Inside Housing
Rhiannon Bury Editorial

Rhiannon is one of the reporting team on Inside Housing. She covers a range of patches including Supporting People and development, and also keeps up with housing news from Scotland and Wales.

Stories by this author.

‘Cost of regulating private landlords will be passed on to tenants’

25/05/2012

Plans for tougher regulation of the private rented sector in Wales could force rents up, according to landlords.
‘Needs test all new tenants’

25/05/2012

Housing providers should needs test all new tenants to provide better early intervention services, according to a new report.
Aberdeen suspends the right to buy for 10 years

24/05/2012

A council in Scotland has agreed to suspend sales of its homes through right to buy for up to 10 years to safeguard its stock.
NIHE look for new chair and vice-chair

23/05/2012

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is looking for a new chair and vice-chair for its board.
Think tank calls for local cash to fund regeneration

23/05/2012

Local authorities should be able to lead local regeneration with community budgets, according to a new report.
Anti-social tenants face fast track evictions

22/05/2012

Tenants will face fast track evictions if they or a member of their household has a previous conviction for anti-social behaviour, under plans announced today.
Welsh Government to help first-time buyers

22/05/2012

The Welsh Government will provide guarantees for mortgages for first-time buyers, the Welsh finance minister will announce later today.
Simplified green regulations proposed to cut build costs

18/05/2012

Social housing developers in Northern Ireland could be allowed to abandon ‘complicated’ green building regulations in favour of a simpler system under plans to save money on building homes.
Cuts threaten ability to tackle rogue landlords

11/05/2012

Public sector cuts are hampering the ability of some councils to crack down on rogue landlords, according to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
Wakefield builds own homes

11/05/2012

Wakefield and District Housing has become the latest landlord to embark on a self-build project using its own workforce.
Peabody submits £120m plans

11/05/2012

Housing provider Peabody has submitted a planning application for a £120 million regeneration scheme on an estate in South London.
Supported housing reforms have 'shortcomings'

10/05/2012

The minister in charge of welfare reform has said the proposed system for administering housing benefit for people in supported housing has ‘shortcomings’.
Public overestimate scale of land development

10/05/2012

Most members of the British public overestimate how much of England’s land has been developed, according to a new poll.
NIHE stock needs £1bn

10/05/2012

Housing belonging to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive needs at least £1 billion of investment to bring it up to standard, according to the organisation’s chief executive.
Housing 'left out of Queen's speech'

10/05/2012

The Queen’s speech has provoked mixed reaction from the sector as housing was largely left out of the government’s priorities for the next parliamentary session.
Government to publish care and support bill

09/05/2012

The Queen has announced the government’s intention to publish a draft care and support bill in the coming parliamentary session.
Lords reform raises concerns for social care bill

09/05/2012

Plans to reform elderly care look set to be downplayed when the government unveils its legislative programme for the next session of parliament today.
'Social care should target poor'

08/05/2012

Extra cash for social care should be targeted at the poorest older people, a think-tank established by work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith has said.
Scottish councils to get £582m to build green homes

08/05/2012

The Scottish Government has today pledged £582 million to councils to build affordable homes, with those producing greener homes receiving larger subsidies.
Charity campaign targets unlawful letting charges

07/05/2012

Shelter Scotland is launching a new campaign to help private sector tenants reclaim fees unlawfully charged by letting agents.
Long term care bill to rise by £16bn

04/05/2012

The annual cost of long term care in the UK is expected to rise by £16 billion by 2025, according to a report.
Labour victory in Wales

04/05/2012

Labour has made big gains right across Wales, emerging as the only major winner of the night.
Location clause delay

04/05/2012

Advice for councils on housing homeless people in the private rented sector has been delayed following revelations that London councils are trying to move people to cheaper areas.
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.
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.
Welsh minister pledges action on homelessness

02/05/2012

The housing minister in Wales has outlined the Welsh Government’s commitment to tackling homelessness.
New homes for Edinburgh

01/05/2012

Edinburgh Council is seeking a developer for a £80 million contract to build around 800 new homes.
Dromey: House builds down 26 per cent

01/05/2012

The shadow housing minister has accused the government of failing to build the homes it promised.
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.
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.
Housing association body appoints new chief

30/04/2012

The Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations has appointed a new chief executive.
Extra funding for homelessness prevention work

27/04/2012

Measures to prevent homelessness are being backed with extra Scottish Government funding this year.
Government seeks to stop London exodus

27/04/2012

Government plans to stop local authorities housing vulnerable people hundreds of miles from their home area could prove ‘impossible’, councils have warned.
Demand for numbers of displaced London tenants

26/04/2012

Labour’s shadow housing minister and shadow minister for London have written to London councils asking for information on how many people are being housed in accommodation outside London.
Plans for first Welsh bond scuppered

26/04/2012

Plans for a Welsh social housing bond have suffered a setback after two participating landlords joined a rival bond issue.
Thousands of new homes for Northern Ireland

26/04/2012

Plans to build 4,600 new social homes across Northern Ireland have been announced by social development minister Nelson McCausland.
Shelter Scotland shops targeted by thieves

25/04/2012

Scotland’s leading housing and homelessness charity has condemned a rise in stealing from its shops.
Committee calls for Welsh house building target

25/04/2012

A Welsh Government committee has called for an affordable housing target for the country.
Planners revisit 100-year-old overcrowding strategy

24/04/2012

A pamphlet of ideas to tackle overcrowding is being relaunched today, a hundred years after its publication.
Having a good home is top priority in Scotland

