/2010

    The chief executive of Cestria Community Housing has stepped down after being cleared of bullying allegations.

  • HCA chooses partners for advice panels

    14/09/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency has announced the names of 33 companies selected to sit on two panels which will advise on decisions about funding.

  • Mears to take over eight Connaught contracts

    13/09/2010

    Connaught’s administrator KPMG has agreed to transfer eight contracts to social housing repairs and maintenance contractor Mears.

  • Government figures show rise in homelessness

    13/09/2010

    The number of people accepted as homeless rose in the second quarter compared to the first three months of this year.

  • 700 Connaught staff to be made redundant

    10/09/2010

    A total of 700 Connaught workers will be made redundant, administrators KPMG have announced.

  • Rival snaps up Connaught contracts

    10/09/2010

    One of Connaught’s competitors has stepped in to buy the bulk of its social housing contracts after the beleaguered firm called in the administrators.

  • Clean-up begins after Connaught collapse

    10/09/2010

    Hundreds of landlords are facing uncertainty and extra costs as they seek to ensure repairs and maintenance services are not disrupted following the collapse of Connaught.

  • Is it time to write off the TSA?

    10/09/2010

    The Audit Commission has already been left for scrap and the Tenant Services Authority has just a slim chance of being salvaged. Inside Housing’s exclusive survey reveals whether you think the TSA has reached the end of the road. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • Landlords put faith in contingency plans

    10/09/2010

    Landlords which hold contracts with social housing maintenance firm Connaught say they are confident they will not lose out financially as a result of the contractor’s demise.

  • Paying the price

    10/09/2010

    Sadly, the demise of social housing contractor Connaught will come as no great surprise to its hundreds of social landlord clients.

  • Sacked surveyor in asbestos claims

    10/09/2010

    A health and safety worker is claiming a housing association sacked him for raising the alarm about its asbestos management.

  • Sir Bob: ‘CLG will be high-performing’

    10/09/2010

    Sir Bob Kerslake has told Inside Housing he wants to fashion a high-performing Whitehall department as he takes a pay cut to to become one of the UK’s top civil servants.

  • Tenant protection fears as sector backs housing regulator

    10/09/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has said he wants the Tenant Services Authority to be abolished, but more than half of the 234 housing professionals who completed an Inside Housing online survey last month want England’s housing regulator to stay.

  • Councils may share management team

    09/09/2010

    Two London councils have announced they are considering sharing a chief executive.

  • KPMG hopes to save Connaught jobs

    08/09/2010

    KPMG is ‘hopeful’ that the majority of Connaught workers’ jobs will be transferred to other companies.

  • Connaught calls in administrators KPMG

    08/09/2010

    Administrators are being appointed to Connaught’s social housing division after the contractor failed to secure additional funding.

  • Connaught clients seek alternatives

    07/09/2010

    Worried housing associations are approaching rivals of Connaught ahead of an expected announcement that it has gone into administration.

  • Kerslake takes £50k pay cut to join CLG

    07/09/2010

    Sir Bob Kerslake will take a pay cut of more than £50,000 when he takes up his position as permanent secretary at the Communities and Local Government department.

  • Audit Commission prepares to go private

    07/09/2010

    The Audit Commission has appointed a new managing director of audit practice to prepare the organisation for its move into the private sector.

  • Connaught nears administration

    07/09/2010

    Troubled social housing contractor Connaught is believed to be on the brink of administration.

  • HCA chief executive to stand down

    06/09/2010

    Sir Bob Kerslake is to leave his role as chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency.

  • Ombudsman should have stronger role

    06/09/2010

    The housing ombudsman should lay its annual report before Parliament, a report by the Law Commission has suggested.

  • TSA finds failings at south west landlord

    03/09/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has identified failings in the way Somer Housing Group is run.

  • Digital explosion

    03/09/2010

    There has been a surge of new information and communications technology that could save social landlords precious time and money. But, as Keith Cooper reports, only if they know how to use them.

  • Logging their opinion

    03/09/2010

    A new trend for ‘hyperlocal’ websites focusing on the nitty gritty of community life is stretching residents’ influence beyond traditional tenants’ groups and meetings. Alex Klaushofer logged on to find out why they are so popular and what social landlords can learn.

  • Merseyside councils to share director

    03/09/2010

    Two Merseyside councils will share a director of regeneration in a bid to cut staff costs.

  • Outlook unclear for cloud

    03/09/2010

    Social landlords should consider the drawbacks as well as the benefits of online IT services delivery, says Simon Morrissey

  • North east councils given ‘fair’ ratings

    02/09/2010

    A council which took over housing services from six former local authorities has been praised in its first inspection.

  • Councils success in preventing homelessness

    27/08/2010

    Councils helped thousands to avoid or solve homelessness issues when it was not their legal duty to do so, government figures shows.

  • UK Housing Award finalists unveiled

    27/08/2010

    More than 70 housing organisations have reached the final stages of the prestigious UK Housing Awards.

  • Housing providers to miss TSA targets

    27/08/2010

    A quarter of housing providers think they will not meet regulatory requirements set out by the Tenant Services Authority as a result of government spending cuts.

  • More muscle

    27/08/2010

    If tenant panels are to be central to future housing regulation, they must be given more powers

  • NHF: landlords could pay regulatory fee

    27/08/2010

    The government should consider charging social landlords for any new regulatory regime, the National Housing Federation has suggested

  • Nurse knows best

    27/08/2010

    Housing 21 is addressing the needs of tenants with dementia by employing its own specialist nurse. Anita Pati finds out what advice she is dispensing

  • State of play

    27/08/2010

    As the building blocks of social housing are pulled out from under them, our exclusive survey reveals landlords are putting on a brave face. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • Mixed inspection for south east landlord

    26/08/2010

    Audit Commission inspectors have delivered a mixed report on a 10,000-home social landlord.

  • English Housing Survey faces cuts

    25/08/2010

    The government is considering cutting the number of people it surveys on housing conditions by as much as 40 per cent.

  • Homelessness enquiry for Wales

    20/08/2010

    Shelter Cymru has announced it is bringing back a commission to look into how housing and homelessness is being tackled in Wales.

  • Bradford residents 'furious' at rat claims

    20/08/2010

    Residents at an estate in Bradford are angry with a story by The Sun newspaper saying giant rats are living on their estate, says their landlord.

  • Supporting People cuts could leave thousands vulnerable

    20/08/2010

    Thousands of vulnerable people could be forced to fend for themselves under expected cuts to the Supporting People programme, the National Housing Federation has warned.

  • Landlords seek answers

    20/08/2010

    Social landlords are appealing to the government for clarity on the future of housing inspection after the Audit Commission’s closure.

  • Shocked inspectors mount rescue mission

    20/08/2010

    Audit Commission staff could set up an independent consultancy to carry out housing inspections following the quango’s shock abolition.

  • ‘Social model’ under financial threat

    20/08/2010

    The viability of the social housing model is under threat because of the financial pressures facing the sector, according to a new study from leading academics.

  • 2011 launch for £1bn loan fund

    20/08/2010

    An innovative £1 billion vehicle to encourage pension funds to make loans to housing associations is expected to start lending in January.

  • Affinity Sutton posts £44m surplus

    20/08/2010

    Affinity Sutton has used its annual report to argue that housing associations need a ‘stronger financial base’ than ever before to cope with forthcoming spending cuts.

  • Another one bites the dust

    20/08/2010

    Another week and another quango is abolished by communities secretary Eric Pickles. So what does the demise of the Audit Commission mean for housing? Is it yet more bad news following on from the abolition of the regulator, cuts to development funding and curbs on the housing benefit bill?

  • Battle to overturn decision on legal aid

    20/08/2010

    Sheltered housing campaigners are fighting to get 5,000 people to sign a petition in protest at their claim for legal aid being turned down on a technicality.

  • Building a new structure

    20/08/2010

    A revamped National Housing Federation could take over the Tenant Services Authority’s regulatory role

  • Clegg: benefit cuts are hard to justify

    20/08/2010

    Nick Clegg has waded into the row over housing benefit reform by suggesting proposed cuts make it difficult to justify replacing the Trident nuclear weapon.

  • Council faces court over ‘contaminated’ estate

    20/08/2010

    North Lanarkshire Council is facing possible court action after being accused of allowing homes to be built on contaminated land.

  • Gypsy sites budget cut after £15m underspend

    20/08/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency spent just under 5 per cent of its £32 million Gypsy and Traveller Sites grant last year.

  • Involving people

    20/08/2010

    For the new regulatory system to work, we must involve well-informed tenants

  • Planning row nets Barnet £4m

    20/08/2010

    Barnet Council has been awarded £4 million for affordable housing and community facilities after a property developer breached its planning permission.

  • Sector plans as Connaught struggles

    20/08/2010

    Housing associations that hold contracts with beleaguered contractor Connaught are drawing up contingency plans in case the firm collapses.

  • The smell of burning

    20/08/2010

    First it was the Tenant Services Authority and now the Audit Commission is ‘toast’. Martin Hilditch asks what housing regulation and inspection will look like once the smoke has cleared

  • Connaught deny executive departure linked to finances

    19/08/2010

    Troubled social housing contractor Connaught has denied the departure of a senior director is linked to its financial problems.

  • Harrow offers amnesty to sub-letters

    19/08/2010

    Harrow Council is giving illegal sub-letters two weeks to hand back their keys with no legal action before a crackdown.

  • Review aims to end house price confusion

    19/08/2010

    A review into the contrasting house price figures produced by different indices has been launched by the UK Statistics Authority.

  • Surveyors report fall in construction work

    19/08/2010

    Construction workloads on social housing projects have dropped sharply in the second quarter of the year, according to a survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

  • National Tenant Voice to wind down company structure

    19/08/2010

    The National Tenant Voice is to wind down its formal company structure as it seeks a way to carry on independently.

  • Boris outlines minimum space standards

    18/08/2010

    The mayor of London has published a draft version of a new design guide for homes in the capital.

  • Clegg attacks Labour welfare spending

    18/08/2010

    Nick Clegg has attacked Labour’s welfare record for spending ‘huge sums of money’ which did not alter people’s life chances.

  • Thousands mob housing officials in the US

    18/08/2010

    More than 30,000 people mobbed housing officials in Atlanta last week to gain a place on a housing waiting list.

  • Pensioner faces eviction from his family home

    18/08/2010

    An 83-year-old pensioner has been asked to leave the council house he has lived in for 74 years in order to make way for a family.

  • Children on housing estates 'more likely to be road casualties'

    18/08/2010

    Children living on housing estates in suburbs are most at risk of being road casualties, research has found.

  • CIH seeks 'urgent information' on Audit Commission

    17/08/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is seeking urgent clarification about the effect the scrapping of the Audit Commission will have on housing inspections.

  • Shetland Council has 'serious problems'

    17/08/2010

    Auditors have slapped down the Shetland Islands Council over ‘serious problems’ with the way the authority is run.

  • Audit Commission 'never had a day at the races', says boss

    17/08/2010

    The chair of the Audit Commission has written to Eric Pickles to complain reports of the quango’s spending activities were inaccurate.

  • Clegg: housing 'is UK's biggest problem'

    17/08/2010

    Access to affordable housing is one of the biggest problems faced by the UK, Nick Clegg said yesterday.

  • Housing officer sacked for preaching faith loses tribunal

    16/08/2010

    A housing official sacked after telling a terminally ill woman to ‘put her faith in God’ has lost a legal challenge against his former employer.

  • Maldon Council 'improving'

    16/08/2010

    Maldon Council’s housing service has made a ‘significant improvement’, inspectors have said.

  • Former Labour minister to become social mobility tsar

    16/08/2010

    A former Labour cabinet minister was confirmed as an independent reviewer on social mobility for the coalition Government over the weekend.

  • Pickles scraps Audit Commission

    13/08/2010

    The Audit Commission is to be scrapped, the government announced today.

  • Scotland to blitz on empty homes

    13/08/2010

    Shelter Scotland has secured £55,000 every year for the next two years to tackle the problem of empty homes in the country.

  • CLG spent thousands on public art and catering

    13/08/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency splashed out £85,000 on art while the Tenant Services Authority spent £860 on flowers and £47,000 on a ‘business psychologist’ last year.

  • 234 homes for Birmingham

    13/08/2010

    Birmingham Council will build 234 new homes after securing funding from the Homes and Communities Agency through the £53 million Public Land Programme after donating 8.1 acres of its own land.

  • A sign of the times

    13/08/2010

    The days of security of tenure look increasingly numbered as the Conservatives prepare to make a dramatic U-turn on key pre-election promises. Martin Hilditch investigates one of the most radical changes ever proposed for social housing.

  • ALMO battles gagging order

    13/08/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation has demanded a contractor stop gagging tenants to whom it has paid compensation following complaints about work.

  • Bradford’s white estates feel ignored

    13/08/2010

    Residents on Bradford’s traditionally white estates feel like the ‘lowest of the low’, according to new research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

  • Cash incentive to refurbish empty homes

    13/08/2010

    The government is considering handing social landlords new financial incentives to persuade them to bring empty homes back into use.

  • Housing’s ‘big’ role

    13/08/2010

    Everyone’s talking about the ‘big society’ but what does it mean for social housing providers, asks Heather Petch

  • Sector’s pension fund reduces deficit

    13/08/2010

    The deficit in the Social Housing Pension Scheme has reduced by £44 million, showing signs that the fund is recovering from the financial crisis.

  • Council loses legal battle against housing association

    12/08/2010

    A council has lost a legal battle with a housing association over who is liable for paying a £2.4m pension fund deficit.

  • Hammersmith and Fulham plans to close ALMO

    11/08/2010

    Hammersmith and Fulham council has announced plans to take its arm’s-length management organisation back in-house.

  • Rok suspends finance director

    11/08/2010

    Construction and maintenance firm Rok announced it has suspended its finance director with immediate effect from today.

  • Advisory committee launches housing benefit inquiry

    11/08/2010

    The social security advisory committee has launched an inquiry into the government’s proposed changes to housing benefit.

  • Disabled could lose homes through mortgage aid cuts, says NHF

    11/08/2010

    Thousands of people with disabilities are at risk of losing their home following a government decision to cut support for mortgage interest payments, according to a housing umbrella body.

  • House prices fall for first time in a year

    10/08/2010

    House prices have fallen for the first time in more than a year, say the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

  • Government launches benefit fraud crackdown

    10/08/2010

    The government will draft in credit ratings agencies to hunt down benefit frauds, the prime minister announced today.

  • Housebuilder in legal bid against government

    10/08/2010

    A leading housebuilder has launched a legal challenge against the government’s decision to scrap regional spatial strategies.

  • Calls for better planning training

    10/08/2010

    Planning and housing bodies are backing calls for better training for planning officials and councillors to enable quicker delivery of homes.

  • Scotland considers tenancy deposit scheme

    10/08/2010

    The Scottish Government has launched a consultation into whether a compulsory tenancy deposit scheme should be set up.

  • Councils' cash incentive for allowing housebuilding

    09/08/2010

    Councils will receive bonuses for every new home built in their area with Government plans announced today.

  • Edinburgh to spur tenants into smaller properties

    09/08/2010

    Edinburgh council is considering paying tenants up to £1,000 to help them move to smaller properties.

  • Cuts hit hunt for chief exec

    06/08/2010

    The organisation that runs housing market renewal in Lancashire has suspended its search for a new chief executive over funding uncertainty.

  • Do you stand out?

    06/08/2010

    Thousands of people take housing courses each year. So how can you shine as an outstanding student? Anita Pati talks to the tutors of some popular courses to find out

  • Facing the future

    06/08/2010

    Meet the young people who have launched their housing careers via a popular scheme to get the long-term unemployed into work - and discover why they are a dying breed.

  • Must do better...

    06/08/2010

    Ministers have slashed almost £450 million from English university budgets and colleges are dropping courses. It’s time for housing education providers to pull their socks up if they want to continue to attract new talent. Nick Duxbury reports.

  • NTV in bid to carry on independently

    06/08/2010

    The National Tenant Voice has put in a bid for £50,000 worth of funding to explore whether it can run without government help.

