Friday, 25 May 2012

Inside Housing
27/01/2012

View all stories from this issue.

  • ALMO teaches tenants to maintain their homes

    30/01/2012

    An arm’s-length management organisation is offering DIY training to tenants to help them improve their homes.

  • 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.

  • Leeds PFI scheme to go ahead after year long delay

    01/02/2012

    A £180 million project to build 388 new homes and refurbish 1,200 more has finally been given the go ahead after months of costly delays.

  • £10m boost for affordable housing in Scotland

    31/01/2012

    The Scottish Government has announced an extra £10 million for affordable housing this financial year.

  • A valuable lesson

    27/01/2012

    The green deal consultation has now closed. So has the government made the grade? Nick Duxbury gives ministers their marks

  • Affordable homes development falling in London

    30/01/2012

    The Olympics is boosting house building in London but development of affordable housing has reduced, according to consultancy Drivers Jonas Deloitte.

  • Agencies to pilot anti-social behaviour 'trigger'

    31/01/2012

    The government is to pilot the use of a ‘community trigger’ to force agencies to take action against anti-social behaviour.

  • Along for the ride

    27/01/2012

    Contractor Kier offers customers the chance to shadow a maintenance worker for a day. Here, Sheffield Homes tenant Yvonne Collins, 71, explains how the scheme is improving tenants’ understanding of repairs and their satisfaction with the service

  • Associations sign £32m repairs deal

    27/01/2012

    A consortium of housing associations has signed a landmark agreement to procure repairs and maintenance services across Scotland.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Bank predicts house builder recovery

    31/01/2012

    An investment bank has provided a timely boon to the house building market by recommending investors buy shares in leading contractors.

  • Baroness attack on families branded 'nonsense'

    24/01/2012

    A housing association vice-president withdrew an attempt to cut benefit for larger families after a Labour peer accused her of talking ‘nonsense’.

  • Bigger is not always better, report reveals

    27/01/2012

    Larger developing housing associations perform worse in housing management than their smaller peers, a new report from the Chartered Institute of Housing, seen exclusively by Inside Housing, claims.

  • 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.

  • Charity funding to help with shared room rate cut

    31/01/2012

    A charity has been awarded government funding to help individuals hit by cuts to the benefits available to single homeless people.

  • CIH: expect child benefit victory to be overturned

    27/01/2012

    The Chartered Institute of Housing is urging landlords to prepare for the consequences of the proposed benefits cap, despite a key defeat for the government in the House of Lords this week.

  • Community groups to bid for empty homes cash

    24/01/2012

    Community groups will be allowed to bid for money to refurbish empty homes on government and public land, the communities minister said today.

  • 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.

  • Contractor targets growth thanks to order book

    31/01/2012

    A major contractor has reported that its revenues and earnings are progressing as expected following a good start to the year.

  • Council house fraud raids lead to five arrests

    01/02/2012

    A series of morning raids on council homes in Southwark have resulted in five arrests for fraud and immigration offences.

  • Council outlines plans for tackling homelessness

    27/01/2012

    A council has launched a new strategy for tackling homelessness which includes putting expert domestic violence workers into housing advice centres.

  • Council to start licensing all HMOs

    27/01/2012

    A council will begin licensing every house in multiple occupation from the end of this month.

  • Councils bite into new homes bonus

    27/01/2012

    More than 70 per cent of councils in England have not spent their share of £200 million new homes bonus cash on rewarding their communities.

  • Councils forced to meet housing benefit shortfall

    02/02/2012

    Local authorities are having to dig into their own budgets to help people meet housing costs, according to government figures.

  • Developer chosen for 700-home project

    02/02/2012

    The Homes and Communities Agency has agreed a deal with a local authority to create around 700 new homes.

  • Do not pass go

    26/01/2012

    What I write here is my personal view as an Occupier. There are many views, all treated with respect. This is an inherent principle of the movement.

  • Failing to cash in

    27/01/2012

    Our investigation into how more than 300 English councils are using £200 million of new homes bonus makes for sobering reading.

