Brand new blue

The colour code

The housing sector has appraised the government’s performance to date. Rhiannon Bury investigates the key findings

Riot lessons

Losing control

The past year has taught us that we are letting the state take over our lives, says Julie Fawcett

Residents to be given power to tackle unwanted street clutter

Residents should get together and decide how to use new powers to create the neighbourhood they want, Grant Shapps has said.

Leading Tory council unveils allocation plans

A flagship Conservative council has published its plans for overhauling how its housing is allocated.

It pays to recycle

A London council is rewarding tenants for recycling. Poppy McPherson finds out whether the celebrity-backed scheme is persuading people to be greener

Giving good guidance

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

Empty homes requests

A new ruling and proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act could open the floodgates to squatters, says Emma Duke, associate solicitor atAnthony Collins Solicitors

Scrapheap challenge

The price of metal has risen sky high making pipes, railings and even boilers an irresistible target to thieves. Chloë Stothart finds out how one housing association is tackling the growing problem of metal theft

Not a sticking plaster

Efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour can seem like fire fighting. It’s expensive to take a more comprehensive and long-term approach by working with a single family to get to the root of their problems. But, as Tony Powell, executive director of neighbourhoods at New Charter Housing Trust, explains, the effect can be transformative.