  • The kids aren’t alright

    06/08/2010

    ‘I love housing and want to stay in it…It’s an industry you fall into and fall in love with at the same time.’ The sentiments of 25-year-old Monique James-Palmer will be echoed by many in the sector, but Ms James-Palmer’s romance could prove short-lived.

  • TSA warns Cambridge landlord over viability

    04/08/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has warned that Cambridge Housing Society is vulnerable to deterioration.

  • LHA-ASRA chair to stand down

    02/08/2010

    Shaukat Moledina is to leave his post as chair of the 11,000-home LHA-ASRA Group.

  • Council investigates former housing panel chair

    02/08/2010

    Bradford council is investigating the resignation of a housing panel chair after he was fined for letting out homes in a poor condition in Liverpool.

  • Liverpool housing groups merge

    02/08/2010

    Three subsidiaries of the 15,000-home Plus Dane Housing Group in Liverpool are to merge to form Plus Dane Merseyside.

  • Cestria probes staff grievances

    30/07/2010

    Staff at a north east housing association have contacted the housing regulator about alleged bullying at the organisation.

  • Common sense approach

    30/07/2010

    Landlords are in limbo as the government fails to clarify ISA registration rules, says James Lynas

  • Going local

    30/07/2010

    The co-regulatory settlement for landlords and tenants vindicates the rise of local standards

  • How prepared are you?

    30/07/2010

    New research shows that early planning by executives is crucial to surviving financial turmoil in good shape. Jonathan Magee offers advice on three different scenarios

  • New rule in the crown

    30/07/2010

    As the Chartered Institute of Housing overhauls how it is governed, its new president Paddy Gray addresses members’ concerns.

  • Scrapping TSA could cost government £47m

    30/07/2010

    The government could be slapped with a bill of more than £45 million to wind up the Tenant Services Authority, the regulator’s financial accounts have indicated.

  • Stretching the pennies

    30/07/2010

    As the sector awaits the falling axe, Inside Housing convened a round table debate to discuss how leaders are getting to grips with efficiency savings. Lydia Stockdale reports. Photography by Simon Brandon.

  • Take it from the top

    30/07/2010

    As the cash taps run dry, creative innovation may be housing leaders’ best hope of tackling the sector’s woes. Caroline Thorpe reports.

  • The bare essentials

    30/07/2010

    What do housing’s top leaders rely on to achieve peak performance? Inside Housing asked some of the bosses whose organisations made this year’s Best Companies to Work For list what they can’t do without. Anita Pati reports

  • The pensions minefield

    30/07/2010

    Close a final salary scheme with a deficit and you may trigger an almighty fall-out, says Doug Mullen, associate at Anthony Collins Solicitors

  • Warning after Connaught cash crisis

    30/07/2010

    A housing consultancy is warning its clients to put contingency plans in place should their contractors get into trouble, following a cash crisis at a major maintenance firm.

  • One-star ratings for midlands councils

    29/07/2010

    Two housing services inspected by the Audit Commission have this week received ‘fair’ one-star ratings.

  • NW providers merge to create mega association

    28/07/2010

    Two north west housing groups are to amalgamate to form one of the largest associations in England, with nearly 40,000 homes across 27 local authority areas.

  • Reform plan sets CLG objectives

    28/07/2010

    The Communities and Local Government department has been charged with putting local authorities and communities in charge of economic growth and regeneration.

  • Contractor in 'urgent' need of cash

    27/07/2010

    A major housing maintenance contractor has said it urgently needs cash to pay its contractors and suppliers.

  • Terms of reference published for TSA review

    27/07/2010

    Housing minster Grant Shapps has set out the terms of reference for the review of the ‘role and purpose’ of the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Birmingham hit by £30m cuts

    23/07/2010

    Birmingham Council has announced it will cut its housing budget by around £30 million over the next four years.

  • Notting Hill redundancies spark anger

    23/07/2010

    Staff facing redundancy from Notting Hill have complained to the Tenant Services Authority about the way the housing association chose who would get the axe.

  • Passing on the key to success

    23/07/2010

    If the Tenant Services Authority is abolished we must ensure its successes are passed on

  • Council director to deliver 8,500 new homes

    22/07/2010

    Brighton and Hove council has appointed a new director responsible for drawing up plans for the provision of 8,500 new homes by 2025.

  • Former minister to chair Olympics firm

    21/07/2010

    Former housing minister Nick Raynsford is to chair the company that will run the affordable homes at the athlete’s village being built for the 2012 Olympics.

  • Public should tackle anti-social behaviour

    20/07/2010

    The general public and frontline workers such as housing officers should be trained in community safety skills to tackle anti-social behaviour, a report has found.

  • Cash prizes up for grabs

    16/07/2010

    Six projects working with homeless people are in line to win a share of a £50,000 prize fund after the shortlist for the Andy Ludlow Homelessness awards was unveiled by London Councils.

  • Ombudsman sees 43% rise in complaints

    16/07/2010

    The number of tenants complaining about the services provided by housing associations has soared by 43 per cent in the past year, the housing ombudsman has revealed.

  • The clock is ticking

    16/07/2010

    Landlords who deal with care must beware of new law requiring registration, says Lynn Aglionby, partner at Trowers & Hamlins LLP

  • Union seeks Labour views

    16/07/2010

    The housing association branch of public service union UNISON is consulting its members over which candidate for the Labour leadership they believe has the best housing policies.

  • Inspectorate critical of housing society

    15/07/2010

    Severn Vale Housing Society is not supporting its tenants or providing value for money, according to a highly critical report.

  • Nearly half of NI associations unacceptable

    12/07/2010

    There are ‘significant problems’ with housing associations in Northern Ireland, according to a report from the Audit Office.

  • Supported housing provider picks merger partner

    09/07/2010

    Troubled supported housing provider Carr-Comm has announced which organisation it will merge with.

  • Places for People chair to stand down

    09/07/2010

    The chair of Places for People is stepping down to be replaced by an expert in international financial and real estate.

  • Governance changes opposed by Scottish institute members

    09/07/2010

    Scottish members of the Chartered Institute of Housing hope a rejected amendment to the proposed overhaul of its governance structure will be re-considered.

  • Shapps: cabinet will back decision to scrap housing regulator

    09/07/2010

    The housing minister is adamant that the Tenant Services Authority will definitely be abolished, despite concern from the Treasury about the potential impact.

  • Connaught chief quits after profit warning

    08/07/2010

    The chief executive of troubled contractor Connaught has stepped down with immediate effect.

  • Weaknesses found at Home Group

    08/07/2010

    The Audit Commission has found weaknesses outweigh strengths across a series of Home Group services.

  • Genesis chair to step down in September

    06/07/2010

    The chair of Genesis will step down in September due to other commitments.

  • Seven housing quango staff break £150k barrier

    05/07/2010

    Seven people employed in housing roles at quangos are earning more than £150,000 a year.

  • Crawley improves its housing services

    05/07/2010

    Inspectors have praised Crawley Borough Council for improving its housing services.

  • Advisory role for the HCA

    02/07/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency is set to become a smaller body which will focus on helping local authorities and public bodies achieve value for money.

  • Summer photo competition launched

    02/07/2010

    Football in the park, ice cream, trips to the seaside. What does summer mean in your community?

  • Academic chosen as CIH president

    30/06/2010

    Irish academic Paddy Gray has been elected as the new president of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Luton association to join Aldwyck

    30/06/2010

    Bedfordshire housing association Luton Community Housing is to join Aldwyck Housing group.

  • Caution urged on regulatory review

    30/06/2010

    The leaders of prominent housing sector bodies have urged the government not to sweep aside good work done on regulation along with the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Tory councillor suspended from party

    29/06/2010

    A Conservative councillor responsible for housing has been suspended from the national party amid allegations about his conduct.

  • Government axes housing advice unit

    29/06/2010

    The government is closing the organisation set up to give it advice on how to improve the affordability of housing.

  • Housing associations back independent regulation

    28/06/2010

    Housing associations are calling on the government to ensure regulation of the sector remains independent after the Tenant Services Authority is scrapped.

  • In video: simulating success

    25/06/2010

    See ACT-UK’s construction training simulator in action.

  • Abolition of FSA will hit landlords

    25/06/2010

    A new body will take over responsibility for the registration of housing associations and their accounts, following the announcement that the Financial Services Authority will be abolished.

  • Death of a watchdog

    25/06/2010

    Less than three months after its regulatory framework came into effect, the Tenant Services Authority is to become one of the first casualties of the coalition government. Grant Shapps’ decision has left staff reeling but what will it mean for the tenants it was set up to protect? Isabel Hardman investigates

  • Government considers ombudsman merger

    25/06/2010

    The government is considering merging the Housing Ombudsman Service with the local government ombudsman.

  • Inside Housing wins ‘Oscar’

    25/06/2010

    Inside Housing has triumphed at the journalism equivalent of the Oscars, the Periodical Publishers Association awards.

  • Notting Hill in Acas talks

    25/06/2010

    A housing association where staff went on strike over terms and conditions is holding talks with a trade union through arbitration service Acas.

  • Staff cuts at ALMO that axed entire board in chief exec row

    25/06/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation which saw its entire board axed last month is planning to make up to 32 members of its staff redundant.

  • The fraud files

    25/06/2010

    Local authorities must share data to fight fraud and save millions, says Andrew Gillett, partner and head of casualty fraud, Weightmans

  • Shapps confirms plans to scrap TSA

    24/06/2010

    The housing minister has confirmed he plans to abolish the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Regulator to continue until 2012

    24/06/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority will continue to operate until at least 2012, according to its tenant standard manager.

  • TSA undeterred by closure threat

    23/06/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority will not let its uncertain future distract it from making sure landlords improve services for tenants, one of its directors has pledged.

  • Landlords need to improve support for ASB victims

    22/06/2010

    More than two-thirds of social landlords believe they need to improve the way they support victims of anti-social behaviour, according to a new survey.

  • Beware a break in the chain

    18/06/2010

    Beware of transfers as they could prove costly if you lose a contract, says Steven Lorber, partner at Lewis Silkin

  • Genesis to sell homes and restructure

    18/06/2010

    Genesis Housing Group will sell around 800 homes and operate in a smaller geographical area as part of an overhaul which it says will improve services for residents.

  • Manningham suspends four

    18/06/2010

    A housing association has suspended four members of staff as part of an investigation that is shrouded in secrecy.

  • Shapps to scrap Tenant Services Authority

    18/06/2010

    Responsibility for regulating the financial governance of social landlords will be passed to the Homes and Communities Agency, under plans to ‘delete’ the current watchdog the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Victim of its own success

    18/06/2010

    So the worst-kept secret in the history of social housing is finally out: the Tenant Services Authority’s pink van has reached the end of the road.

  • TSA's local offers 'are a success'

    16/06/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has hailed pilots of its local standards a success, but has warned providers need to work harder at improving underperforming services.

  • CIH chief executive receives CBE

    14/06/2010

    The chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours list.

  • A hard day’s night

    11/06/2010

    Low pay is one of the big dilemmas facing housing staff who work overnight shifts. Are they being short-changed by their employers? Chloë Stothart investigates

  • Control your data

    11/06/2010

    Keep your data protection policies under review or face fines up to £500,000, says Carolyn Fink, associate at Penningtons Solicitors

  • Get a job lot

    11/06/2010

    Lydia Stockdale discovers how recruiting housing officers en masse means lack of experience isn’t necessarily a problem

  • Home Office suspends work of ASB squad

    11/06/2010

    The Home Office has suspended the work of its anti-social behaviour action squad.

  • Birmingham to appeal equal pay ruling

    10/06/2010

    Birmingham council has lodged an appeal against a case it lost to nearly 5,000 women over equal pay.

  • New house builder promises 600 homes

    07/06/2010

    A new developer launched with £100 million of private equity funding has pledged to build 600 homes in London in the next five years.

  • Launch of online support to spot forced marriage victims

    04/06/2010

    Housing officers can now benefit from an online training tool to help them identify and support victims of forced marriage.

  • Have you missed your connection?

    04/06/2010

    Much is made of the need for joined-up work between housing, social services and the police. But as these three case studies show, applying best practice isn’t always as easy as it may seem. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • Storm clouds gather over housing schemes

    04/06/2010

    House builders and planners across the UK have launched desperate bids to save vital regeneration schemes from being washed away in a flood of government cuts.

  • Gentoo survey uncovers new problems for retrofit

    04/06/2010

    One of the country’s leading sustainable housing associations has discovered it can cost-effectively retrofit less than 3 per cent of its properties.

  • Unison urges TSA members to return

    04/06/2010

    Unison has written a begging letter to 41 Tenant Services Authority staff who walked out of the union after it banned their branch secretary.

  • £285m mortgage funding gap looms

    04/06/2010

    The Council for Mortgage Lenders is to lobby the government in a bid to ensure the £285 million mortgage rescue scheme is not axed.

  • Council houses under threat

    04/06/2010

    Local authorities fear the first significant council house building programme for more than a decade is under threat from funding cuts.

  • Home Group to sell 10 per cent of stock

    04/06/2010

    Home Group will sell more than 10 per cent of its properties and raise £100 million in the biggest stock rationalisation deal ever seen.

  • Policy shift on elderly care

    04/06/2010

    A report from an influential Conservative think tank is likely to recommend that neighbours and local voluntary groups take more responsibility for reducing the isolation of elderly people.

  • Shapps to be focal speaker at Harrogate

    04/06/2010

    Housing minister Grant Shapps is to give a keynote speech at this year’s Chartered Institute of Housing conference and exhibition in Harrogate.

  • Southwark revamp in response to fatal blaze

    04/06/2010

    Southwark Council is to separate its joint housing and environment department after a fatal tower block fire raised management concerns.

  • TSA in tie-up to tackle ASB

    04/06/2010

    Housing regulator the Tenant Services Authority is set to join a multi-agency board dealing with anti-social behaviour in London.

  • Lawyers want court ruling on section 4 support fast-tracked

    03/06/2010

    Lawyers working with asylum seekers who must travel to Liverpool to give fresh evidence on their claims want the High Court to bring forward a decision on support for the destitute.

  • Minister unveils NI rural planning policy

    03/06/2010

    A backlog of planning applications in Northern Ireland will take six months to clear, the environment minister said.

  • Stigma attached to social housing, says survey

    03/06/2010

    The vast majority of the public think there is more stigma attached to social housing than to private rental, according to a new survey. 

  • Impairment charges down from last year

    03/06/2010

    More than 60 housing associations expect to make impairment charges of over £113m in their 2010 accounts, a new report from the regulator has said.

  • Group structure formed for older people in Wales

    03/06/2010

    The umbrella body for housing associations in Wales is to join forces with the national body for helping older people live independently in their homes.

  • Aldwyck and Broadland housing associations could face financial trouble

    02/06/2010

    Two housing associations have slipped from meeting the Tenant Services Authority’s finance performance standards to being ‘vulnerable to deterioration’.

  • Government stalls recruitment of Audit Commission head

    02/06/2010

    The Government has thrown into disarray the appointment of the new head of the Audit Commission over a £240,000 pay packet.

  • Government guns for CEOs' pay

    02/06/2010

    The Government has launched a broadside on highly paid housing association chief executives.

  • TCPA appoints first female head

    02/06/2010

    The Town and Country Planning Association has appointed its first female chief executive.

  • Fife to get 135 affordable homes

    02/06/2010

    An area in east Scotland is to get 135 homes this year despite a £10 million drop in grant funding from last year.

  • Councils must protect young runaways, says charity

    02/06/2010

    A children’s charity is calling on the government to review youth services to prevent young people turning to gangs.

  • Four CLG staff on £150,000 a year list

    01/06/2010

    Four civil servants in the department for Communities and Local Government have appeared on a Government list of mandarins earning more than £150,000.

  • London councils to get HCA funding

    01/06/2010

    London councils would be given a share of the Homes and Communities Agency’s budget in plans being drawn up by Boris Johnson and the Government.

  • Fears of second house price dip in Europe

    01/06/2010

    House prices in Europe could dip for a second time later this year or early next, warns a finance investment research company.

  • Bath-based housing association rapped over knuckles

    01/06/2010

    A Bath-based housing association has come under fire from inspectors for its record on re-letting empty homes and gas servicing.