  • Falling through the cracks

    27/01/2012

    A large amount of tenant complaints to the housing ombudsman are related to repairs. So what is going wrong? Jess McCabe investigates

  • Foreign exchange

    27/01/2012

    Returning home is the best option for central and eastern Europeans sleeping rough on London’s streets, but getting them there isn’t as easy as it seems, says Jeremy Swain

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Government ahead of schedule for releasing land

    31/01/2012

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has told MPs that the government is ahead of schedule in its plans to release public land to build 100,000 new homes.

  • Government to take FIT fight to Supreme Court

    25/01/2012

    The government is seeking to take the fight over cuts to the feed-in-tariff all the way to the Supreme Court after losing an appeal against a High Court ruling that the deadline was ‘legally flawed’.

  • HCA identify 18 schemes for development cash

    01/02/2012

    The Homes and Communities Agency has earmarked 18 schemes with plans to deliver 1,300 new homes as the first group to benefit from the £420 million Get Britain Building programme.

  • High ratings for landlords

    27/01/2012

    More housing associations are set to go into the capital markets after a raft of recent credit ratings.

  • High rents prompt concerns over HRA debt figures

    02/02/2012

    Councils have objected to the rent figures used in the final calculations for the payments they will have to make or receive as part of the move to self financing.

  • Home secretary to reveal plans to fight ASB

    30/01/2012

    Plans to give communities more protection from anti-social behaviour are to be revealed today by the home secretary.

  • Homeless to get support ahead of cold weather

    31/01/2012

    Rough sleeper support services are being ramped up in parts of the country ahead of a predicted cold snap this week.

  • Housing association sets up care service

    01/02/2012

    Two Cambridgeshire-based companies are joining forces to create a new care and support service.

  • Housing experts warn of homelessness threat

    30/01/2012

    The government has been warned that its plans for welfare reform are likely to have an impact on homelessness figures and increase the use of bed and breakfasts by local authorities.

  • Hugh Clay

    03/02/2012

    Hugh Clay, a 50 year old solicitor from Brookhouse near Lancaster, has been appointed chair at Lune Valley Rural Housing Association.

  • Labour tables welfare motion as Shapps backs bill

    01/02/2012

    The Labour party has tabled a motion calling for the benefit cap to be set by an independent body according to local circumstances, ahead of a series of crunch votes on the Welfare Reform Bill today.

  • Labour wants benefit cap to be set locally

    30/01/2012

    Labour has called for the proposed total benefits cap to be set locally rather than at the national limit of £26,000.

  • Landlord agrees 1,000-home PV scheme

    27/01/2012

    A landlord has appointed contractors to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of 1,000 tenants’ homes.

  • Landlord reveals plans for £12m redevelopment

    31/01/2012

    A social landlord has announced plans for a £12 million redevelopment of a housing estate.

  • Landlords complete 1,400-home swap deal

    31/01/2012

    Two landlords have completed one of the largest stock swaps in the social housing sector.

  • Landlords dust off PV schemes

    27/01/2012

    Social landlords are moving to capitalise on a brief window of opportunity, in which cuts to the feed-in tariff could be reversed, by kick-starting abandoned schemes.

  • Landlords to be forced to improve energy efficiency

    01/02/2012

    The government is planning to use building regulations as a means of increasing take-up of its flagship retrofit scheme, the green deal when it is introduced in October.

  • Liverpool signs up to No Second Night Out

    31/01/2012

    A campaign which has helped rough sleepers in London get off the streets of the capital is to be launched in Liverpool.

  • Lords amendments to Welfare Reform Bill beaten

    01/02/2012

    The government has succeeded in overturning a series of crucial amendments made by the Lords to the Welfare Reform Bill.

  • Manchester to build 250 homes

    27/01/2012

    Manchester Council will use a £25 million pension fund investment to develop nearly 250 new private rented homes.

  • Middle ground

    27/01/2012

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

  • Morrison under pressure as councils criticise

    26/01/2012

    Repairs and maintenance provider Morrison is facing the threat of losing two major council contracts amid concerns about its performance.  

  • MPs urged to support bedroom tax amendment

    01/02/2012

    MPs have come under pressure to accept an amendment to the government’s plan for a ‘bedroom tax’.