24/04/2012

Scots rate having a good home as more important than being rich, according to a survey by Oxfam Scotland.
Shapps slams plans to move tenants out of London

24/04/2012

The housing minister has called plans to move London tenants to other parts of the country because of a lack of housing ‘outrageous’.
Grant Shapps in HMR 'Luftwaffe' attack

20/04/2012

The housing minister has compared the housing market renewal programme to German bombing raids for its impact on homes and communities in the north and midlands.
Charity makes 100 homeless

20/04/2012

Around 100 failed asylum seekers in Glasgow are being made homeless after the organisation housing them lost its contract with the UK Border Agency.
Property bodies seek to reclassify rent

20/04/2012

Sections of the property industry have called for councils to allow market rent to be treated as ‘affordable’ through the use of section 106 agreements in order to attract investment.
Warning over development community levy threat

20/04/2012

Councils’ levies on new developments are being set too high to make the building of affordable housing viable, developers have warned.
Government launches guide to help boost self-build

19/04/2012

People are being encouraged to build their own homes under plans announced by the government to double self-build rates.
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.
Better protection for private tenants promised

18/04/2012

The Scottish Government has promised better protection and improved services for more than 270,000 private sector tenants.
Housing crisis in England 'threatens' public health

13/04/2012

The scale of the housing crisis in England threatens to take public health ‘back to the 80s’, environmental health experts have warned.
Boarded up in Bradford

13/04/2012

As Gingerbread Housing Project closes for good, Rhiannon Bury kicks off our procurement special by examining the devastating human impact of cuts to Supporting People budgets.
Homeless figure doubts

13/04/2012

The head of Shelter in Scotland has said official homelessness figures for the country misrepresent the true scale of the problem.
Neighbourhood plan seen as pro-development

13/04/2012

The first community-produced development plan to reach examination stage shows that fears the government’s localism agenda will lead to widespread nimbysim are unfounded, experts claim.
Housing market failing older people

12/04/2012

Britain’s housing market is failing to meet the needs of older people despite a rapidly ageing population and a growing demand for retirement housing, a charity has warned.
Temporary accommodation warning to government

10/04/2012

Campaigners in Scotland have renewed calls for the Scottish Government to introduce guidance on standards for temporary accommodation.
Report: planning reforms will not help housing

10/04/2012

The government’s ‘timid’ planning reform will not solve the housing crisis, according to a report published today.
More partnership working could help tackle ASB

05/04/2012

Greater knowledge of social housing powers and more partnership working could improve the effectiveness of police handling of anti-social behaviour cases, a report has found.
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.
RCT Homes seeks £1bn investment

05/04/2012

A landlord is launching an ambitious pan-Wales development company to build up to 10,000 affordable homes using £1 billion of institutional investment.
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.
Shapps launches social housing REITs consultation

04/04/2012

Moves to encourage more private investment in social housing were announced by government ministers today.
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.
Sector backs plans to criminalise tenancy fraud

04/04/2012

Plans to create a new criminal offence for people who commit tenancy fraud have been broadly welcomed by the sector.
Troubled landlord appoints new board

03/04/2012

A troubled housing association in Northern Ireland has appointed seven new board members.
Fund to tackle homelessness opens for bids

02/04/2012

The second round of a fund to help homelessness projects has opened for bidding today.
Landlord signs £347m deal for 2,400 homes

02/04/2012

A deal to build 2,400 homes in Gateshead for a project worth £347 million has been signed by a consortium.
Letting agent fined over housing benefit data

02/04/2012

A Slough letting agent and one of its directors have been found guilty of unlawfully obtaining details about their tenants’ housing benefit from a rogue employee at Slough Council.
Liverpool draws up plans for former HMR area

02/04/2012

Liverpool Council has approved a plan to start regeneration in areas of the city affected by the end of the housing market renewal programme.
4.7% of Scottish homes to miss decency target

30/03/2012

More than 24,000 homes in Scotland will fail to meet a decency standard by the 2015 deadline, the regulator has said.
Landlords apply to build schools

30/03/2012

Housing associations in Wales could begin building schools in a bid by the Welsh Government to overcome national borrowing restrictions and raise cash for housing.
Minister’s warning over local plans

30/03/2012

Councils that are unprepared for long-awaited planning reforms will have to accept growth in their area, a government minister has warned.
Tory councils making biggest cuts to SP services

30/03/2012

More than half of the councils making the biggest cuts to services for vulnerable people are Conservative-run, despite the government urging local authorities to maintain budgets.
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.
Councils urged to recognise housing need

27/03/2012

It is up to local authorities to make sure the new planning framework provides the homes England needs, campaigners have warned today.
Government publishes revised planning reforms

27/03/2012

Councils in England that do not have a valid local plan will be forced to follow the new planning framework from today, the government has said.
Council offering loans to kick start developments

26/03/2012

Businesses have been urged to claim a share of a £1.8 million scheme to kick start the housing market in Walsall.
Committee seeking views on welfare reform

26/03/2012

A parliamentary committee in Scotland has called for suggestions for how Scotland should implement the Welfare Reform Act.
Warning to councils over NPPF

26/03/2012

Local authorities could face problems with local plans under new planning rules, according to business advisory firm Deloitte.
Cash boost for councils adapting homes for soldiers

23/03/2012

Councils which have adapted the homes of wounded soldiers will receive a share of more than £200,000.
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’.
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.
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.
Manchester to set up 7,000 home fund

21/03/2012

Greater Manchester will set up an investment fund for up to 7,000 homes under government plans to hand more powers to England’s biggest cities.
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.
Community land trusts 'could solve' housing crisis