  • TSA sheds £2.7m to avoid quango axe

    28/05/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority is slashing a further 10 per cent from its budget in an attempt to persuade the new government to keep it.

  • Build your legal muscle

    28/05/2010

    There’s a lot of choice when it comes to in-house legal training for housing staff. Anita Pati asks workers in a range of roles for their top picks of the courses on offer

  • CIH announces major governance overhaul

    28/05/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is to split the role of its president in a shake-up of the way the organisation is run.

  • Cut price advice

    28/05/2010

    Inside Housing’s exclusive legal fees survey reveals social landlords now have the upper hand when it comes to procuring legal services. Nick Duxbury finds out why - and examines whether the trend is set to continue

  • Driving a hard bargain

    28/05/2010

    Ask a lawyer whether they are being paid less now for doing the same job they did two years ago and you will probably be met with an icy silence.

  • Shopping around for legal advice

    28/05/2010

    Social landlords face a huge amount of choice when procuring legal services. Ben Cook explores the options

  • The view across the fence

    28/05/2010

    Employment tribunals are on the rise. Here two specialist lawyers in the field explain the process for both the employer and the employee

  • Charity investment costs CIH £400,000

    27/05/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing saw its operating loss increase by more than £400,000 in 2009 after investing in charitable activities.

  • Housing associations cut legal spending

    27/05/2010

    Nearly three quarters of social housing providers are expecting to spend less on legal fees in the next financial year according to figures from Inside Housing’s first annual legal fees survey.

  • ALMO board sacked for suspending boss

    26/05/2010

    A council has sacked the entire board of its arm’s-length management organisation after a row over its chief executive.

  • Landlord appoints new head after bullying claims

    26/05/2010

    A Lincolnshire housing association whose chief executive left amid allegations of bullying has appointed a replacement.

  • Homelessness garden wins Chelsea silver medal

    25/05/2010

    A garden built by hundreds of homeless people has scooped a silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show.

  • Troubled ALMO loses two-star rating

    25/05/2010

    The performance of a troubled arm’s-length management organisation has worsened, according to the Audit Commission.

  • Top CLG official to step down

    24/05/2010

    The most senior civil servant at the Communities and Local Government department is leaving to take up a new post.

  • ALMO secures two-star rating

    21/05/2010

    Rykneld Homes has received the inspection rating it needs to unlock its decent homes funding.

  • Charnwood fails to secure vital funding

    21/05/2010

    An arm’s-length management organisation which sacked its finance manager following an overspend has been criticised by inspectors.

  • Ealing to take housing management in-house

    21/05/2010

    Ealing Council has dropped plans to pass management of its homes from its arm’s-length management organisation to private companies, following a leadership change.

  • Eyeing a change

    21/05/2010

    Introducing a regulator in Scotland is a positive move but landlords must be aware of some risks, says James McMorrow

  • Hanover pulls out of home repairs talks

    21/05/2010

    Older people’s housing provider Hanover has abandoned talks about it buying a network of firms which carry out home repairs and adaptations.

  • Housing’s super heroes

    21/05/2010

    Our annual Housing Heroes awards celebrate those individuals and teams who have made a super human effort. Lydia Stockdale shines a spotlight on this year’s winners

  • Movers & shakers

    21/05/2010

    Sinead Butters has been appointed chair of the North Area Social Housing Forum. Ms Butters is chief executive of Aspire Group.

  • Simply the best

    21/05/2010

    They came, they saw - and they inspired.

  • Union demands pay review for all publicly funded bodies

    20/05/2010

    A new government commission on public sector pay must review wages in all organisations which receive government funding, a trade union has said.

  • Council accused of failing tenants

    20/05/2010

    Wiltshire council is failing its tenants, according to a damning report from the Audit Commission.

  • Ex-Peabody worker arrested at tribunal

    19/05/2010

    A one-time employee of a London-based housing association is awaiting deportation after coming back into the country to sue her previous employers.

  • First Wessex joins consortium after merger

    19/05/2010

    Housing association consortium Wayfarer Partnership has been strengthened by the addition of a new member.

  • HCA axes director posts to save £2m

    18/05/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency is slashing its number of directors and closing a London office as part of moves to save £2 million a year.

  • Taylor Wimpey appoints new chairman

    18/05/2010

    Taylor Wimpey has appointed Kevin Beeston as non-executive chairman.

  • Housing Heroes named at awards

    14/05/2010

    The winners of awards set up to recognise the contribution of the unsung ‘heroes’ of the housing sector have been announced.

  • Courses saved from cash cuts

    14/05/2010

    A number of housing courses have been saved from the axe by changes introduced by the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Cracks are showing

    14/05/2010

    Employers must address rising work-related stress

  • Duty free?

    14/05/2010

    A recent case means councils could be held responsible for their ALMOs’ employees, says Stuart Jones

  • Housework heads home

    14/05/2010

    So far two councils have moved quickly to hoover up their ALMOs as the decent homes programme nears its end and more could follow suit. But is it the right move and what does it mean for staff and tenants, asks Lydia Stockdale.

  • Landlords warned over incorrect data

    14/05/2010

    The Scottish housing watchdog has uncovered widespread errors in performance data from landlords.

  • Maintenance jobs at risk in Birmingham

    14/05/2010

    A third of all maintenance staff working on England’s largest council-owned housing stock could lose their jobs under new proposals, union bosses fear.

  • What type of ALMO are you?

    14/05/2010

    As more and more arm’s-length management organisations face up to life after decent homes, now is the time for staff, board members and tenants to decide where their future lies. Stumped? Fear not, Inside Housing’s handy quiz is here to help

  • Struggling homeowners still need support

    13/05/2010

    The Council of Mortgage Lenders has warned the Government against complacency as the number of repossessions goes down.

  • Connaught appoints non-executive chair

    11/05/2010

    Social housing contractor Connaught has appointed Sir Roy Gardner as non-executive chairman.

  • Senior TSA staff to quit regulator

    11/05/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has announced the departure of two high-profile members of its executive team.

  • DJD valuation team moves to King Sturge

    07/05/2010

    A team which provides valuation services for more than 100 social landlords will transfer to another company from this week.

  • Housing must unite or risk losing out

    07/05/2010

    Housing associations and councils in Scotland need to speak with one voice to raise the sector’s profile with politicians, the new chair of the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland has claimed.

  • Members grant reprieve to Longlife

    07/05/2010

    Members of a struggling housing co-operative have voted to keep it open and outsource all of their management responsibilities.

  • Mr & Mrs stressed out

    07/05/2010

    While most housing professionals believe in their work, the recession and impending public spending cuts have changed the mood of the sector. Inside Housing and The Resourcing Group’s exclusive job satisfaction survey discovers that many fear for their jobs, are facing pay freezes and have been left to struggle with increased workloads. Lydia Stockdale reports.

  • Share and share alike

    07/05/2010

    When tackling worklessness private sector companies have more to offer than social landlords might think. And, as Lydia Stockdale discovers, they are more than willing to help out

  • TSA staff stage mass union walkout over suspension

    07/05/2010

    Large numbers of staff at the Tenant Services Authority have walked out of their trade union in protest at the suspension of one of its representatives.

  • Work-related injuries double in six years

    07/05/2010

    The number of housing officers seriously injured at work each year has more than doubled in the past six years.

  • Worth the risk?

    07/05/2010

    In tough economic times most housing professionals can forget about receiving a bonus - but perhaps they should be putting in a claim for danger money.

  • Half of housing staff stressed at work

    06/05/2010

    Half of all housing professionals say they are feeling stressed at work, according to a new survey.

  • Bailed-out ALMO appoints new head

    05/05/2010

    Waltham Forest’s arm’s-length management organisation has appointed Madeleine Forster as its new chief executive.

  • Further strikes loom at Notting Hill

    05/05/2010

    Staff of a London housing association are poised to take further strike action in a dispute over changes to terms and conditions.

  • Arrest made over housing association theft

    05/05/2010

    Police have arrested a 34-year-old former employee in connection with theft from a café at a housing association in south Wales.

  • Third of employers not ready for TSA

    04/05/2010

    More than a third of social housing employers do not believe their organisation is ready to meet the regulatory framework set out by the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Free booklet makes the case for housing

    30/04/2010

    The housing industry is set to fight its corner in the post-election battle for resources with the publication of a new booklet from Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Job zone - east midlands

    30/04/2010

    The social housing jobs market remains very active it being a traditionally quieter time of year, says Phil Jackson

  • Marathon runners raise £3k for Hact

    30/04/2010

    Inside Housing’s marathon runners have raised more than £3,000 for the Housing Action Charity. Caroline Thorpe, assistant editor for features and Leonie Brown, former assistant editor for production, completed the 26.2 miles in 4.08 hours and 4.24 hours respectively.

  • Overnight pay row looms for landlords

    30/04/2010

    Britain’s largest trade union is to campaign against housing providers and charities which pay staff less than minimum wage for being on call at night.

  • Seeing yourself in the round

    30/04/2010

    Managers and their staff are using 360 degree reviews to assess each other and find out how they are performing. Rhiannon Bury looks at how they work - and if it hurts

  • Cancer sufferer says she was sacked for health reasons

    29/04/2010

    A council housing director who was sacked while receiving cancer treatment claims she was sent a letter saying her contract was being terminated because of health reasons.

  • Birmingham care workers win equal pay case

    29/04/2010

    Care workers at Birmingham Council were among the nearly 5,000 women who learnt they had won their claims for equal pay to men this week.

  • Red Road flats to be demolished

    29/04/2010

    Two blocks on the estate in Glasgow, where three Russians died after throwing themselves from a balcony, are to be demolished simultaneously.

  • Midlands association 'letting tenants down'

    29/04/2010

    The country’s largest housing association is ‘letting its midlands tenants down’, according to inspectors.

  • Northern Irish housing body under threat

    28/04/2010

    The Northern Ireland Housing Executive could be broken up under plans announced by the Democratic Unionist Party.

  • Cancer sufferer to appeal after sacking

    27/04/2010

    A council housing director who was sacked while receiving cancer treatment has announced she is appealing against the decision.

  • Election rules silence NTV

    23/04/2010

    Four national tenants’ organisations are planning to create an independent committee that will be more outspoken than the National Tenant Voice.

  • Leeds under fire over procurement

    23/04/2010

    Leeds Council has been told it should tighten up its procurement procedures following concerns about a temporary accommodation contract.

  • Nine to five nirvana

    23/04/2010

    Housing organisations have blitzed the polls as the country’s top employers, Anita Pati finds out what they are doing right

  • Placeshapers’ chair vows to battle cuts

    23/04/2010

    The new chair of the national group that champions community-based housing associations has vowed to battle against cuts that damage services to tenants.

  • Watchdog created pay gap ‘on purpose’

    23/04/2010

    The Audit Commission deliberately created a £10,000 pay gap between male and female employees in its housing inspections department, according to a tribunal.

  • Welsh landlords urged to use local contractors

    22/04/2010

    Housing providers in Wales are being encouraged to look to local businesses when buying services and goods to bring their homes up to standard.

  • Volcano traps housing ombudsman

    22/04/2010

    The housing ombudsman has been trapped in Canada because of the grounding of aircraft due to the eruption of a volcano in Iceland.

  • Tenant body appoints new chair

    22/04/2010

    The body representing tenants and residents associations in England has announced its new chair.

  • Scottish federation appoints new chief

    21/04/2010

    The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has named its new chief executive.

  • Former CIH president Bill Woof dies

    20/04/2010

    Former Chartered Institute of Housing president Bill Woof has died following a short illness.

  • Lambeth tells ALMO to improve or close

    20/04/2010

    Labour councillors in Lambeth have given their troubled arm’s-length management organisation a one-year ultimatum to improve or close.

  • Mixed inspection for Bournemouth association

    19/04/2010

    Bournemouth Churches Housing Association has ‘strengths and weaknesses in balance’, inspectors have found.

  • Charities support European homelessness drive

    19/04/2010

    St Mungo’s and the Scottish Council for Single Homeless are supporting a European drive to end homelessness across the continent.

  • Umbrella group makes the case for planning

    16/04/2010

    The Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body that represents 22,000 town and country planners, has launched a manifesto for planning ahead of the general election in May.

  • Homelessness charity seeks owner of Imogen's ashes

    16/04/2010

    Baffled staff at a homelessness charity are searching for a supporter who may have accidentally donated a casket of ashes.

  • Lib Dems would create housing 'bombshell', say Tories

    16/04/2010

    Plans for housing in the Liberal Democrat manifesto would create a ‘bombshell’ for first-time buyers, the Conservatives have claimed.

  • Bill to protect private tenants from eviction

    16/04/2010

    Private tenants are to get greater protection from eviction after a private members’ bill was passed before the pre-election closure of Parliament.

  • Canine caveats

    16/04/2010

    Traditionally many providers - where they have bothered to mention pets in tenancy agreements - have simply banned dogs. However, some, such as Edinburgh Council and Wales & West Housing Association, have recognised this as a draconian approach and almost impossible to enforce fairly. They are piloting the approach of allowing tenants to have dogs in exchange for a commitment to ‘responsible ownership’.

  • Essex joins eco-town list

    16/04/2010

    A partnership of three councils in Essex will receive £200,000 to help develop proposals for new eco-town communities.

  • Expert opinion

    16/04/2010

    Failure to take up adequate employee references can prove disastrous in the long term

  • Landlords must improve end-of-life care

    16/04/2010

    Housing providers must be better educated about caring for people at the end of their lives, a new report has said.

  • Leeds Council to face ALMO employee race discrimination case

    16/04/2010

    Leeds Council must defend itself against an accusation of workplace racial discrimination brought by an employee of its arm’s-length management organisation, the Court of Appeal has found.

  • NTV names its leaders

    16/04/2010

    The chief executive and chair of the National Tenant Voice have been announced.

  • Parties reveal vision for future of housing

    16/04/2010

    The three main political parties outlined radically different proposals for social housing in their manifestos this week.

  • Police hunt finance chief over Ujima ‘fraud’

    16/04/2010

    Police have appealed for help tracking down the former finance director of failed housing association Ujima, who has gone on the run.

  • Right up my street

    16/04/2010

    In the latest instalment of our House Proud campaign, Lydia Stockdale looks at how tailoring housing to changing demographic need can ease pressure on health and social care services

  • Secrets and lies

    16/04/2010

    He was sacked by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and branded a ‘secret Nazi’ by a national newspaper. Speaking out for the first time since the scandal broke, former housing chief Gareth Mead tells Lydia Stockdale his side of the story.

  • Tenants move back after fire

    16/04/2010

    Residents of a tower block where two firemen died in a blaze last week are set to move back into their homes over the next few days.

  • TSA to overhaul satisfaction data

    16/04/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority is planning a radical shake-up of the way tenant satisfaction data is collected, because residents are so unhappy with the present system.

  • Housing boss says sorry for Nazi photos

    15/04/2010

    A housing boss has apologised for ‘the profound hurt and upset’ caused after photos of him dressed as a Nazi as part of a sex game were published in a Sunday newspaper.

  • Greens pledge to plough £4 billion into social housing

    15/04/2010

    The Green Party would launch a £4 billion social housing programme and focus on expanding the role of council delivery if it came to power.

  • Voodoo neighbour given suspended possession order

    15/04/2010

    A housing association has gained a suspended possession order against a tenant whose three-year long vendetta against her neighbour included the use of a voodoo doll.

  • Lib Dem MP calls for more generous way of funding housing

    15/04/2010

    Simon Hughes, MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey, has called on whichever party forms the new government in May to introduce a ‘much more open, honest and generous way of funding housing.’

  • Salvation army releases general election manifesto

    15/04/2010

    A large provider of homelessness services, which is looking to become the parent organisation of a housing association, has launched its general election manifesto.

  • Lib Dems promise to reform public sector borrowing

    14/04/2010

    Councils could be freed from current public sector borrowing requirements in order to build a new generation of council homes under a Liberal Democrat government.

  • Warrington's ALMO tenants vote for transfer

    14/04/2010

    Warrington Council’s ALMO tenants have overwhelmingly voted to transfer ownership of all 8,700 homes to Golden Gates housing association.