  • New bond raises £40 million

    27/01/2012

    Places for People has raised £40 million from investors after officially launching a new retail bond.

  • 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.

  • NHF attacks vote on 'unfair' welfare reforms

    02/02/2012

    A decision by MPs to overturn a series of Lords amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill will cause hardship for thousands of families, a housing body has warned.

  • Non government bodies targeted in land drive

    02/02/2012

    The government is extending the reach of its drive to make land available for house building by targeting organisations outside its direct control.

  • Occupy protestors in bid to shape housing policy

    26/01/2012

    Housing looks set to be the next battleground for a protest group which has camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London since October last year.

  • 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.

  • Peers press for details on benefits help

    27/01/2012

    The government has come under pressure to publish details of promised transitional arrangements to help people affected by the impact of the proposed total benefits cap.

  • Property fund to help homeless

    27/01/2012

    A homelessness charity has joined forces with a fund manager to launch a property fund to invest in homes.

  • QSH to raise £250m for rent-to-buy plan

    27/01/2012

    A new private company has targeted £250 million of private investment in rent-to-buy affordable home properties, ahead of the potential launch of a real estate investment trust.

  • 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.

  • Regulatory judgements on five landlords published

    31/01/2012

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

  • Repairs & maintenance

    30/01/2012

    Our first standalone supplement of 2012 tackles tenant cashback, how the disabled facilities grant system is letting down some vulnerable tenants, and apprenticeships.

  • Repairs revolution or DIY disaster?

    27/01/2012

    In two months’ time the government plans to roll out a scheme which pays tenants in England to carry out their own repairs. Here, Simon Brandon examines the tenant cashback pilot projects to find out what lessons have been learned

  • Research questions prime minister's rent claim

    31/01/2012

    Research the prime minister claims shows rents are falling across the country actually shows they are increasing year on year.

  • Righting wrongs

    27/01/2012

    It is vital that new build homes are fit for purpose, says Roger Graef

  • Riot-hit area's regeneration plans to be revealed

    02/02/2012

    Details of a multi-million pound regeneration scheme which promises around 200 new homes in a riot-hit area are expected to be revealed next week.

  • Salford issues five riot-related eviction notices

    27/01/2012

    A council has served five eviction notices for breach of tenancies due to convictions related to last summer’s riots - including three where the tenancy holder was not involved in the disorder.

  • 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.

  • Shapps: housing is central to economic recovery

    01/02/2012

    The housing minister has told councils and housing associations that building new homes will be central to improving the country’s economy.

  • Sto presents its solid wall solution at Ecobuild 2012

    31/01/2012

    Ecobuild first-timer Sto is exhibiting its range of External Wall Insulation Systems.

  • Strong interest reported for landlord's £88m JV

    27/01/2012

    A landlord has reported strong interest from potential partners to create an £88 million joint venture company.

  • Tenants demand protection from welfare cuts

    30/01/2012

    Campaigners are calling on social landlords not to evict tenants who fall behind on rent payments because of housing benefit cuts.

  • 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 great divide

    27/01/2012

    Making the sub-letting of social homes a criminal offence unfairly singles out the sector, says Andrew Heywood

  • 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

  • Trapped in their own home

    27/01/2012

    Delays to home adaptations are leaving older and disabled tenants living in unsuitable and often degrading conditions for years at a time. So is the disabled facilities grant failing vulnerable people? Martin Hilditch investigates.

  • Uncertainty in house market keeps prices flat

    30/01/2012

    House prices have not increased for 18 months, according to data published by Hometrack today.

  • Under occupation cuts ‘would not deliver savings’

    01/02/2012

    Proposed cuts to housing benefit for under occupation would cause severe hardship for tenants and not deliver the expected savings, analysis has found.

  • Welfare reforms 'will halt building of family homes'

    31/01/2012

    The coalition government’s welfare reforms will prevent landlords from building family-sized homes, a report claims.

  • Whose bonus is it anyway?

    27/01/2012

    Councils in England received £200 million in new homes bonuses last year but an Inside Housing survey reveals less than a quarter will plough the money back into housing. So where is the cash being spent and are communities having their say? Rhiannon Bury investigates.