20/03/2012

Plans to allow communities to own land are the answer to the affordable housing crisis, according to a recent report.
Further cash boost for stalled homes

19/03/2012

The prime minister has announced a further £150 million for a fund to kickstart housing developments.
Court told poor work led to carbon monoxide death

16/03/2012

‘Sub-standard and badly-managed work’ contributed to the death of a young woman who died after being overcome by carbon monoxide fumes, a court heard today.
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.
CIH: Holyrood should handle housing benefit

15/03/2012

Devolving the administration of housing benefit to the Scottish Government would improve the current system by bringing it in line with Scottish policy priorities, a report has said.
CIH chief calls for bravery from the sector

15/03/2012

The new chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing has issued a rallying cry to providers, calling for them to be ‘brave’ in challenges facing the sector.
Minister calls for innovation to fund new homes

13/03/2012

The Scottish housing minister has pledged to work with local authorities and housing associations to access pension funds and institutional investment to fund house building.
Care leavers could get priority access to housing

12/03/2012

Young people in the care of Brighton and Hove Council could be given top priority for council housing in future.
Newbuy scheme launched to back 95% mortgages

12/03/2012

A mortgage indemnity scheme to help people buy new homes will be launched today.
Social landlords to help young people find work

12/03/2012

A group of social landlords is launching a scheme today to help young people get jobs.
Empty homes cash to help the homeless

09/03/2012

Homelessness organisation St Mungo’s has been awarded £240,000 to bring empty homes back into use, and will employ homeless people to do the work.
Landlord boost for NHS mental health services

09/03/2012

The NHS Confederation’s mental health network has recruited its first social housing provider as part of plans to improve mental health services.
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.
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.
Welsh Government in Supporting People pledge

08/03/2012

The Welsh Government will continue to support some of the country’s most vulnerable people in their homes despite cuts from central government, the housing minister promised today.
Mayoral candidate outlines housing plans

08/03/2012

Liverpool needs to use its land to build more homes and improve the energy efficiency of existing properties, according to Richard Kemp, who will stand for mayor of the city.
NPPF unlikely to see significant change

08/03/2012

The final version of the controversial national planning policy framework is unlikely to see significant change, senior sector figures have said.
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.
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.
Long-term stability vital for regeneration

06/03/2012

A social housing research charity has called for long-term commitment and funding for regeneration across the country.
Local authorities block offenders’ access to housing

06/03/2012

Ex-offenders face significant barriers from local authorities when they are trying to secure accommodation, according to research.
Government allocates £70m of empty homes cash

05/03/2012

The government has allocated £70 million of funding to 95 projects to bring more than 5,600 empty homes back into use.
Housing costs mean families struggle to afford food

05/03/2012

Families are facing an unprecedented squeeze on their finances and spending as little as £2 a day on food, according to charity Family Action.
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.
Council signs £76m deal for 447 homes

02/03/2012

Barking and Dagenham Council has signed a £76 million public-private partnership deal to build 447 affordable homes for local residents.
Councils forced to rewrite local development plans

02/03/2012

The Welsh housing system faces years of delays and legal wrangling because councils are refusing to sign up to government house building targets.
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.
UK 'risks' breaching guidelines on disabled rights

01/03/2012

The UK is at risk of breaching UN guidelines on the rights of disabled people to live independently, according to a government report published today.
Kerslake says government will push on with NPPF

29/02/2012

The head of the civil service has confirmed that the presumption in favour of sustainable development will be kept in the National Planning Policy Framework.
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.
Report attacks local enterprise partnerships

28/02/2012

Local enterprise partnerships lack the scale and scope to foster growth in the north of England, according to a think tank report published today.
Council scraps building plan after homes row

28/02/2012

A Welsh council’s plan for development in its area will be scrapped after a row with the Welsh Assembly Government over the number of new homes needed.
Community budgets to come under scrutiny

27/02/2012

MPs will examine community budgets later in the year, it was announced today.
City welcomes first council homes in a generation

27/02/2012

The first new council home to be built for a generation in Edinburgh was handed over last week.
Landlord issues £250 million bond

27/02/2012

Circle has become the latest housing provider to enter the bond market by issuing a £250 million bond.
Number 10 steps in to save small providers

24/02/2012

Large providers could be forced to sub-contract supported housing contracts to smaller organisations, under crisis growth plans drawn up by the government.
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.
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.
Welsh government launches empty homes fund

21/02/2012

Plans to return some of Wales’ 22,000 empty properties to use were boosted with £5 million of funding from the Welsh government today.
Resource cuts prompt concern over local scrutiny

20/02/2012

Cutting budgets for scrutiny functions risks undermining arrangements for local accountability, according to research.
Scottish builders lose confidence as work declines

20/02/2012

Confidence in the Scottish building industry has dropped in the last quarter, according to a survey of 700 construction firms.
Tenants block transfer of 10,980 council homes

20/02/2012

Tenants have voted against plans to transfer homes to a housing association by 65 per cent to 35 per cent.
Erimus enters £5.6m building venture

17/02/2012

A housing association and council are launching an innovative joint venture company to regenerate an area of Middlesbrough abandoned by developers hit by the recession.
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.
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.
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.
Council considering legal challenge against HS2

16/02/2012

Camden Council will launch a legal challenge if plans for a high speed rail line between London and the midlands go-ahead.
Homelessness falling in Scotland

14/02/2012

The number of people being made homeless in Scotland has fallen 20 per cent, according to government statistics.
Pickles decides not to fight planning claim