  • Union campaigns for council pay rise

    14/04/2010

    The UK’s biggest trade union has launched a campaign to overturn an alleged pay freeze for local government employees.

  • Plaid Cymru calls for devolution of housing powers

    14/04/2010

    Welsh political party Plaid Cymru wants primary housing legislation to be devolved back to Wales and for finance reform to allow more council-built social housing.

  • West Dunbartonshire improves performance

    14/04/2010

    The Scottish Housing Regulator has moved West Dunbartonshire Council up from a ‘poor’ to a ‘fair’ rating.

  • Home schooled

    09/04/2010

    On 1 August the government will withdraw funding from developmental housing courses, leaving students to make a stark choice between paying doubled fees and a future career in the sector. Kate Youde investigates.

  • Keeping watch

    09/04/2010

    The Conservatives would be barking mad to scrap the Tenant Services Authority

  • Salvation Army to merge with landlord

    09/04/2010

    The Salvation Army is set to take over a housing association and become the first unregistered organisation with a subsidiary signed up to the housing regulator.

  • Employment charity joins Crisis

    07/04/2010

    An organisation which helps homeless people gain access to employment has merged with homelessness charity Crisis.

  • Anti-social behaviour hit squad unveiled

    06/04/2010

    The first members of an ‘action squad’ to tackle anti-social behaviour in social housing start work today.

  • TSA reveals interim inspection regime

    01/04/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority and the Audit Commission have announced further details of their interim inspection regime.

  • Architect of reform

    01/04/2010

    Martin Cave is the brains behind today’s reform of housing regulation. Far from celebrating, Isabel Hardman finds him in philosophical mood as his ideas finally come to fruition.

  • Heathrow-inspired office sharing idea takes off

    01/04/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority will move its entire workforce into the offices of the Homes and Communities Agency in the UK’s biggest ever hot-desking project.

  • Seeing clearly

    01/04/2010

    Housing professionals must keep focused on a core aim if they are to remain motivated

  • The age of girl power

    01/04/2010

    Social housing has few female CEOs, a position at odds with their pioneering role in the sector, as Anita Pati explains

  • The changing of the guard

    01/04/2010

    It’s finally here — 1 April is the day everything changes as far as housing regulation goes for all types of housing provider in England. So what do you need to know?

  • Today’s the day

    01/04/2010

    This is no April Fool trickery. T-Day is finally here. It’s a day of monumental firsts for housing as the Tenant Services Authority opens up its new rule book, more than three years after ministers announced their intention to overhaul housing regulation.

  • Board members chosen for NTV

    31/03/2010

    The 15-member board of the National Tenant Voice has been chosen and met for the first time this week.

  • Welsh plan new approach to regulation

    31/03/2010

    The Welsh Assembly Government has started the second phase of consultation on changing the regulatory framework for housing in the country.

  • CLG defends staff turnover rate

    31/03/2010

    The Communities and Local Government department has defended that rate at which it moves on staff, in response to criticism from MPs.

  • Durham pilot to lead cost-cutting drive

    30/03/2010

    Housing provision in Durham is facing ‘rationalisation’ following a review that will inform government efforts to save £11 billion.

  • The interview lottery

    29/03/2010

    Blair McPherson examines how job interviews can be improved, and offers the chance to win copies of his new book.

  • Regulator increases tenant participation

    29/03/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has said its new tenant-centred regime is encouraging landlords to set up better dialogues with tenants.

  • College matters

    26/03/2010

    The decision by the Learning and Skills Council to withdraw funding for housing courses that currently run in more than 30 further education colleges across England is deeply worrying.

  • Housing courses face the axe

    26/03/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is rewriting its key housing qualifications in a bid to avert a funding crisis that could see potential housing professionals turn away from a career in the sector.

  • Longlife could be cut short

    26/03/2010

    A housing co-operative could be forced to close after years of in-fighting on its management committee.

  • More than lip service

    26/03/2010

    From 1 April landlords must put their words into action and place tenants at the heart of the Tenant Services Authority’s new self-regulatory regime. Here Abigail Davies, advises how to get it right

  • Inspectors deliver positive verdicts

    25/03/2010

    Audit Commission inspectors have delivered generally positive verdicts in a bumper crop of nine reports published this week.

  • Bolton ALMO appoints new chief exec

    25/03/2010

    Bolton at Home has appointed a new chief executive, who will oversee the potential transfer of homes to the body.

  • CLG told to cut costs by £200m a year

    24/03/2010

    The Communities and Local Government department has been asked to save £200 million a year as part of efficiency savings in the Budget.

  • Homelessness staff fear funding cuts

    23/03/2010

    Funding and a lack of move on housing are the biggest challenges facing homelessness services, a government-funded survey had found.

  • HCA to recruit ‘place-making’ panel

    23/03/2010

    The Homes and Communities Agency is creating a panel of 400 senior housing and regeneration professionals to offer advice and comment.

  • Housing boss sacked after Nazi claims

    22/03/2010

    A London council has sacked its assistant director for housing options after he was accused of racist and anti-Semitic behaviour.

  • A cat among the pigeons

    19/03/2010

    The secret’s out. After a year in which the Conservative Party has never been slow to criticise the Tenant Services Authority it finally confirmed this week that the regulator will get the bullet if the Tories win May’s predicted general election.

  • Are you happy in your job?

    19/03/2010

    Inside Housing is running a job satisfaction survey to find out how happy and secure housing employees feel.

  • Associations admit admin costs too high

    19/03/2010

    A third of housing associations are looking to shave more than 5 per cent from their administration and IT costs in 2010/11, a new survey reveals.

  • Home run

    19/03/2010

    Running 26 miles and 385 yards in April’s London Marathon is going to be ‘great fun’ - allegedly. Well, at least those in the day-glo sports gear know they’re raising wads of money for Hact. Leonie Brown is one of them.

  • Tell me about your cash flow

    19/03/2010

    The stresses and strains on finance directors have never been so acute. Using the results of our exclusive survey, Lydia Stockdale reveals just what’s on their minds

  • Tenants concerned by TSA standards

    19/03/2010

    Worried tenant groups requested meetings with the Tenant Services Authority this week to seek assurances it has not watered down the demands placed on landlords to work with residents.

  • Tories: we will scrap the TSA

    19/03/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority will be axed if the Conservative Party wins the upcoming general election.

  • Short notice inspection finds weaknesses

    18/03/2010

    The Audit Commission has found a London housing association has ‘more weaknesses than strengths’.

  • Housing sector backs TSA standards

    17/03/2010

    The leading organisations representing social housing professionals have given their backing to regulatory standards unveiled yesterday.

  • Staff picket Notting Hill headquarters

    17/03/2010

    Trade union members at Notting Hill Housing group went on strike on Monday over changes to their terms and conditions.

  • Eighty take redundancy at GHA

    17/03/2010

    The UK’s biggest landlord has announced 80 redundancies this month as part of its restructure.

  • TSA unveils final version of regulatory standards

    16/03/2010

    The social housing watchdog has published the standards it will use to regulate housing associations, councils and co-operatives from 1 April.

  • Council suspends housing boss after Nazi claims

    15/03/2010

    A London borough has suspended an assistant director responsible for housing after a Sunday paper claimed he leads a ‘secret life’ as a Nazi.

  • Recession hits housing association business plans

    15/03/2010

    Housing associations are struggling to deliver on their business plans because of the economic slowdown, research has found.

  • Institutional racism ‘still present’ in public bodies

    15/03/2010

    Institutional racism still exists within public sector bodies, according to responses to a government consultation.

  • Early exit for NLH chief exec

    12/03/2010

    The chief executive of a Lincolnshire housing association has taken early retirement, eight months after she was suspended amid allegations of bullying and harassment.

  • Jobs zone - Scotland

    12/03/2010

    There’s no doubt Scotland’s social housing sector has been affected by the tough economic climate, but as we move further into 2010 it’s becoming clear that homeless caseworkers, project workers and sheltered housing managers are all in demand, writes Suzanne Hamilton.

  • OMG! Riga was just sooo much fun!

    12/03/2010

    Next time you’re tempted to post those hilarious pictures of a stag or hen weekend on the internet, just remember: employers are increasingly vetting job candidates online and they might not like what they see. Katie Puckett reports

  • Thorndick to leave WKHA

    12/03/2010

    The high-profile chief executive of West Kent Housing Association is to leave her role to run a new social housing consultancy.

  • TSA rebrands standards ahead of launch

    11/03/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority is to change the names of the standards it expects landlords to reach on a national and local level before their launch next week.

  • Anchor names new chief executive

    10/03/2010

    Anchor Trust has announced its replacement for housing’s highest paid chief executive John Belcher, who left the association in November.

  • Former director of housing dies

    09/03/2010

    Brian Platt, who had worked as director of housing for a number of councils in London and Essex, and as a board director at architectural firm Hunters, has died aged 63.

  • CIH study backs tenant-led regulation

    09/03/2010

    Resident-led self-regulation of housing organisations could improve social housing and cut the need for external intervention, a study has concluded.

  • Scots target private rented sector

    08/03/2010

    The Scottish Government is consulting on legislation to improve the standard of the private rented sector.

  • Downturn sees training activity cut

    08/03/2010

    Nearly 70 per cent of social landlords expect their training activities to be hit by the economic downturn this year.

  • MPs criticise ministerial turnover at CLG

    08/03/2010

    High rates of ministerial turnover in the Communities and Local Government department have been criticised by a committee of MPs.

  • Housing providers among top employers

    08/03/2010

    Huntingdon-based housing association Luminus heads a list of fourteen social landlords that feature in the Sunday Times’ 100 best companies list for 2010.

  • Council flaws led to £1m legal failure

    05/03/2010

    Auditors have criticised Cheltenham council for running up a £1 million legal bill in a failed attempt to sue an ex-chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Salvation Army rebrands its hostels as ‘lifehouses’

    05/03/2010

    The Salvation Army is to drop the term hostel and rename its accommodation for homeless people as ‘lifehouses’.

  • Sweeping changes

    05/03/2010

    The regulation of health and social care providers faces an overhaul. Linda Convery explains the implications

  • Housing services receive zero stars

    04/03/2010

    Two councils have received zero-star ratings for their housing services from the Audit Commission.

  • Charity mourns TV presenter patron

    03/03/2010

    A youth homelessness charity has said it is saddened by the death of its patron, TV presenter Kristian Digby.

  • Housing groups among best small employers

    01/03/2010

    Five housing organisations have been praised for being among the best small companies to work for in the UK.

  • First NI housing award winners announced

    01/03/2010

    The winners of the first Chartered Institute of Housing Northern Ireland Housing Awards have been announced.

  • An inspector calls

    26/02/2010

    Over the past 18 months a new warning has echoed through the offices of more than 50 English social landlords: ‘The inspectors are here, the inspectors are here’.

  • Jobs zone - South

    26/02/2010

    Housing associations in the south of England are on track to meet their decent homes targets and so are now focusing on retrofitting, writes Andrew Lambert.

  • North Lincolnshire’s bullying probe stalls

    26/02/2010

    An investigation into claims of bullying and harassment at a Lincolnshire housing association has stalled, eight months after its chief executive was suspended on full pay.

  • Notting Hill staff vote to strike

    26/02/2010

    Trade union members at Notting Hill Housing Group have voted to go on strike.

  • Opportunity knocks

    26/02/2010

    Tough times notwithstanding, the south east’s housing associations remain committed to keeping their apprenticeship schemes open. Lydia Stockdale looks at what the willing will find on offer

  • Steady as he goes

    26/02/2010

    Within weeks of taking over as chief executive of Aldwyck Housing Association, Harj Singh found himself having to calm an organisation rocked by a race storm. Kicking off our special focus on the south east, Martin Hilditch talks to the man with his eyes firmly on the horizon.

  • Surprise surprise

    26/02/2010

    Short notice Audit Commission inspectors can pop up any time, anywhere. And the south east has had the lion’s share of snap visits. Neil Merrick sifts through the evidence

  • Worthy mentor

    26/02/2010

    Housing’s unsung heroes deserve to be celebrated by the sector

  • Housing Heroes shortlist unveiled

    25/02/2010

    The shortlisted entrants for awards that recognise the unsung ‘heroes’ of the housing sector have been announced.

  • SFHA head slammed for newspaper interview

    24/02/2010

    The outgoing chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations been sharply criticised for views given in a newspaper interview.

  • Social landlords escape credit crunch

    24/02/2010

    Housing associations have successfully fought their way through the credit crunch to stay in good financial health, according to a study published today.

  • Ealing pays £63,000 for unfair dismissal

    23/02/2010

    A former temporary accommodation manager at Ealing council has won an unfair dismissal claim at an employment tribunal.

  • CIH president to quit housing association

    19/02/2010

    The chief executive of a west midlands housing association will leave his post in July.

  • Eastwood leaves Three Valleys

    19/02/2010

    The chief executive and finance director of Three Valleys Housing have both left the housing association, following an investigation into allegations of staff bullying.

  • Head and shoulders above the rest

    19/02/2010

    Great leaders are powerful and controlling personalities, right? Not so, says leadership coach Philomena Hayward - understanding the people you are leading is what will ultimately make them follow

  • No strings attached

    19/02/2010

    Housing associations no longer have to mirror local authority pay rises for stock transfer staff

  • Restructure for Anchor staff

    19/02/2010

    One of the largest not for profit housing providers for older people is undergoing a major restructure to cope with a government overhaul of funding of support services.

  • CIH launches financial inclusion network

    17/02/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has launched a financial inclusion network to help housing professionals prevent their tenants falling into debt.

  • Social landlords unprepared for TSA

    15/02/2010

    Many housing organisations are unprepared for the Tenant Services Authority’s new regulatory regime, a survey has warned.

  • New human rights guidance

    12/02/2010

    The human rights watchdog will write guidance for housing associations about how to uphold the rights of their residents, following a ruling they are public bodies in some circumstances.

  • CIH gives honorary membership to tenant

    11/02/2010

    For the first time a social housing tenant is among those given honorary membership of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

  • Inspectors praise housing services

    11/02/2010

    A council and a housing association have both received positive two-star ratings from the Audit Commission this week.

  • Tenant involvement celebrated at awards

    10/02/2010

    The winners of the Tenant Participation and Advisory Service northern region awards have been announced.

  • Notting Hill ‘weak’ on gas servicing

    10/02/2010

    Notting Hill Housing Trust has been told it needs to improve its gas servicing, following an Audit Commission inspection.

  • ALMO seeks new head after £2.6m bailout

    10/02/2010

    Waltham Forest’s arm’s-length management organisation Ascham Homes is advertising for a new £120,000-a-year chief executive.

  • Inspectors criticise Hyde South East

    09/02/2010

    The Audit Commission has criticised Hyde South East following a short notice inspection looking at access and customer care and diversity.

  • Home Group plans to dissolve boards

    09/02/2010

    Housing association Home Group could dissolve a number of its boards and appoint more tenants to make decisions on strategy and performance.

  • Dos & Don'ts

    05/02/2010

    Good pay isn’t always the key to retaining staff. Making people feel they are treated properly and rewarded fairly is just as important, says Jonathan Magee

  • Inspector tears into standard of sheltered housing

    05/02/2010

    The quality of some sheltered housing is so low that ‘students would not accept it as accommodation’, the Audit Commission’s main inspector for the sector has said.

  • Social landlords ‘put lone staff at risk’

    05/02/2010

    The safety of a growing number of housing staff is being jeopardised because they are being asked to work alone with potentially dangerous tenants, the UK’s biggest union has warned.

  • Three Valleys first casualty of TSA regulation

    05/02/2010

    Social housing regulator the Tenant Services Authority has confirmed Three Valleys Housing is the first major association to be placed under supervision on its watch.

  • TSA local standards plan slapped down

    05/02/2010

    Landlords have warned the social housing regulator they are baffled by its plans for local housing standards because it has provided such vague guidance on how they would operate.

  • Unison: staff pay ‘very uneven’

    05/02/2010

    A number of major London housing associations have frozen staff pay, according to a new survey.

  • Notting Hill staff to vote on strike action

    04/02/2010

    Staff at a London housing association will vote on strike action this month following proposed changes to terms and conditions.

  • Watchdog appoints interim chief executive

    03/02/2010

    Audit Commission chief executive Steve Bundred will be replaced on an interim basis by Eugene Sullivan, when he leaves on 31 March.

  • TVH to merge after being placed in supervision

    03/02/2010

    Three Valleys Housing has been placed under supervision and agreed to merge with another association following concerns about its governance and management.

  • TCPA appoints interim head

    02/02/2010

    The Town and Country Planning Association has appointed an interim chief executive to lead the charity.

  • Deputy chief executive to leave HCA

    02/02/2010

    The deputy chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, Eamonn Boylan, is to leave at the end of March.

  • Associations named in best employer list

    02/02/2010

    Housing associations Luminus and New Charter Housing Trust Group are among the best organisations to work for in the UK, a survey has found.

  • Memorial service for top house builder

    01/02/2010

    A memorial service will be held in March to celebrate the life of Alan Cherry who died last month.

  • 130 jobs in danger at Lambeth ALMO

    29/01/2010

    A London arms-length management organisation will have to cut more than a quarter of its jobs and close two area offices if its parent council goes ahead with plans to slash its management fee by £2.3 million.

  • Three line up for Carr Gomm

    29/01/2010

    Three supported housing organisations have been shortlisted to take over troubled housing association Carr Gomm.

  • Three Valleys’ Eastwood suspended

    29/01/2010

    Three Valleys Housing chief executive Paul Eastwood has been suspended by the association’s board after allegations of staff bullying.

  • Regulator cuts 10% from its budget

    28/01/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has outlined plans to cut 10 per cent of its running costs over the next year.

  • Lincolnshire tenants receive 'fair' service

    28/01/2010

    Housing association North Lincolnshire Homes gives a ‘fair’ service to tenants, according to inspectors.

  • Housing officers given recession training

    27/01/2010

    Housing skills body Asset Skills is launching an apprenticeship designed to help housing officers cope with the challenges posed by the economic downturn.

  • Staff criticised in race case leave Aldwyck

    22/01/2010

    Two senior members of staff criticised in a ruling over the dismissal of a housing officer have left Aldwyck Housing Association.

  • Notting Hill staff consider strike action

    21/01/2010

    Staff at a London housing association are deciding whether to go on strike over proposed changes to their terms and conditions.

  • Sector rushes to help Haiti

    21/01/2010

    Social landlords across the country are organising fundraising events to support the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

  • Southwark fire risk assessors lacked adequate training

    19/01/2010

    A leaked email from a London fire chief has revealed housing officers in Southwark who conducted fire risk checks on tower blocks had not received appropriate training.

  • CIH to set up anti-social behaviour team

    19/01/2010

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has been commissioned by the Tenant Services Authority to set up a team to help tackle anti-social behaviour.

  • Regeneration body to be merged with HCA

    15/01/2010

    One of three regional regeneration bodies set up by the government is to be incorporated into a national agency, and the others also face changes.

  • Carr-Gomm merger call

    15/01/2010

    A national supported housing organisation is looking for a merger partner after posting an operating deficit of more than £2 million for two successive years.

  • Circle staff face job cuts

    15/01/2010

    Circle Anglia is considering cutting back its development and sales and marketing teams.

  • Keeping healthy

    15/01/2010

    Sickness absence is a thorny subject, but there are things you can do to stop it being exploited

  • Keeping time

    15/01/2010

    Not enough hours in the day? Anita Pati quizzes a time-management expert who works with not-for-profit sector employees

  • Landlords lauded for gay-friendly measures

    15/01/2010

    Housing organisations have improved their standing on a high-profile chart of good places to work for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees.

  • Reaching out

    13/01/2010

    Gentoo Group came out top among housing providers in the Stonewall survey of gay-friendly employers. Equality and diversity co-ordinator Pam Walton explains what the organisation does differently.

  • TSA consults on plans to address discrimination

    13/01/2010

    The social housing regulator has set out its plans for tackling discrimination in the sector.

  • Housing groups among best employers for LGB staff

    13/01/2010

    Five housing organisations have made it into the top 100 places to work for gay, lesbian and bisexual employees.

  • Inspections report mixed results

    11/01/2010

    Birmingham-based housing association Midland Heart has ‘a mixture of strengths and weaknesses’, according to inspectors.

  • Inside Housing to run marathon for Hact

    11/01/2010

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

  • Forged in a new mould

    08/01/2010

    A new era of freedom beckons for the structural set-up of social landlords

  • Helping hands

    08/01/2010

    Volunteer schemes work best when people are clear about what’s expected of them. Lydia Stockdale sets out some simple guidelines to ensure everyone is in the picture

  • In the line of fire

    08/01/2010

    Housing staff fear they will be at the sharp end of looming public sector cuts, says Inside Housing’s new columnist, a senior housing officer who wishes to remain anonymous

  • Novas in row with staff over pay cut and longer hours plan

    08/01/2010

    Novas Scarman is in a stand-off with trade union Unite after telling support staff they must take a £4,000 pay cut and work longer hours.

  • Pathfinder joins councils

    08/01/2010

    The housing market renewal pathfinder for East Lancashire has merged with seven local authorities to form a regeneration company for the region.

  • Three Valleys faces bullying allegations

    08/01/2010

    The Tenant Services Authority has been handed a survey of staff at Three Valleys Housing in which 32 employees complain of a ‘bullying management culture’ at the association

  • Tread carefully

    08/01/2010

    Small housing associations may not suit a one-size-fits-all regulation model

  • Tower block register to assess fire risk

    07/01/2010

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

  • Charities struggle to survive recession

    06/01/2010

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

  • Police investigate housing association fraud

    06/01/2010

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

  • National tenant body members announced

    06/01/2010

    The Communities and Local Government department has released the names of the 50 members of the National Tenant Council.

  • Novas Scarman boss steps down

    05/01/2010

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

  • New Year honours for housing sector

    04/01/2010

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

  • Pay Commission could investigate top housing salaries

    22/12/2009

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

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

    18/12/2009

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

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

    18/12/2009

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

  • Inspection regime overhauled

    18/12/2009

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

  • Sector pension trustees broke data law

    18/12/2009

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

  • Three Valleys chief meets TSA

    18/12/2009

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

  • Jacqui Watt to leave SFHA

    16/12/2009

    The head of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations is leaving to take a top post in Australia.

  • Association rapped for losing tenant data

    15/12/2009

    The information watchdog has taken action against a housing association that lost 57 files of data about its tenants.

  • Housing minister drawn into expenses row

    11/12/2009

    Housing minister John Healey has been drawn into the row over MPs’ expenses, after the latest documents were released.

  • Better partnerships should help elderly

    11/12/2009

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

  • Anchor takes new tack on chief’s pay

    11/12/2009

    A housing association whose former chief executive earned almost twice as much as the prime minister has said it will no longer link the pay of its head to that of private sector firms.

  • Inside Housing wins website award

    10/12/2009

    Inside Housing has picked up a prestigious industry award for its website.

  • Housing 21 chief to retire

    09/12/2009

    The chief executive of Housing 21, Melinda Phillips, has announced she is retiring.

  • Efficiency cuts target quangos and pay

    08/12/2009

    The government will abolish or cut back 123 quangos as part of a plan to save £500 million from changes to the organisations.

  • Law trainer dies following cancer battle

    07/12/2009

    Housing law trainer and consultant Margaret Biggs has died, following a year-long battle with cancer.

  • Taylor Wimpey chair to stand down

    07/12/2009

    House builder Taylor Wimpey has announced changes to its board including the resignation of the chair.

  • Ex-housing minister to meet Anchor boss

    04/12/2009

    Former housing minister Nick Raynsford is set to meet the new acting head of Anchor Trust to discuss the concerns of trust residents living in his constituency.

  • Harj Singh to lead embattled Aldwyck

    03/12/2009

    Aldwyck Housing Group has appointed Harj Singh as its new chief executive, following a turbulent month for the association.

  • Patel to retire from LHA-ASRA

    02/12/2009

    Atul Patel is to step down as group chief executive of LHA-ASRA at the end of the year.

  • GHA appoints chief executive

    01/12/2009

    The UK’s largest housing association has named its acting chief executive Martin Armstrong as its new head.

  • Bundred to quit Audit Commission

    27/11/2009

    The chief executive of public spending watchdog the Audit Commission is to stand down next year.

  • Aldwyck settles race discrimination case

    27/11/2009

    Aldwyck Housing Association has settled with a member of staff an employment tribunal ruled it had racially discriminated against.

  • TVH told to launch governance review

    27/11/2009

    Regulator acts after former board members complain about high staff turnover at Three Valleys Housing

  • Half of executives expect 2010 pay freeze

    26/11/2009

    Nearly half of executive staff in housing associations expect their pay to be frozen next year.

  • First chief construction adviser appointed

    24/11/2009

    The former deputy head of architecture quango CABE has become the chief construction adviser.

  • Flight of freedom

    20/11/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority’s new regulatory framework seems to set social housing providers free but are landlords having their wings clipped? Isabel Hardman finds out

  • Senior Home Group staff face redundancy

    19/11/2009

    Twenty-eight of Home Group’s senior management team face redundancy in restructuring plans.

  • Aldwyck halts restructure after race ruling

    19/11/2009

    Aldwyck Housing Association has temporarily halted consultation on plans to restructure its housing support services department, after an employment tribunal found it guilty of race discrimination.

  • Housing leaders back regulatory change

    16/11/2009

    Social landlords have welcomed the publication of the Tenant Services Authority’s draft standards for regulation, but argue there is still work to do.

  • HCA chief refuses £44,000 bonus

    13/11/2009

    The chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency turned down a £44,000 bonus this year.

  • Jobs zone - north east England

    13/11/2009

    The north east needs designers, developers, housing graduates and more, says Mark Flannery

  • The short goodbye

    13/11/2009

    Last week John Belcher, the highest paid housing association chief executive, left his high-profile role at Anchor Trust. Chloë Stothart investigates what prompted his sudden departure

  • North west landlords consider merger

    12/11/2009

    Two of the north west’s largest housing associations are in talks about a possible merger.

  • UK Housing Award winners unveiled

    11/11/2009

    The winners of the UK Housing Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London.

  • HCA hit with £542m charge as land values fall

    10/11/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency incurred a £542 million impairment charge last year as the value of its assets fell by £1.1 billion.

  • Union calls for curbs on executive pay

    09/11/2009

    A culture of excessive pay is seeping into the remuneration packages of charity bosses and should be curbed, England’s largest union has warned.

  • TSA opens board meetings to public

    09/11/2009

    The social housing regulator will hold its first ever open board meeting next week.

  • Court blocks L&Q's public bodies appeal

    06/11/2009

    The Supreme Court has rejected an application by London & Quadrant to appeal against a ruling that housing associations are public bodies.

  • Belcher quits Anchor Trust

    06/11/2009

    Anchor Trust’s chief executive has left the organisation.

  • Development teams hit by staff cuts

    06/11/2009

    England’s biggest housing associations cut their development staff by up to 40 per cent last year.

  • The good, the bad & the ugly

    06/11/2009

    Scoring top marks for repairs and renovations in an Audit Commission inspection can be a devil of a job. Here, chief inspector Roy Irwin reveals the best - and worst- his team has assessed

  • Disabled housing pioneer dies

    05/11/2009

    The founding chief executive of Walbrook Housing Association has died at the age of 72.

  • Aldwyck loses race tribunal

    30/10/2009

    Aldwyck Housing Association has been told its dismissal of a housing officer was unfair and an act of race discrimination, after losing an employment tribunal.

  • Kerr dismissal ‘not discrimination’

    30/10/2009

    London & Quadrant Group has been cleared of racial discrimination in an employment tribunal brought by the former chief executive of Ujima Housing Association.

  • Regeneration head sacked for racist language

    29/10/2009

    An interim director at the London Development Agency has been sacked after using a racist term.

  • Prince Philip's Patel quip 'not a gaffe', says chief executive

    27/10/2009

    The chief executive of LHA-ASRA has said that he took ‘no offence’ at a joke about his name by Prince Philip.

  • Sustainable Housing Awards 2009 winners named

    23/10/2009

    Projects at the cutting edge of sustainable housing were recognised today at the Sustainable Housing Awards.

  • Civil servant gets top job at Shelter

    16/10/2009

    Housing charity Shelter has appointed a senior civil servant to be its new chief executive.

  • You are not alone

    16/10/2009

    The Andy Ludlow Homelessness Awards celebrate creative solutions to homelessness in the capital. Anita Pati profiles this year’s winner

  • Broadway project wins Andy Ludlow awards

    15/10/2009

    A Broadway project which works with eastern European migrants was given a big round of applause as it was named the 11th winner at the Andy Ludlow homelessness awards.

  • Doncaster tenants' champion dies aged 65

    14/10/2009

    Lyn Ralph, the chair of the Doncaster Federation of Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations, has died aged 65.

  • Housing association pay rises despite recession

    13/10/2009

    Basic pay for housing association staff went up by 3.8 per cent in the year to July 2009, according to independent figures.

  • 2010 Rotherham to employ fifth chief executive in two years

    09/10/2009

    Rotherham’s arm’s-length management organisation is looking to employ a fifth chief executive in two years, after its current chief resigned after just seven months in the job.

  • Home Group execs receive £300k pay-off

    09/10/2009

    Three Home Group executives have been paid nearly £300,000 ‘compensation for loss of office’, the housing association’s accounts reveal.

  • Residents’ group in liquidation

    09/10/2009

    A group representing Rochdale tenants’ and residents’ associations is to be placed in voluntary liquidation.

  • Localism agenda would hit housing workers

    08/10/2009

    Conservative plans to hand power to local communities would heap radical change on council housing workers.

  • Scottish construction firms lose 8,500 jobs

    06/10/2009

    Scottish construction firms shed 8,500 jobs in the first eight months of this year, according to figures from the Scottish Building Federation.

  • Tip of the iceberg

    02/10/2009

    Contractors fined by the OFT are not the only companies profiteering from housing

  • Recruitment agencies fined for price fixing in construction

    01/10/2009

    The Office of Fair Trading has fined six recruitment agencies a total of £39.27 million for boycotting another company supplying candidates for the construction industry.

  • Rural housing champion dies

    30/09/2009

    The chief executive of the Rural Housing Trust who campaigned tirelessly for the housing needs of people in villages has died aged 65.

  • Housing 21 close to completing takeover

    29/09/2009

    A housing association has cleared the final hurdle in its bid to take over a care company.

  • A place in the sun

    25/09/2009

    Bumper bonuses and pay packets pushing £400,000 suggest that when it comes to their wage slips, many housing association chief executives are oblivious to recession’s chill. Philippa Ward reveals the results of Inside Housing’s exclusive chief executive salary survey.

  • Are they worth it?

    25/09/2009

    With the honeyed tones of Beyoncé, Eva and friends constantly chirruping that we’re ‘worth it’, it’s easy to take their catchphrase as read. But when it comes to the six-figure pay packets of housing association chiefs, we thought it would be ‘worth’ putting the question again - to their tenants. Here’s what they had to say

  • Chief executive pay rockets 32 per cent since 2005

    25/09/2009

    Housing association chief executives’ pay has soared by 32 per cent over the last five years, while remuneration for frontline staff has increased just 11 per cent.

  • Especially for you

    25/09/2009

    With cuts in government grant all but inevitable, housing associations need to overhaul their marketing strategies to increase shared ownership sales. Creating the right package for your target market is key, says David Taylor

  • Golden goodbyes for departing English Partnerships bosses

    25/09/2009

    Bosses that presided over the nose-diving finances of cash-strapped quango English Partnerships walked away with hefty redundancy payments when the agency closed its doors.

  • Tories threaten crack down on chief executive pay

    24/09/2009

    The shadow housing minister has suggested housing association chief executives could face pay cuts if his party wins the next election.

  • Former housing minister to chair ALMO

    22/09/2009

    Lambeth Living has appointed a former Labour housing minister as its chair.