13/02/2012

Communities secretary Eric Pickles will not fight the claim that he acted unlawfully when turning down planning permission for 2,000 new homes.
Call made for Lords to fight squatting ban

13/02/2012

A homelessness charity is urging the House of Lords to not criminalise squatting ahead of its reading on proposed changes to legislation this week.
Regulations hamper construction carbon targets

13/02/2012

The building industry’s prospects on delivering carbon reduction targets and remaining competitive are hampered by a lack of clarity in regulations, according to a new report.
Boost for vulnerable people as council reduces cuts

13/02/2012

Birmingham Council has decided to reduce its cut to spending on vulnerable people by £1.9 million after a resident consultation.
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.
Scottish landlords fear loss of independence

10/02/2012

Social landlords north of the border fear their independence might be compromised if plans from the Scottish Housing Regulator go ahead.
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.
Report says crime can be 'designed out' of housing

09/02/2012

New research claims that the design of new homes and estates could help cut crime levels.
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.
£40m committed to Welsh housing and regen

09/02/2012

The Welsh Government has renewed its commitment to funding capital projects in Wales by allocating more than £40 million to housing and regeneration.
Legal warning to landlord over care at home

08/02/2012

One of the country’s largest care and support landlords has been told it must make urgent improvements to standards of care at one of its homes or face legal action.
Scottish housing gets £87m boost

08/02/2012

The Scottish Government has pledged to provide an extra £87 million for housing over the next four years.
Scottish government urged to rethink housing cuts

08/02/2012

The Scottish Government will debate spending plans for 2012/13 in Holyrood today.
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.
Housing groups welcome Scottish allocations plan

07/02/2012

Plans to allow housing associations in Scotland to refuse tenancies for people with anti-social behaviour convictions have been welcomed by the sector.
Landlords to consider ASB when allocating homes

06/02/2012

Landlords in Scotland will be able to take into account anti-social behaviour when allocating tenancies under new plans outlined by the Scottish Government.
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.
Hostels under threat as council reviews funding

06/02/2012

A homelessness hostel in Leeds is to close after the council cut its funding as part of a move to increase the use of self-contained accommodation.
SFHA calls for release of public land

06/02/2012

Public bodies in Scotland should give land to housing associations to help increase the availability of affordable homes, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has said.
Building landlords get Edinburgh loan boost

03/02/2012

Edinburgh Council plans to kickstart mothballed housing developments across the city by borrowing money at cheap rates and loaning it to housing associations.
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.
Scots councils fear homeless backlash

03/02/2012

Councils in Scotland fear they will face legal challenges next year if they fail to house everyone who approaches them as homeless.
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.
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.
Housing association sets up care service

01/02/2012

Two Cambridgeshire-based companies are joining forces to create a new care and support service.
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.
£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.
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.
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.
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.
Minister to reveal empty homes fund

24/01/2012

A government minister is expected to announce a fund for communities to bring empty homes back into use today.
Clegg defends benefit cap ahead of Lords debate

23/01/2012

The deputy prime minister has dismissed claims that families living in London and the South East would be forced to move out of their homes by the benefit cap.
Council reveals plan to licence HMOs

23/01/2012

Brighton and Hove Council is planning to licence houses in multiple occupation to improve neighbourhoods.
Report says councils 'key' to solving housing crisis

23/01/2012

Councils hold the key to helping to solve the housing crisis, according to a report published today.
Embassies to send home foreign rough sleepers

20/01/2012

London embassies will fast-track travel documents and provide plane tickets for homeless eastern European nationals in a bid to reduce rough sleeping in the capital.
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.
Morrison in £12.7m loss

20/01/2012

Housing repairs and maintenance contractor Morrison suffered significant losses in the first six months of the 2011/12 financial year, after seeing a sharp downturn in its high-value work.
Council u-turn over eviction of riot teen

19/01/2012

Wandsworth Council has backed down over plans to evict the family of a man convicted of rioting from their council home.
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.
Shapps outlines plans for elderly downsizing

17/01/2012

Councils should help elderly people downsize in order to free up family homes, housing minister Grant Shapps has said.
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.
Welsh social housing standards 'will not be met'

13/01/2012

The Welsh Government will not meet its target for improving the quality of social housing, according to a report.
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.
Fears councils will block community powers

13/01/2012

Communities could be barred from using new planning powers for years by local authorities that do not support government planning reforms.
Housing associations get credit union boost

12/01/2012

Changes to legislation surrounding credit unions will make it easier for housing association tenants to borrow money and use credit services.
Housing market hurt by eurozone instability

10/01/2012

Housing sales remained stable during December and an increasing amount of new stock came onto the housing market, according to the latest RICS UK housing market survey.
Child poverty research reveals worst areas

10/01/2012

A study mapping child poverty across the UK has exposed the most deprived areas, as campaigners forecast an ‘economic and a social disaster’ if families’ incomes are cut.
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.
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.
Woman dies in tower block blaze

06/01/2012

A woman has died in a fire in a council-owned tower block in east London.
FIT ruling ‘too late’ for sector

06/01/2012

Most abandoned social housing solar photovoltaic schemes are unlikely to be revived even if a legal battle leads to government solar subsidy cuts being reversed until April.
Benefit changes to hit families' income

04/01/2012

Couples with children will be the hardest hit in the benefits shake-up, losing up to £1,250 a year, according to research.
Group warns Cameron over 'inefficient' care system

03/01/2012

Elderly people are facing neglect and abuse because of an inefficient care system, the prime minister has been told.
Wales hit by five-year high of homelessness