  • Rogers quits as mayor's design adviser

    21/09/2009

    Leading architect Richard Rogers will step down from his role as design adviser to London’s mayor.

  • Anchor salaries rise despite £35m loss

    21/09/2009

    Older people’s housing specialist Anchor Trust made a £35 million loss as the salaries of its top executives soared.

  • Southwark 'reverses' policy to appoint housing boss

    21/09/2009

    Southwark council is advertising for a £90,000 head of housing, two years after it merged the department.

  • Yvonne Hossack wins disciplinary hearing

    18/09/2009

    Solicitor Yvonne Hossack is free to continue her work campaigning against the removal of wardens from sheltered housing after winning a disciplinary tribunal.

  • Belcher salary hits £391,000

    18/09/2009

    Anchor Trust boss John Belcher drew heavy fire this week after it emerged his pay rocketed to £391,000 last year in the depths of recession.

  • Over to you...

    18/09/2009

    Richard Kitson’s imminent retirement will leave a hole in the sector. Bjorn Howard, his successor as Aster Group boss, has quite some shoes to fill. Anita Pati talked to them both.

  • Tailor made

    18/09/2009

    Get customer services right and you’ll create a more efficient business too

  • Brown: spending cuts will not damage services

    15/09/2009

    The prime minister has told the Trades Union Congress there will be cuts to public spending but not to ‘vital front line services’.

  • Cost versus reward

    11/09/2009

    Housing associations need to offer attractive pensions to attract recruits - but how can they afford them?

  • CIH calls for clarity on regulatory standards

    10/09/2009

    The social housing watchdog needs to spell out more clearly what its plans for regulation will mean in practice, the Chartered Institute of Housing has claimed.

  • Metropolitan hit by cheque fraud

    10/09/2009

    Metropolitan Housing Trust was the victim of fraud last year, it has emerged.

  • Hammersmith ALMO regains two star rating

    10/09/2009

    An arm’s-length management association that was given one star and rated ‘disappointing’ by the Audit Commission in 2007 has regained its two-star rating.

  • Capita under fire for benefit claim delays

    09/09/2009

    A council has criticised the private contractor handling its housing benefit claims for taking weeks to process applications.

  • Habinteg chair Baroness Chapman dies

    08/09/2009

    A high profile disability campaigner and housing association chair has died.

  • Computer virus costs Ealing £500,000

    04/09/2009

    A computer virus from an infected memory stick cost a council and its arm’s-length management organisation more than half a million pounds.

  • An inspector’s step by step guide

    04/09/2009

    Comprehensive area assessment is a new way of assessing local public services. Audit Commission inspector Roy Irwin gives the lowdown

  • Bouncing back

    04/09/2009

    Nadine Tunasi has survived civil war, years as an asylum seeker, and studying for a law degree on just £10 a week. But she can’t get a job. Will a new housing project offer her the future she dreams of? Caroline Thorpe finds out.

  • Money well spent

    04/09/2009

    Dipping your toe in the stock market at any time is a risky business, but social landlord Housing 21 clearly thinks it has found a gem in care services group Claimar Care.

  • Standing out

    04/09/2009

    How far are you perpared to go to be considered successful? Is it OK, even inevitable, to step on a few toes on yor way up?

  • The female touch

    04/09/2009

    Tackling the gender gap at the top of organisations makes good business sense, says Barbara Thorndick

  • Poor builders face tougher inspections

    03/09/2009

    The government has set out plans to make sure builders understand how to make new housing safe and sustainable.

  • Officer escapes disciplinary action for racist language

    03/09/2009

    An arm’s-length management organisation has refused to take disciplinary action against a housing officer who offended a tenant with her racist language.

  • Rent rise ALMO pays thousands to consultants

    03/09/2009

    Lambeth Living is under fire for paying consultants thousands of pounds each week as tenants face record rent rises.

  • Social housing is a top priority for councillors

    02/09/2009

    Social housing is one of the top three priorities for councillors, and one of the services in most demand as a result of the recession.

  • Housing 21 agrees terms for home care company

    01/09/2009

    Housing 21 is poised to become the first housing association to take over a public company, in a move that will open new hunting grounds for ambitious social landlords.

  • Welsh set up social enterprise group

    01/09/2009

    The Welsh Assembly Government has created a new advisory group on social enterprise.

  • Fears over new pension plan

    28/08/2009

    Housing associations face a severe blow to their finances because of proposals to under-fund the local government pension scheme in a bid to prevent sharp council tax hikes.

  • Making the most of potential

    28/08/2009

    Our organisations thrive on good talent - yet we have such an uninspiring approach to nurturing it

  • The great pension debate

    28/08/2009

    Public sector workers will forever face jibes from their private sector counterparts of being undeserving of taxpayers’ hard-earned cash. Generous public sector pensions are frequently part of this argument.

  • Housing officer in Facebook 'Scouse' slur

    25/08/2009

    A housing officer is facing disciplinary action after launching a tirade of abuse about a neighbour on social networking website Facebook.

  • ‘We were forced out’ claims departing GHA vice chair

    21/08/2009

    The vice chair of Glasgow Housing Association has attacked the city council, the Scottish Government and the housing watchdog after resigning together with GHA’s chief executive.

  • Quarrelling tenants’ group under review

    21/08/2009

    An arm’s-length management organisation has suspended its recognition of an umbrella group representing Rochdale’s tenants’ and residents’ association, following a governance row.

  • Tenants asked to lock dogs away

    21/08/2009

    A housing association has asked tenants to lock dogs away when housing officers visit after a member of its staff was attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

  • Two recruited to bad behaviour hit squad

    21/08/2009

    Two close allies of the government’s crime tsar Louise Casey have been appointed to help run a long-delayed anti-social behaviour ‘hit’ squad.

  • GHA chief executive to step down

    17/08/2009

    The chief executive of Glasgow Housing Association is to step down from her post just over two years after she took up the job.

  • Redundancy hits 900 construction trainees

    17/08/2009

    More than 900 construction trainees and apprentices will have been made redundant over the past year by the end of August, according to figures.

  • Elbows at the ready

    07/08/2009

    The scramble for jobs with social landlords is going to be fiercer than ever this year, so good qualifications will be essential. But is a housing-related degree really what employers are looking for? Simon Brandon asks them.

  • Magazine goes eco

    07/08/2009

    Inside Housing has this week gone green by switching to a 100 per cent recycled paper.

  • My brilliant career

    07/08/2009

    Want a successful career in housing? Then who better to ask for advice than those who have already made it to the top? Caroline Thorpe flicked through the yearbooks of the sector’s leading players

  • The class of 2008

    07/08/2009

    Entering the jobs market at the outset of a recession is a daunting prospect and one which scores of housing graduates faced after gaining their qualifications last year.

  • Top achievers in housing awards

    06/08/2009

    The shortlist for the UK Housing Awards has been announced.

  • Reality TV follows housing officers

    05/08/2009

    The working lives of housing officers in the north west are the subject of a new BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary.

  • Inside Housing hit by postal strikes

    05/08/2009

    The ongoing postal strikes may mean that your latest copy of Inside Housing is delayed.

  • GHA leader on stock transfer quits

    04/08/2009

    The director behind the transfer of stock from Glasgow Housing Association to community-based organisations has resigned.

  • Government issues stock transfer guide

    29/07/2009

    The government has published a rulebook to help councils comply with stock transfer laws.

  • Home sacks three after ‘vile’ emails discovered

    24/07/2009

    Home Group has sacked three members of its staff after allegations that ‘vile’ pornographic images were sent on its email system.

  • Housing chief suspended

    24/07/2009

    North Lincolnshire Homes has suspended its chief executive after a formal complaint from an employee.

  • Landlords prepare for swine flu emergency

    24/07/2009

    Housing associations have drawn up emergency plans to cope with losing up to 30 per cent of their staff as a result of swine flu.

  • Ready for your close-up

    24/07/2009

    Focus on these four areas and short notice inspections will be a breeze, says Andrew Greenhill

  • Luminus issues news alert on Chan fall

    21/07/2009

    Luminus has issued a special edition of its newsletter – complete with pictures – to update readers on an injury sustained by its chief executive.

  • CLG rapped for finance skills gap

    20/07/2009

    The Communities and Local Government department does not have enough finance professionals to manage a budget of its size, the National Audit Office has found.

  • Poor communication damages work with BME tenants

    20/07/2009

    Landlords do not have enough knowledge about the diverse communities they serve, according to the largest ever consultation with social housing tenants in England.

  • Social landlords escape cost of regulation

    20/07/2009

    The social housing watchdog will delay charging landlords for regulation until 2011/12 at the earliest, the housing minister has said.

  • Rural champion to lead NHF

    17/07/2009

    Rural housing champion and Liberal Democrat MP Matthew Taylor is to be the next chair of the National Housing Federation.

  • Cause to celebrate

    17/07/2009

    At a time when serious questions are being asked about social housing design in the aftermath of the Camberwell tower block fire, it is heartening to see exemplar projects being celebrated.

  • Dark days

    17/07/2009

    Caroline Thorpe reports on the housing staff being trained to spot the signs of human trafficking as they join the fight against the crime

  • Ealing tightens grip on ALMO

    17/07/2009

    Ealing Council has rewritten the rulebook to gain more control over the performance of its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Hey, good looking

    17/07/2009

    Hot on the heels of Gordon Brown’s cash boost for council housing comes proof that cutting-edge design and social housing can go hand in hand. A local authority-led development has scooped top prize at this year’s prestigious Housing Design Awards, while four other awards go to housing associations. Martin Spring presents the winners

  • Building goals drive local disputes

    16/07/2009

    Disagreements over housing proved to be one of the main problems councils faced in deciding on economic indicators for their Local Area Agreements, a new study reveals.

  • Sustainable Housing Awards finalists unveiled

    16/07/2009

    The shortlisted entries for the 2009 Sustainable Housing Awards have been published.

  • Watchdog rules out further action against Novas

    15/07/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority has found there was a ‘collective failure of management’ at troubled housing association Novas Scarman, which drove it into a financial crisis.

  • Luminus chief hurt in fall from stage

    14/07/2009

    Controversial housing association boss Chan Abraham has been injured after falling off a stage during a presentation.

  • Social housing one of most 'recession proof' careers

    14/07/2009

    Social housing is one of the top ten recession-proof sectors to work in, according to a study.

  • Magazine commended

    10/07/2009

    Inside Housing has been highly commended at a prestigious journalism awards ceremony.

  • The long view

    10/07/2009

    As interim chief executive of Shelter, Sam Younger is holding the fort, rather than planning the future. But as his interest in the issues at hand grows, so might his interest in the permanent role. Emily Twinch reports.

  • Tories consider quango merger

    10/07/2009

    The Conservative Party could look at merging the Homes and Communities Agency with the Tenant Services Authority, as part of its pledge to reduce the number and influence of UK quangos if it wins the next general election.

  • Grant cut raises fears for empty homes work

    08/07/2009

    Major budget cuts and job losses at the Empty Homes Agency have jeopardised councils’ efforts to tackle vacant properties.

  • Partnership to support homeless drug users

    07/07/2009

    London homelessness agency Thames Reach has teamed up with a drug addiction group to improve services for vulnerable people in the capital.

  • Pulled in two directions

    03/07/2009

    Robert Latham examines how a legal battle has thrown the status of social landlords into disarray

  • Andy Ludlow list revealed

    03/07/2009

    A collection of oral histories on homelessness and a charity that helps homeless people reconnect with their countries of origin are among the six projects shortlisted for this year’s Andy Ludlow awards.

  • Pensions Trust faces grilling over stolen laptop security lapse

    03/07/2009

    The Information Commissioner has launched an investigation into the theft of a laptop containing the details of 57,000 members of social housing pension schemes.

  • Sovereign and Wessex join but avoid usual merger charges

    02/07/2009

    Sovereign Housing Group this week joined with Wessex Housing Partnership to form a new 30,000-home housing association.

  • Architecture body appoints new chief executive

    02/07/2009

    Harry Rich is to replace Richard Hastilow as chief executive of the Royal Institute of British Architects from October.

  • National housing week celebrates best practice

    30/06/2009

    Housing minister John Healey was among the guests at the launch of National Housing Week yesterday.

  • Guiding lights

    30/06/2009

    The work of councils who achieved beacon status for ‘homes of the future’ is being highlighted as part of National Housing Week. Camille Ward finds out more

  • HCA fills remaining senior roles

    29/06/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has appointed three heads of department to complete its immediate recruitment to senior corporate posts.

  • Watchdog finds GHA lacks direction

    29/06/2009

    A damning report by the Scottish Housing Regulator has fuelled hopes that Glasgow Housing Association may soon be forced to pass stock to smaller associations.

  • Pidgley steps down as Berkeley boss

    26/06/2009

    The influential managing director and co-founder of house builder Berkeley, Tony Pidgley, has announced he is standing down.

  • Poor gas servicing putting tenants at risk

    26/06/2009

    Social landlords are failing their tenants by not protecting them from potentially dangerous gas systems.

  • Local authority chiefs appointed to lead CLG directorates

    23/06/2009

    Two local authority executives from South Tyneside and London have been appointed to lead directorates in the Communities and Local Government department.

  • Housing professionals feature in honours list

    22/06/2009

    Housing professionals were among the people named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List last week.

  • Fallen on hard times

    19/06/2009

    It began with lofty ideals to boost social enterprise, but last week Novas Scarman Group was told by the social housing regulator to hand over its assets. Clara Story reports on a turbulent 18 months for the under-fire provider

  • Notting Hill takes over Presentation

    19/06/2009

    Notting Hill Housing Association has consolidated a major move into black and minority ethnic housing by completing its takeover of troubled housing association Presentation.

  • Olympics accountant to join HCA

    19/06/2009

    An executive who took responsibility for the Olympic Village at developer Lend Lease has been appointed head of private finance at the Homes and Communities Agency.

  • Expert panel to seek private investment

    18/06/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has announced a panel of experts that will search for new sources of private investment.

  • Regulatory change will up pressure on boards

    17/06/2009

    Housing association boards must have greater expertise to hold executives to account in new self-regulatory system, the chair of the Tenant Services Authority has warned.

  • Tories would force HCA to prove its worth

    17/06/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has been warned it would be scrapped under a Conservative Government it if could not prove its worth.

  • Union pushes for council-led building

    17/06/2009

    Representatives from super-union Unite are planning meetings with the newly-appointed housing ministers to press for renewed action on reviving council house building.

  • Council loses £1m case against former CIH boss

    15/06/2009

    A former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has been vindicated after a successive employer failed in its attempt to sue her for allegedly hiding her mental illness on her application form.

  • Duties confirmed for new CLG ministers

    15/06/2009

    The responsibilities of the ministers at the new look Communities and Local Government department have been finalised following the reshuffle.

  • Housing bodies stretched as demand for services soars

    12/06/2009

    Housing bodies are struggling to meet demand for debt advice and social housing as calls on their services rise, a Chartered Institute of Housing survey has found.

  • Breach of trust

    12/06/2009

    Already one person is worried their bank account has been compromised as a result of the theft of a Pensions Trust laptop containing the unencrypted personal details of 57,000 members. More are at risk. Martin Hilditch reports

  • Capita ordered to sell benefits business

    12/06/2009

    Outsourcing giant Capita has been ordered to sell off part of IBS Open-Systems, a former competitor in markets for social housing and benefits software.

  • Controversy as regulator plans tenure overhaul

    12/06/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority has thrown off its shackles and waded into controversial debates about security of tenure and housing association rent levels.

  • Expert opinion

    12/06/2009

    Traditional approaches to customer care are past their sell-by date

  • Out of Africa

    12/06/2009

    Ask your staff if they want to work with children near a rubbish dump and they might run a mile. But, as Simon Brandon reports, that’s just what Great Places has been inviting its employees to do in east Africa - and they can’t get enough of it

  • Right to a lawyer

    12/06/2009

    Employees accused of misconduct around children could be allowed a lawyer during internal disciplinary hearings, writes James Lynas

  • The bunking off guide to Harrogate

    12/06/2009

    Tough work, being at a conference. So what’s Harrogate got to offer the hardworking punter in need of a little time out? Alison Taylor finds out.