21/12/2011

Homelessness in Wales is at a five year high, according to new figures released this week.
Joanna Lumley backs Thames Reach appeal

20/12/2011

Joanna Lumley has given her backing to the 2011 Thames Reach Christmas Appeal raising money for homeless men and women.
£20m fund to support single homeless people

20/12/2011

The housing minister has announced £20 million of ‘new funding’ to tackle the number of single homeless people in England.
Financial institutions pour billions into housing

20/12/2011

British banks and insurers are investing in the country’s housing stock to make the most of rising rents away from the unstable market elsewhere.
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.
Durham in talks to transfer homes

16/12/2011

Durham Council is in talks to hand over ownership of its 19,000 homes to a housing association in one of the largest stock transfers for several years.
Lack of housing funds criticised

16/12/2011

Social housing providers in Scotland have been left underwhelmed by plans to regenerate deprived areas of the country.
Leeds predicts homelessness rise as enquiries grow

16/12/2011

Leeds Council has warned that it expects homelessness to increase dramatically after a massive leap in enquiries to its housing team.
Landlords pledge help for troubled families

15/12/2011

Housing associations have come forward to offer their help in government plans to tackle troubled families.
Livingstone unveils plans for private-rented sector

13/12/2011

Labour candidate for London mayor Ken Livingstone will announce plans for a non-profit lettings agency and a London living rent as part of his campaign today.
Demand for homes grew in November

13/12/2011

Buyer demand for property in the UK rose during November, but economic uncertainty continues to hold the market back from any meaningful recovery, according to the latest UK housing market survey.
Landlords rush to finish PV schemes

13/12/2011

Social housing providers have rushed to finish fitting photovoltaic panels to homes before government cuts take hold.
Social tenants unfairly blamed for summer’s riots

09/12/2011

Tenants of London’s largest housing associations made up just 1 per cent of arrests in the capital after August’s riots.
Stunell wants tenants involved in ALMO decisions

07/12/2011

Councils must consult tenants when reviewing housing management arrangements, the communities minister has said.
MPs fear 'another Southern Cross'

06/12/2011

The government is not doing enough to monitor the finances of England’s care homes, a House of Commons committee has said.
Tenants held back by poor internet access

05/12/2011

Almost half of the UK’s adult population who do not use the internet live in social housing, the government’s digital champion has said.
TV show highlighting empty homes begins

05/12/2011

Channel 4 is beginning a series of programmes to highlight the housing crisis facing the UK this evening.
Charities forced to reject homeless young people

05/12/2011

Almost half of homelessness agencies are turning away young single homeless people because of a lack of resources, a study from charity Homeless Link has found.
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.
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.
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.
Scottish housing association chief to retire

01/12/2011

A stalwart of the housing sector in Scotland has announced his retirement.
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.
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.
Welsh associations increase investment in homes

24/11/2011

Welsh housing associations have increased their investment over the last year by more than 15 per cent, according to a study commissioned by Community Housing Cymru.
Home care report reveals abuse and neglect

23/11/2011

Elderly people are being abused, mistreated and not supported to eat or drink by council-funded care designed to help them remain in their own homes, a report has found.
Low private landlord returns hit housing supply

22/11/2011

A report on the state of the private rented sector warns that current low returns for landlords are restricting the supply of housing.
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.
Elderly to be given more control of care

21/11/2011

Councils will be able to give older and vulnerable people more control over their care through plans to role out personalised budgets.
Direct payment warning

18/11/2011

Paying housing benefit direct to tenants will cost councils in Scotland £50 million, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has warned.
Major landlords to offer short-term tenancies

18/11/2011

At least three major housing associations have said they will seek to introduce minimum tenancies of less than the default five years proposed in the government’s Localism Bill.
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.
Legal aid cuts to undermine welfare reform

15/11/2011

Cuts to legal aid will undermine the government’s own welfare reforms, a disability charity has warned.
Tenants to be balloted on stock transfer

14/11/2011

Council house tenants in Caerphilly will be balloted on the transfer of housing stock to a housing association early next year.
Legal challenge to FIT cuts to go ahead

14/11/2011

A campaign group has confirmed it will take the government to court over cuts to financial incentives for solar energy.
Eurozone woes dent property prices

11/11/2011

House sales have fallen in the last month as the crisis in the eurozone begins to impact on lenders’ confidence.
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.
Fast-track eviction plan for landlords criticised

11/11/2011

Social landlords have claimed their tenants are being stigmatised by the government’s plans to evict tenants who commit anti-social behaviour miles from their homes.
Labour ministers back fuel poverty campaign

11/11/2011

Senior Labour politicians have pledged their support for Inside Housing’s campaign to ensure social landlords can access vital green subsidies to combat fuel poverty.
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.
Localism Bill passes through Parliament

08/11/2011

The government’s flagship Localism Bill has completed its passage through Parliament, 18 months after it was unveiled by the coalition.
Treasury denies benefit link to inflation axe

04/11/2011

Civil servants in the Treasury have denied there are plans to change the way benefits are calculated after this week’s highest inflation measure since September 2008.
Health reform could leave homeless out in the cold

04/11/2011

Government plans to reform the health system and localise service commissioning could put homeless people at risk, charities have warned.
Rally against fuel poverty

04/11/2011

Leading housing and sustainability figures have rallied to support Green Light, Inside Housing’s new campaign to secure social landlords’ access to vital green subsidies so the sector can protect tenants from fuel poverty.
Multi-million pound repairs contracts issued

03/11/2011

A major housing provider has awarded its contracts for repairs and maintenance work in a deal worth £630 million.
Charity warns of increase in rough sleepers

01/11/2011

Three out of five outreach workers across the country say they are seeing an increasing number of rough sleepers, according to new research published by homelessness charity St Mungo’s.
Landlords urged to tackle gangs

01/11/2011

Housing providers will be encouraged to see preventing gangs and violence as part of their broader aims under plans outlined by the Home Office today.
Pickles reveals empty homes council tax plans

01/11/2011

Plans to force owners of empty homes to pay council tax will increase the housing supply across England, the government said.
Fed: '1.4 million years to clear housing waiting list'

01/11/2011

It would take 1.4 million years to clear the backlog of northern families waiting for social housing if the housing market does not improve, the National Housing Federation has said.
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.
Inquiry into housing crisis set for launch

28/10/2011

A campaign group hoping to raise the profile of affordable housing in government are to launch an independent national enquiry into the housing crisis.
Fears for Welsh language over home swap plans

28/10/2011

Welsh language campaigners have slammed plans to allow social tenants to swap their homes.
Boris releases land for new homes

28/10/2011

Around 3,500 new homes will be built on public land in London, mayor Boris Johnson has announced.
‘Phantom beds’ for homeless people

28/10/2011

A government scheme to provide accommodation for homeless people will only supply a third of the ‘extra’ beds ministers promised.
DWP admits benefit numbers confusion

28/10/2011

Civil servants at the Department for Work and Pensions admitted they do not know how many people living in supported housing there are who will be affected by proposed benefit reforms.
Livingstone planning ‘Living rent’ for London

28/10/2011

Labour candidate for London mayor Ken Livingstone will make plans for a ‘living rent’ the centrepiece of his housing strategy.
Scottish Govt misses home adaptation 'open goal'

26/10/2011

Cutting the budget for specialist home adaptation means the Scottish Government has missed an ‘open goal’ for money saving, according to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.
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.
Ministers urged to define affordable housing

25/10/2011

Campaigners have called on the government to strengthen the definition of affordable housing in planning reform.
Welsh Govt to review homelessness legislation

25/10/2011

The Welsh Government will undertake a review of homelessness legislation as part of its ten year homelessness plan.
Bank to boost social housing with £30m loan

24/10/2011

Social housing in Northern Ireland is set to benefit from a £65 million boost as a result of a funding partnership between a housing association and Northern Bank.
Landlord gives ex-armed forces housing priority

24/10/2011

Ex-service men and women will be given a priority route into affordable housing by a Scottish housing association.
Lack of London housing threatens 50,000 jobs

24/10/2011

A lack of housing in London could jeopardise 50,000 jobs over the next 10 years, a property consultant has warned.
Welsh housing needs greater investment

24/10/2011

The Welsh Government should invest an extra £40 million in affordable housing, Community Housing Cymru said.
Councils back transitional period for NPPF

24/10/2011

Councils have welcomed the government’s commitment to implementing a transitional period for planning reforms.
Livingstone pledges to tackle rogue landlords

24/10/2011

Labour’s candidate for the London mayoral elections launched a new housing campaign yesterday aiming to expose the capital’s bad private sector landlords.
Affordable house building up 5 per cent

21/10/2011

Affordable housing construction in Wales has risen by 5 per cent in the last year, according to the latest figures.
Scottish minister attacks benefit reforms

21/10/2011

The secretary for capital investment and infrastructure in Scotland has hit out at plans to reform the benefit system.
Pickles questions withdrawal of rioters’ benefits

21/10/2011

The communities secretary has said taking benefits away from people involved in the riots will not prevent more violence.
Studies find planning changes will protect green belt

21/10/2011

Removing centrally prescribed planning targets will help councils protect the green belt, a series of assessments have found.
Planning framework ‘at odds’ with localism

21/10/2011

Councils have rallied against the government’s planning reforms for betraying the spirit of localism.
Supported housing reforms ‘unworkable’

21/10/2011

Services for vulnerable people could be forced to close if housing benefit reforms go ahead, providers have warned.
Planning changes to go before Parliament

20/10/2011

MPs will debate controversial changes to the planning system in parliament today, as ministers consider consultation responses from the sector.
Response to NPPF wants affordable homes priority

19/10/2011

Housing groups have called on the government to prioritise affordable homes in the reform of the planning system, or face worsening the housing crisis.
CIH want support for older people to downsize

19/10/2011

Older people should be offered more alternatives to downsize, the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.
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.
Letter calls for planning reforms to help elderly

17/10/2011

A group of specialist housing providers has written to the government urging ministers to ensure planning reforms provide for an ageing population.
Community development consultation published

14/10/2011

The government has published a consultation on plans to allow communities to plan for development in their areas.
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.
Fears for vulnerable amid claims of govt mistake

14/10/2011

The government failed to count more than 200,000 vulnerable tenants when it drew up plans to hand councils a pot of money to pay for supported housing costs, charities have claimed.
New tax could hamper affordable homes

14/10/2011

Councils could set new development taxes so high that house builders will not be able to afford to provide affordable housing, the National Housing Federation has warned.
Planning first target for new housing minister

14/10/2011

The new shadow housing minister has slammed the government’s handling of planning reform in his first week in the job.
Report says govt 'failing' in housing

14/10/2011

The government is failing to deliver on its promises to boost housing supply and protect vulnerable people, leading housing groups have claimed.
Scotland hits out at welfare bill