  • 'The TSA's tone is too confrontational'

    12/06/2009

    At least, that’s what one housing boss thinks of the new regulator so far. Is his sentiment echoed by housing chiefs at other associations, ALMOs and councils? Simon Brandon asked them and reveals the exclusive results

  • Thinking big

    12/06/2009

    A 100,000-home social landlord? Not in my lifetime

  • Wave reviews

    12/06/2009

    For the staff at Luminus, Sunday is the best day of the week because the next day they go back to work. Simon Brandon suspends his disbelief to ask chief executive Chan Abraham what his secret is.

  • Ways of the world

    12/06/2009

    From Sweden to the Netherlands, via New Zealand, what do tenants want globally? And how does regulation in other countries ensure they get it? John Perry reports

  • Union demands code of practice for association staff

    11/06/2009

    Unison has called on the social housing regulator to introduce a code of practice for staff working in housing associations.

  • Quick guide: John Healey

    09/06/2009

    He may not be a household name, but he is housing minister. Get the lowdown on the man in charge of the housing crisis

  • TSA unveils plans for social landlord regulation

    09/06/2009

    The government’s recently formed social housing regulator, the Tenant Services Authority, has set out how it intends to operate.

  • Paid boards perform well in survey

    09/06/2009

    Housing organisations which pay board members rated the performance of the board about 40 per cent higher than those that do not pay, according to a report.

  • Wright follows Beckett as CLG shake up continues

    09/06/2009

    Junior housing minister Iain Wright has followed ex-housing minister Margaret Beckett out of the Communities and Local Government department in a major shake-up.

  • Courage under fire

    05/06/2009

    Rafael Runco, deputy housing ombudsman, and Rod Webb, knowledge manager at Housemark, offer their top five tips for handling complaints and tenant dissatisfaction

  • Different strokes

    05/06/2009

    A one-size-fi ts-all approach to judging housing associations won’t work

  • Novas executives made redundant

    05/06/2009

    The chief executive and a director of Novas Scarman have taken voluntary redundancy before the conclusion of an inquiry into the housing association’s financial management.

  • Revealed: results of TSA tour

    05/06/2009

    Tenant Services Authority poised to hand landlords more responsibility as national conversation findings are unveiled

  • Private landlord register to cost £40m a year

    04/06/2009

    A web based national register of all private landlords would cost £40 million a year to maintain, according to a government report.

  • Regulation of letting and management agents to cost £1.2m

    04/06/2009

    Plans to regulate letting and management agents will cost £1.2 million a year, the government has revealed.

  • Union says tenants should be told of asbestos risk

    04/06/2009

    Social landlords should inform tenants if asbestos is present in their homes and maintain an asbestos register on all properties, a union has claimed.

  • Communities secretary Blears quits cabinet

    03/06/2009

    The minister in charge of the Communities and Local Government department has announced she is resigning from the cabinet.

  • Age-old problem

    29/05/2009

    Patricia Critchley welcomes a simpler approach to pension law

  • By the book

    29/05/2009

    Bill Bullivant reveals the 10 commandments of public procurement

  • Directors leave Genesis

    29/05/2009

    Three directors on the board of Genesis Housing Group resigned earlier this month.

  • Expert opinion

    29/05/2009

    The differences between the sexes illustrate a modern parable for the workplace

  • Ring the changes

    29/05/2009

    You might have noticed a few changes to your copy of Inside Housing this week - hopefully for the better.

  • Stolen laptop puts 57,000 staff at risk

    29/05/2009

    Tens of thousands of members of social housing pension schemes are at risk of identity theft after a laptop containing their unencrypted bank account details was stolen.

  • TSA prepares new criteria

    29/05/2009

    Social landlords are set to be judged on six main areas, including tenant involvement and viability, under plans due to be published by the housing regulator next month

  • Union questions rise in agency staff

    29/05/2009

    England’s largest union is to investigate the extent to which supported housing providers are turning to agency staff in a bid to reduce their liabilities.

  • Olympic legacy body appoints chief executive

    28/05/2009

    A man who oversaw a series of major regeneration programmes in Philadelphia and Washington DC has been drafted in to oversee the creation of the Olympic housing legacy.

  • Walker joins boards of Gentoo and Esh

    27/05/2009

    Former English Partnerships chief executive John Walker has joined the boards of housing association Gentoo, and construction firm Esh Group.

  • Eleven heads are better than one

    22/05/2009

    Norfolk was facing a severe homelessness problem, until the area’s social landlords put their heads together to ease the pain. Anita Pati finds out more

  • The value of voluntary workers

    22/05/2009

    Two months ago homelessness charities were battening down the hatches in preparation for what Jenny Edwards at Homeless Link called ‘the perfect storm’ - plummeting donations at a time of soaring need.

  • CIH suffers £1.4m hit due to stock market turmoil

    21/05/2009

    The difficult economic climate made the Chartered Institute of Housing £1.4 million worse off in December last year than in 2007, the organisation’s annual report reveals.

  • Fed begins search for a new chair

    18/05/2009

    The National Housing Federation has begun its search for a chair to replace John Cross, who stands down after three years in September.

  • Regulation fees delayed by a year

    15/05/2009

    Regulation charges for social landlords could be delayed by a year, after it emerged there were difficulties in working out the different rates that housing associations and councils should pay.

  • Private landlords face compulsory licensing

    14/05/2009

    Rogue private landlords could clock up points for poor performance and eventually lose their licence to house people.

  • Tips for job seekers

    13/05/2009

    As unemployment hits 2.2 million, Matt Lewis, business director at Hays Social Housing, offers his advice for those seeking work

  • Galliford Try to review four-day week

    12/05/2009

    Galliford Try has said it will review the four-day week that is operating across its house building division in early summer.

  • Expenses revealed for Blears and Beckett

    08/05/2009

    Details of expenses claims made by communities secretary Hazel Blears and housing minister Margaret Beckett have been revealed.

  • CLG proposal to back mandatory licensing

    08/05/2009

    Private landlords will need to obtain a license before they can let out homes, under new proposals due to be published this week.

  • Disciplinary action

    08/05/2009

    The new ACAS code of practice is the best defence in disciplinary situations

  • Green guru: cutting the cost of driving

    08/05/2009

    Solihull Community Housing has revamped its commercial vehicles with the aim of cutting carbon emissions and fuel costs. Operations manager Malcolm Castanheira offers his top tips on driving a greener fleet

  • Landlord embarks on Uganda scheme

    08/05/2009

    A Chester-based housing association is planning to send its staff to Uganda to help build a primary school.

  • Learning curve

    08/05/2009

    Twelve months after a dismal progress report, the HCA Academy insists it can be head of the class. Simon Brandon reports

  • Sick and tired

    08/05/2009

    Employers could be out of pocket where employees on long-term sick leave are concerned, writes Stuart Jones

  • Appointments increase expertise of TSA board

    06/05/2009

    An expert in diversity and a specialist in private sector lending markets have joined the board of the Tenant Services Authority.

  • North Tyneside to transfer 500 staff in repairs deal

    01/05/2009

    North Tyneside Council has announced it will transfer 500 employees from its repairs and maintenance service to a new joint venture company, in a bid to bring its service up to scratch.

  • Welsh government consults on social landlord regulation

    01/05/2009

    The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a consultation on its shake-up of housing association regulation.

  • Union fears for safety of staff working alone

    01/05/2009

    Frontline housing staff are increasingly being placed in danger because they are being sent out to deal with vulnerable tenants on their own in order to save money.

  • Voluntary support 'must be protected'

    01/05/2009

    Non-profit organisations delivering services such as housing support should be given five to ten-year contracts to protect jobs, according to a new ‘recession charter’ launched by union Unite.

  • Fed chief warns TSA to keep out of pay talks

    30/04/2009

    The Tenants Services Authority should refrain from making public statements about housing association salary levels, the chief executive of the National Housing Federation has demanded.

  • Chief exec forced out of BME association

    30/04/2009

    A 1,100 home black and minority ethnic housing association has parted company with its high-profile chief executive after a falling out with the board.

  • Associations to set criteria for their own inspections

    30/04/2009

    Landlords will be able to choose their own inspection standards under plans being developed by the Tenant Services Authority.

  • Experts chosen for HCA design panel

    28/04/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has appointed a team of six industry experts to advise it on the design quality and sustainability of its developments.

  • Contractors cut prices as work dries up

    28/04/2009

    Contractors are slashing their prices to compete for scarce work, new data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows.

  • Housing manager's fund makes cancer donation

    24/04/2009

    A housing association has continued a campaign for equal treatment of cancer patients following the death of its assistant area manager.

  • Landlords to form alliance

    24/04/2009

    Housing associations working in rural areas are planning to form an alliance to share best practice and lobby the government on rural housing issues.

  • Pension scheme deficit hits £663m

    24/04/2009

    Contributions to rise as sector scheme value drops £233 million

  • One star for Lambeth-based association

    23/04/2009

    The Audit Commission has rated Clapham Park Homes as a one-star service with uncertain prospects for improvement in its latest inspection.

  • Pension costs to rise as crunch hits fund value

    20/04/2009

    The Social Housing Pension Scheme has warned members to expect another rise in contributions after a £233 million drop in value in a year.

  • Migration fund can be used for housing recruitment

    16/04/2009

    Councils should look at funding additional housing officers using a new fund set up to deal with the impact of migration, according to a junior housing minister.

  • Recession harming a quarter of housing bodies

    15/04/2009

    The number of housing organisations being hit by the recession has increased 30 per cent since October, with one in four now suffering.

  • ‘HR is the glue that binds us together’

    10/04/2009

    It’s during tough times that HR teams really prove their worth, finds Dominic Woods

  • “How the message is delivered and how people feel they have been treated is paramount.”

    10/04/2009

    Anne Elliott, managing director of consultancy EMA, has some essential advice on how to approach with the difficult task of making staff redundant

  • £50m efficiency savings at Home

    10/04/2009

    Mega-landlord Home Group has lost three of its seven top executives in a major senior management team reshuffle.

  • Don’t be an ostrich

    10/04/2009

    Sticking your head in the sand isn’t going to make the possibility of redundancy go away. A better idea is to make yourself as indispensable as possible at work. Greg Campbell and Clare Roberts explain how

  • Effective remedies

    10/04/2009

    Staff absence is a major headache, but employers can help to ease the pain

  • Feeling the effects

    10/04/2009

    Pay rises of less than 1 per cent, insecure staff and employers wary of recruiting: our exclusive annual salary survey reveals the impact of a recession in full swing. Philippa Ward describes the full results here.

  • In future

    10/04/2009

    Futures Housing Group has appointed Tony Taylor and Hari Punchihewa to its board.

  • It’s not all bad news

    10/04/2009

    In the first of three pages packed with advice for employers, Rebecca McGuirk, a partner at Shoosmiths, looks at ways to avoid job losses

  • Jobs lost and found

    10/04/2009

    One has been retrained, two were saved by a housing association, and another has taken the opportunity to start her own company. But they all have one thing in common: redundancy. Here, four housing workers tell their stories. Interviews by Keith Cooper.

  • New partnership

    10/04/2009

    Mace and Jones has appointed Sheila Whitton as a social housing partner to its real estate department.

  • Salary squeeze hits housing association pay

    10/04/2009

    Housing association salary increases have dived by almost three-quarters this year.

  • Ten ways to get diversity right

    10/04/2009

    Reckon you’ve got a three-star rating in the bag? If your diversity record - showing that your services value people’s differences - isn’t up to scratch then think again. Audit Commission chief housing inspector Roy Irwin reveals.

  • Council plumber scoops £22,000 bonus

    07/04/2009

    Councils have paid at least £60m in bonuses to staff including chief executives, carpenters and binmen.

  • Protect your position

    03/04/2009

    Your contractor is at risk of insolvency. As a housing association, how can you protect yourself?

  • Senior council staff may disclose pay in accountability drive

    03/04/2009

    Directors of housing at councils could have their full salary details published, as part of a major bid to make local authorities more accountable to the public.

  • Union: police warning system is not working

    03/04/2009

    The system under which the police provide details to landlords about potentially dangerous tenants is not working properly, one of the country’s largest trade unions has warned.

  • Rate of construction decline slows

    02/04/2009

    The construction sector continues to be battered by the recession although the rate of decline is slowing, according to the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

  • HCA shifts staff to frontline roles

    02/04/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has revealed plans to move 100 staff out of corporate roles and into frontline posts on its regional delivery teams.

  • Providers go it alone in drive for more elderly support

    31/03/2009

    Two of the biggest providers of housing to older people are to leave the National Housing Federation to lobby the government directly.

  • New chair and chief executive for Shelter

    27/03/2009

    Housing charity Shelter has appointed an interim chief executive and chair, following the announcement of the departure of Adam Sampson.

  • Judges unveil Housing Heroes shortlist

    27/03/2009

    The judges of awards set up to recognise the unsung achievements of housing professionals have shortlisted more than 80 organisations and individuals.

  • Attacks on housing workers go unreported

    27/03/2009

    The number of attacks on housing workers is likely to be greater than the one a day that is recorded.

  • Health checks

    27/03/2009

    Employees on long-term sick leave are entitled to holiday pay, explains Stuart Jones of Weightmans

  • Fed accuses TSA of interfering in housing association pay

    26/03/2009

    The National Housing Federation has accused the social housing regulator of ‘inappropriate interference’ after it called for housing associations to exercise pay restraint.

  • RICS cuts jobs as market slumps

    24/03/2009

    The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has announced it will cut 18 jobs and freeze pay for all remaining staff.

  • Redrow founder back in charge of firm

    23/03/2009

    The founder of house builder Redrow has taken charge of the firm nine years after leaving the business.

  • Cuts damage support for vulnerable

    23/03/2009

    Housing support for vulnerable people is being put a risk in Scotland as charities are forced to drive down their prices, a union has claimed.

  • Landlord bids to save Stranraer FC

    20/03/2009

    A Scottish housing association is in talks to buy into a professional football team that plays in the Scottish second division.

  • Housing charities hit by downturn

    18/03/2009

    Housing charities are among those suffering from the economic downturn, a Charity Commission survey has found.

  • Staff suspended in Nottingham scandal

    17/03/2009

    Housing staff in Nottingham have been suspended following a damning Audit Commission report.

  • Association staff back strike action

    17/03/2009

    Staff at an east London housing association have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action over the sacking of a colleague.

  • Sacked housing boss loses appeal

    17/03/2009

    A housing chief sacked for moving into decommissioned sheltered housing has failed in a legal bid to get her job back.

  • A new shape

    13/03/2009

    Moulding your company structure is a viable strategy, even in a downturn. Here are 14 steps to consider

  • Charities brace for income plunge

    13/03/2009

    Homelessness charities are implementing recruitment and wage freezes and laying off staff as they prepare for steep falls in income due to the recession.

  • Dash for cover

    13/03/2009

    Landlords beware - cheap insurance rates are unlikely to benefit anyone in the long term, writes Tom Shewry

  • It all adds up

    13/03/2009

    Housing associations need to overhaul their accounting systems or face errors and complications, writes Karen Connelly

  • One in five cut staff

    13/03/2009

    Report finds housing associations could save £200m by reducing back office staff

  • Social landlords in top employers list

    09/03/2009

    Nine housing groups have made it into the Sunday Times’ list of the top 100 companies to work for in the UK.

  • Authorities named as beacons for homes

    09/03/2009

    Four councils have been made ‘beacons’ for their housing delivery in the latest round of awards.

  • House builders used covert employee database

    06/03/2009

    House builders are among the construction firms accused of subscribing to a covert index holding personal information about workers in the sector.

  • Aspirational work

    06/03/2009

    Diana Wilson has joined Aspire Housing as an extra-care scheme manager.

  • Jobs go as NHBC closes three offices

    06/03/2009

    The National House Building Council has made 70 job cuts and closed three regional offices. 

  • Leaving arrangements

    06/03/2009

    Agency workers’ contracts must be ended with care, writes Rebecca McGuirk

  • Shelter staff go as donations dry up

    06/03/2009

    Homelessness charity Shelter may be forced to cut up to 20 of its 850 staff, after a fall in donations. 