14/10/2011

The Scottish Government has criticised Westminster for asking it to vote through controversial changes to the welfare system without ‘enough information’ to pass the reforms.
NFA want housing management transparency

13/10/2011

Councils should make sure decisions on housing management are transparent and involve tenants, the National Federation of ALMOs has said.
Council wants ALMO brought back in-house

13/10/2011

Islington Council has recommended that its arm’s-length management organisation is brought back in house after months of uncertainty.
Landlord to build Scottish homes with £30m

13/10/2011

One of the country’s biggest landlords will build 350 homes in Scotland with £30 million from Scottish Government finance initiatives.
Housing Forum warns NPPF could backfire

12/10/2011

Government plans to reform planning could backfire and lead to less development, a housing body 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.
Dromey in pledge to push housing 'centre stage'

11/10/2011

Ed Miliband’s new shadow communities team will put housing ‘centre stage’, according to the new shadow housing minister.
NPPF defended at select committee

11/10/2011

Planning experts have defended changes to the planning policy, saying it will not result in widespread building on the greenbelt.
Landlord nets saving with insurance deal

11/10/2011

Affinity Sutton has targeted an annual saving of £250,000 after agreeing a so-called captive insurance deal with a sector-specialist broker.
Fears that RTB could jeopardise housing finance reform

11/10/2011

Council representatives have expressed concern that government plans to relaunch the right to buy could jeopardise housing finance reform.
Scottish Govt social homes plans branded 'misleading'

11/10/2011

Housing experts have accused the Scottish Government of being misleading over plans to increase social housing in Scotland.
Recycling rates not fault of high density housing

11/10/2011

High density housing is no excuse for failing to boost London’s recycling rates, a report from the London Assembly has said.
Select committee debates NPPF

10/10/2011

Experts and MPs are debating changes to the planning framework this afternoon as part of a government enquiry.
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.
Northern tenants to be hit for £146m with reforms

10/10/2011

Plans to penalise 240,000 families across the North of England for renting a home with a spare room will cost social housing tenants £146.12 million a year, the National Housing Federation has claimed.
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.
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.
Council warns of dangers of planning reforms

07/10/2011

One of the UK’s biggest councils has warned that proposals to overhaul planning laws in the UK could damage the ability of local authorities to control development.
Big four ask Treasury for £43bn write-off

07/10/2011

Four of the country’s largest housing associations have called on the government to release £43 billion of historic grant to allow them to fund new homes.
Charities voice fears for supported accommodation

07/10/2011

The government must maintain the housing safety net for the most vulnerable people in society, according to a coalition of charities and housing organisations.
A home of their own

07/10/2011

The number of adults with learning disabilities in need of specialist housing is set to rise by 48,000 over the next 15 years. But as Rhiannon Bury reports, funding constraints and benefit changes could deny them an independent life
Edinburgh and Glasgow forced to share housing fund

07/10/2011

A £250 million sum previously ring-fenced for housing in Edinburgh and Glasgow is to be shared with other councils across Scotland, the country’s housing minister has revealed.
'Let us borrow' says minister

07/10/2011

The Welsh finance minister has called on the UK government to lift borrowing restrictions to fund new housing in Wales.
MSPs attack Cameron over right to buy

06/10/2011

Scottish MSPs have criticised David Cameron’s plan to invigorate the right to buy in England, calling it ‘entirely the wrong decision’.
Govt departments identify land for 54,000 homes

06/10/2011

Government departments have identified enough public land to build 54,000 homes as part of government plans to free up land for housing.
Minister says homes crisis is 'destroying family life'

05/10/2011

The planning minister has said the lack of homes in the UK is ‘destroying family life’.
Scottish MPs called on to give govt 'reality check'

05/10/2011

Scottish ministers must assess how proposed welfare reforms will impact people in Scotland, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has said.
CIH gives RTB proposals cautious welcome

04/10/2011

Government plans to deliver a further 200,000 affordable homes have been welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Housing.
Developers unsure localism will help planning

04/10/2011

Developers are doubtful that plans to give communities more say over growth in their area will make planning decisions easier, a report shows.
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.
Fed: 'planning reform could hurt sec 106 payments'

03/10/2011

Campaigners have expressed concern that changes to the planning system will allow councils to avoid affordable housing obligations.
NPPF to usher in unplanned development, claims campaign

01/10/2011

Almost half of England’s councils will be open to unplanned development when planning reforms take effect, according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
Homelessness charity staff threaten to strike

30/09/2011

Staff at one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities are threatening strike action over new working conditions.
Welsh families to be hit by welfare reforms

30/09/2011

The Welsh housing minister has criticised central government plans to reform the welfare system, saying he expects more families to face financial difficulties in the coming months.
Lack of detail in NPPF threatens legal problems

30/09/2011

Councils could face a raft of legal challenges to planning decisions if the government does not provide more detail around planning legislation, experts have warned.
Welsh AMs unveil housing reforms

30/09/2011

The Welsh Government plans to provide financial incentives to encourage councils to bring up to 12,000 empty homes back into use by 2016.
Zero carbon homes ‘too expensive’ to build

30/09/2011

Building zero carbon homes is too costly and difficult in the current economic climate, a survey of 20 developers has claimed.
Willmott Dixon in line for £38m care contract

28/09/2011

Developer Willmott Dixon has been named the preferred bidder for a £38 million contract to deliver care homes across Warwickshire.
Welsh to release public land for housing

27/09/2011

The Welsh government has outlined plans to bring more public sector land into use to provide affordable homes.
Increased council borrowing could deliver homes