  • Shelter families project forced to close

    05/03/2009

    An innovative homelessness project in Scotland’s capital is being forced to close after the council pulled its funding.

  • Performance ratings show housing gains

    05/03/2009

    Councils have upped their game on housing, with more than nine in 10 of them performing above the minimum requirements.

  • Minister backs sacked housing officer

    04/03/2009

    A government minister has added his voice to a campaign calling for a sacked housing officer to be reinstated.

  • Sampson to lead legal quango

    04/03/2009

    The chief executive of housing charity Shelter will join the Office for Legal Complaints as its first chief ombudsman.

  • Loss making Accent concerns regulator

    03/03/2009

    The financial viability of the Accent Group is ‘of concern’ after the association made a loss of nearly £10 million last year, the social housing regulator has said.

  • Sampson leaves Shelter for mystery job

    02/03/2009

    Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson is leaving the housing charity at the end of May.

  • New chief for tenants’ body

    02/03/2009

    The Tenant Participation Advisory Service has appointed Michelle Reid as its new chief executive.

  • Unhappy Island Homes staff call for strike

    27/02/2009

    Staff at a troubled London housing association are balloting for strike action after the landlord dismissed a Unison steward.

  • Zero-star rating for Mid Devon council

    26/02/2009

    Mid Devon District Council’s housing service has been rated ‘poor’ with ‘uncertain prospects for improvement’ in its latest Audit Commission report.

  • Association told to represent tenants

    25/02/2009

    Embattled housing association Island Homes has come under further pressure to ensure it properly represents the views of its tenants.

  • Sacking prompts strike threat

    23/02/2009

    Staff at a housing association are threatening to walk out after one of their colleagues was dismissed earlier this month.

  • Captain fantastic

    20/02/2009

    Economic storms make strong leadership essential. James Tickell and Radojka Miljevic offer ten tips on how to keep your ship on course in choppy seas

  • Move to create new BME group

    20/02/2009

    The National Housing Federation has met black and minority ethnic housing leaders in a bid to create a new national powerhouse for the BME sector.

  • Economic slump ends pay rise hopes

    19/02/2009

    Housing association employees’ pay rise expectations have dropped by 30 per cent since September.

  • New chief executive for troubled ALMO

    19/02/2009

    A Yorkshire arm’s-length management organisation has appointed a new chief executive, six months after its previous boss resigned over allegations of poor practice.

  • Circle Anglia cuts executive team

    18/02/2009

    Housing association Circle Anglia has announced it will downsize its executive board from 12 to six members to create a more ‘streamlined’ top team.

  • Council leader slates ALMO spending

    18/02/2009

    The leader of Sheffield Council has criticised the authority’s arm’s-length management organisation for spending up to £17,000 recruiting a new chairman.

  • Warden cut plans anger housing association

    17/02/2009

    A sheltered housing provider in the London borough of Barnet has slammed the council for proposing to axe warden services.

  • CLG officials given free Prom and opera tickets

    13/02/2009

    The civil servant in charge of housing was treated to the opera and the Chelsea Flower Show by private companies, it has emerged.

  • Action stations

    13/02/2009

    Tenants will have a much bigger say in social housing policy in future after housing minister Margaret Beckett agreed all of the proposals from the National Tenant Voice project group in its report published this week.

  • Giant steps

    13/02/2009

    In volunteering for a rigorous test of their eco-credentials, four housing associations towered above the rest. Philippa Ward reports

  • Survival of the fittest

    13/02/2009

    It is perhaps just as well that contractors are likely to cut their tender prices by up to 10 per cent over the next two years, according to the latest figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

  • Scottish reshuffle boosts housing role

    12/02/2009

    Scotland’s communities minister has been removed from the cabinet in a reshuffle that will give housing greater prominence in the government’s work.

  • Concerns raised over snap inspections

    12/02/2009

    Concerns have been raised about the impact the introduction of short notice inspections could have on small local authority services.

  • CIH appoints three honorary members

    12/02/2009

    The Chartered Institute of Housing has awarded three honorary memberships.

  • Unemployment rises to 1.97 million

    11/02/2009

    The number of people out of work across the UK has risen to a 12-year high of 1.97 million.

  • Tenants' champion recruits members

    11/02/2009

    More tenants from regional groups have been invited to join a national organisation being set up to champion their rights.

  • Chief executive goes as Presentation merges

    06/02/2009

    The chief executive of troubled housing association Presentation has resigned.

  • Confessions of a short notice inspection

    06/02/2009

    Revealed: the secrets of the Audit Commission’s first ever snap inspection - as told in the diaries of both inspector and landlord

  • Snowed-in staff set to be told ‘take it as holiday’

    06/02/2009

    A London housing association is set to make staff who were unable to get to work because of this week’s heavy snow count the time off as annual leave.

  • 'The TSA? Is that for housing associations?'

    06/02/2009

    Simon Brandon was at the first stop of the new regulator’s national conversation to find out what tenants have to say about their landlords - and that pink bus

  • Time to take notice

    06/02/2009

    When the call goes out to any landlord that the Audit Commission inspectors are coming it is usually greeted with frantic activity, despite the fact that the visit is four months away.

  • Union to fight unequal pay

    06/02/2009

    Union officials pledged to fight pay inequality within housing associations as they warned of rocky times ahead for staff fighting to protect their jobs.

  • Former CIH chief faced council leaks

    05/02/2009

    Confidential information about the former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing was leaked to the press, an advisor to her recent employer admitted.

  • Rough sleeping charity plans merger

    04/02/2009

    Rough sleeping charity Homeless Link is to merge with information provider Resource Information Service.

  • Advisory body told to improve local planning work

    02/02/2009

    The body that advises the government on the built environment should do more to make its influence felt locally, a review has found.

  • Conference call

    30/01/2009

    Soha Housing residents wanted to tell the world about their achievements, so they picked up their pencils and planned their own event. Anita Pati reports

  • Nottingham ALMO gets the all clear

    30/01/2009

    Nottingham’s arm’s-length management organisation has received a glowing Audit Commission report, weeks after it was rocked by scandal.

  • That sinking feeling

    30/01/2009

    Recession’s stormy waters have already claimed thousands of banking and private house building jobs. Simon Brandon asks whether social housing professionals will sink or swim?

  • TSA ready if provider fails

    30/01/2009

    The social housing regulator has made detailed plans for how it would step in if a housing association failed.

  • Ex CIH boss sued for £1m over job 'fraud'

    29/01/2009

    A former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing is being sued for nearly £1 million by Cheltenham Council for allegedly lying on her job application.

  • South east coalition to argue case for housing

    28/01/2009

    A housing coalition has been set up in the south east to give the sector a greater voice in planning decisions.

  • On the safe side

    23/01/2009

    Penalties for health and safety offences have been increased, explains Emma Davies of Manches

  • RHT to cease building homes

    23/01/2009

    The Rural Housing Trust is to stop building homes and make almost all of its staff redundant after being hit hard by the economic downturn.

  • Top green marks evade housing associations

    23/01/2009

    Social landlords will have to work much harder if they want to be rated as top performers on environmental issues, according to a new index that rates their sustainability.

  • Shareholders revolt over house builder bonuses

    19/01/2009

    Shareholders at one of the countries largest house builders have voted against bonuses paid to its top executives.

  • Genesis support helps tsunami victims

    19/01/2009

    Genesis Housing Group has helped to fund homes for 15 Sri Lankan families who were forced to live in temporary shelters after the 2004 tsunami.

  • Rural developer forced to close

    19/01/2009

    The Rural Housing Trust will stop building homes and make most of its staff redundant after being hit by the economic downturn.

  • Ennis completes HCA team

    16/01/2009

    The Homes and Communities Agency has completed its team of directors with the appointment of Richard Ennis as its director of finance and corporate services. 

  • Builders warn of 90,000 redundancies

    16/01/2009

    Up to 90,000 employees of small and medium-sized builders are facing redundancy in the next six months, the Federation of Master Builders has warned.

  • Being creative

    16/01/2009

    Landlords have become increasingly savvy at getting their tenants involved, writes Neil Merrick

  • Board of appeal

    16/01/2009

    A head for numbers, strategic nous, healthy scepticism, a sense of humour… Simon Brandon asks, what makes the perfect housing association board member?

  • Credit crunch fallout strains housing staff

    16/01/2009

    The soaring demand from tenants and residents for help to avoid homelessness is placing housing staff under growing strain, Britain’s largest public sector union has warned.

  • Follow my lead

    16/01/2009

    Beacon authorities - chosen for their vision and top-class services - set the benchmark for best practice. Ciara Leeming reports

  • Novas faces new investigation

    16/01/2009

    Housing association Novas Scarman has called in auditors after allegations that one of its contractors had links to a member of its staff.

  • Tories to probe mega-landlords

    16/01/2009

    The Conservatives are planning to probe how well large housing associations interact with tenants, amid concerns that they are difficult to hold to account.

  • TSA seeks to broaden board membership

    15/01/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority is looking to expand its board because of a ‘lack of black and ethnic minority representation’.

  • Watchdog cuts list of at risk associations

    15/01/2009

    The social housing regulator has removed an undisclosed number of housing associations from its notorious ‘watch list’, Inside Housing has learned.

  • Pinnacle boss leaves after 14 years

    14/01/2009

    The chief executive of Pinnacle PSG has resigned from the firm after 14 years, saying he believes it will ‘benefit from new leadership’.

  • Insurance costs to rise for social landlords

    14/01/2009

    Social landlords must be prepared for hikes in the cost of insurance after a period of ‘unsustainable’ prices, a leading insurance group has warned.

  • Rent row housing boss sacked from post

    12/01/2009

    Norwich’s housing chief has been sacked from her £62,000 a year post for bringing the council into ‘severe disrepute’.

  • Galliford Try brings in four day week

    12/01/2009

    Galliford Try has introduced a four day working week across its house building businesses to reduce costs.

  • Higher fees mooted for at-risk landlords

    09/01/2009

    Housing associations deemed financially risky may have to pay higher fees to the housing regulator, under a new charging regime.

  • TSA reveals its cash concerns

    09/01/2009

    The Tenant Services Authority has said it is concerned about the financial viability of Three Valleys Housing, in its first ever regulatory judgements.

  • Watchdog to intervene in L&Q case

    09/01/2009

    The government’s human rights watchdog will step in to a legal battle to decide whether housing association tenants have the right to challenge their landlords’ decisions in court.

  • Housing bodies score well in equality index

    07/01/2009

    Housing organisations have made a strong showing in a list of top employers created by lesbian, gay and bisexual equality charity Stonewall.

  • Regeneration leader dies aged 45

    06/01/2009

    A leading figure in regeneration and planning, Jon Ladd, died on Sunday aged 45 after a short illness.

  • Council staff broke rules by renting sheltered housing

    06/01/2009

    Officials at Norwich City Council broke council rules by moving into vacant sheltered housing, an inquiry has found.

  • Taylor Wimpey scraps affordable housing team

    06/01/2009

    Home builder Taylor Wimpey has laid off its entire national affordable housing team, Inside Housing has learned.

  • Bellway bosses attacked for accepting bonuses

    05/01/2009

    The directors of house builder Bellway Homes have come under fire for accepting massive bonuses despite a dire business year.

  • Honour bound

    05/01/2009

    Dennis Rees is among the names in the New Year Honours List. Clara Story finds out why

  • Corporation chair in New Year Honours List

    02/01/2009

    The former chair of the Housing Corporation has been given a knighthood in the New Year Honours List.

  • Finance director quits Genesis

    23/12/2008

    The finance director of one of England’s biggest housing associations has resigned from his job.

  • Downturn hits executive bonuses

    23/12/2008

    Only 40 per cent of housing association directors who were eligible for bonuses received them this year, a survey has revealed.

  • Housing workers urged to help safeguarding review

    22/12/2008

    Housing workers are being urged to feed into a review of government guidance on safeguarding vulnerable adults.

  • Chair to be ousted

    19/12/2008

    The chair of Lambeth’s arm’s-length management organisation is being removed from her post after she was arrested on suspicion of fraud.

  • End of an era as BME umbrella group closes

    19/12/2008

    Question marks loom over the future of the black and minority ethnic housing association sector, following the demise of its umbrella organisation after 25 years of activity.

  • Landlords forced into new year recruitment freezes and job losses

    19/12/2008

    Recruitment freezes and job losses are on the cards for social landlords as building projects dry up in the economic downturn.

  • Ministers urged to tackle unemployment

    17/12/2008

    A charity has warned that there will be a surge in homelessness unless the government takes action to tackle unemployment.

  • Skills in strategic housing

    16/12/2008

    A report from local government best practice body IDeA looking at skills in strategic housing, and what progress has been made in the last year.

  • Pathfinder makes progress after mediocre rating

    16/12/2008

    The Birmingham and Sandwell housing market renewal pathfinder has been rated as ‘performing well’ by the Audit Commission after a previous lukewarm inspection.

  • Warden sacked for being 'human' wins employment case

    15/12/2008

    A sheltered housing manager who lost her job for visiting a dying resident out of hours has won her tribunal against housing association Home.

  • A job well done

    12/12/2008

    Now more than ever, it is crucial that landlords help to tackle worklessness. Helen Cope sets out the best approach

  • Chief execs’ pay to be probed by TSA

    12/12/2008

    The Tenant Services Authority will examine whether increasing salaries of housing association chief executives has become a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’.

  • Red tape threatens participation

    12/12/2008

    A key member of the group charged with creating a tenant advocacy organisation has suggested that tenants could withdraw their support should their favoured model be changed.

  • Warrington next in line for ALMO transfer

    08/12/2008

    Warrington has warned it will fail to keep its homes up to a decent standard unless they are transferred to a housing association from its high-performing arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Foreign trips for staff of troubled provider

    05/12/2008

    Staff from the troubled Novas Scarman housing association took three trips to Malaysia in the past two years to buy goods for its arts centre.

  • Holmes speaks out as corporation closes

    05/12/2008

    Housing association bosses received ‘grotesque’ pay increases and initiated mergers to boost their careers because the Housing Corporation was ‘too soft’, according to a former board member.

  • Tenant satisfaction targets missing from local area agreements

    05/12/2008

    Just one council in England included tenant satisfaction as a target when drawing up its funding plans.

  • Zero stars for troubled Island Homes

    05/12/2008

    A housing association at the centre of a row over tenant involvement has been heavily criticised in an Audit Commission inspection.

  • Mergers

    21/11/2008

    Mergers mix cultural and staff structures and have legal and cost implications, say Arun Misra and Gareth Hall

  • Housing association performance indicators

    18/11/2008

    How the Housing Corporation works out whether housing associations are getting better or worse at meeting their goals.

  • Under scrutiny

    17/11/2008

    Hackney Homes is hoping for good marks for tenant engagement when the Audit Commission’s inspectors come calling this week. Chief executive Charlotte Graves explains why.

  • Heading into the future

    17/10/2008

    The board members of the government’s new housing and regeneration agency, and its regulatory counterpart, will set the direction of travel for the sector.

  • The National Tenant Voice

    08/10/2008

    The creation of a tenant-run national council to champion tenants’ rights.

  • When two become one

    03/10/2008

    The hows and whys of structural change and partnership

  • Chief executives salaries’ – Inside Housing, September 2008

    19/09/2008

    Inside Housing’s annual chief executive salary survey for 2007/08 revealed global economic gloom has had little effect on wages, which jumped an average 7.3 per cent in compared with the previous financial year.

  • Multi-area agreements

    17/07/2008

    Power to the people, via agreements and contracts.

  • Local performance indicators

    04/07/2008

    How councils are going to be judged on meeting local priorities.

  • Women in housing, 15 February 2008, Inside Housing

    20/06/2008

    Philippa Ward asked the largest social landlords how many women they have in management. The results show a sector struggling to get enough women to the top.

  • Salary survey - Inside Housing, May 2008

    20/06/2008

    With belts tightening all over the country, there is comfort to be found in Inside Housing’s exclusive salary survey.

  • Chief executives’ salaries - 21 September 2007, Inside Housing

    20/06/2008

    The salaries of housing association chief executives soared by an average of 10 per cent last year, Inside Housing’s exclusive salary survey has revealed.