27/09/2011

A group of housing experts has called on the government to increase local authority borrowing powers to deliver more affordable homes.
Campaigners demand choice on direct payment

27/09/2011

A group of organisations has called on the work and pensions secretary to allow tenants to have their benefits paid directly to landlords.
Labour would overhaul social housing allocations

27/09/2011

People in work could be given priority on social housing waiting lists under proposals to be outlined by Ed Miliband at Labour’s annual conference today.
Mencap study identifies housing shortage

27/09/2011

Adults with a learning disability may be forced to live with their parents long into their adult lives due to a lack of suitable housing, according to research.
Eviction-threat Traveller court case adjourned

23/09/2011

A High Court case to decide whether to evict travellers from the Dale Farm site in Essex has been adjourned until Monday.
Council votes to ditch ALMO

23/09/2011

Stevenage Council has voted to scrap its arm’s-length management organisation, bringing housing services back in house.
Housing biggest victim of spending review cuts

23/09/2011

Housing and regeneration has emerged as one of the biggest losers in the Scottish spending review.
Public split over new homes bonus

23/09/2011

A £1 billion scheme to encourage councils to build new homes will not sway the majority of people, a survey has revealed.
Stunell announces new build sustainability tests

23/09/2011

Housing developments are to be vetted to ensure they are as eco-friendly as developers and social landlords claim.
Second round of affordable homes funding announced

22/09/2011

The Scottish housing minister has announced a second round of a funding scheme to provide affordable homes north of the border.
NPPF to boost affordable homes development

22/09/2011

The National Planning Policy Framework will deliver more affordable homes, the decentralisation minister promised today.
Scottish government to cut housing budget

21/09/2011

Housing and regeneration in Scotland will face a 42 per cent budget cut over the next three years as part of the Scottish Parliament’s spending review, which was unveiled today (Wednesday).
Lib Dems to produce separate housing strategy

20/09/2011

The Liberal Democrats will go into the next election with its own ideas on housing strategy, a backbench MP has said.
Minister pledges support for advice services

19/09/2011

Early intervention is key to tackling homelessness in Wales, the Welsh housing minister has said.
Council poised to evict Dale Farm residents

19/09/2011

Basildon Council is preparing to begin clearing the Dale Farm Traveller site after last minute talks with residents were abandoned.
Alliance lobbies for landlord pay option

09/09/2011

Private and social landlords have formed an alliance with tenants to challenge the government’s housing benefit reforms.
Architects appointed for 5,000-home eco-town

02/09/2011

The architects have been appointed for a new eco town in Cornwall which will provide 5,000 green homes for the local community.
UN calls for peaceful solution to Dale Farm

02/09/2011

The United Nations has expressed regret over plans to evict a group of travellers from a site in Essex.
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.
Homeless could live in boats and caravans

02/09/2011

English councils will be allowed to house homeless people in caravans and houseboats from next year, the Communities and Local Government department has said.
Homes target to be missed

02/09/2011

Scotland will miss its target to build 6,000 affordable homes a year unless the government almost trebles its spending on new homes, the country’s leading housing organisations have said.
Rural group brands NPPF attacks 'ill-informed'

01/09/2011

The response of some groups to the reform of the planning system is ‘ill-informed’, the Country Land and Business Association has said.
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.
Dale Farm Travellers lose appeal

31/08/2011

A last-ditch attempt by Travellers to delay a council’s attempt to evict them from their homes has been foiled in the High Court.
New pilots chosen for neighbourhood planning

31/08/2011

A fourth wave of areas chosen to pilot neighbourhood planning powers has been announced.
Shapps' boat plan attacked as 'gimmick'

30/08/2011

A Government plan to tackle the housing crisis by giving cash incentives to councils which encourage people to live on boats has been dismissed as a desperate gimmick.
Councils unprepared for homelessness target

30/08/2011

Some local authorities in Scotland are not prepared for the 2012 homelessness target, figures from the Scottish Government have revealed.
Shapps calls for boats to ease housing crisis

30/08/2011

Councils which encourage people to live on boats to ease the housing crisis will be given financial rewards, the housing minister has said.
UK's most affordable location revealed

30/08/2011

Scotland is the most affordable place to own a home in the UK, a new report has found.
Dale Farm eviction protest grows

30/08/2011

Campaigners from across Europe have united to protest against the eviction of families at England’s largest traveller site.
CEOs call for Cameron to stand firm on planning

27/08/2011

Housing professionals have urged David Cameron to stand firm in the face of growing controversy over changes to the planning system.
RDA assets due for transfer revealed

26/08/2011

A list of the regional development agency assets due to be transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency has been published.
Councils to be given freedom to sell housing land

26/08/2011

The government has outlined plans to give councils more financial freedoms to sell their council housing assets.
Housing crisis to 'worsen' as planning permissions fall

26/08/2011

The number of planning permissions granted in England in the last quarter was the second lowest in five years, according to the latest figures from the Home Builders Federation.
Councils fail to identify five-year supply of land

26/08/2011

More than half of Welsh local authorites have failed to identify enough land to meet housing need over the next five years.
Deputy PM challenges Shapps over budget cuts

26/08/2011

The deputy prime minister has warned housing minister Grant Shapps that council cuts to supported housing budgets in England are causing vital services for vulnerable people to be scrapped.
Tory peer brands abolition of RDAs a 'mistake'

25/08/2011

A Conservative peer has criticised the government’s decision to abolish regional bodies, calling it a ‘mistake’.
Contractors win £800m framework

24/08/2011

Social housing procurement consortium Cyntra has awarded an £800 million framework deal to six contractors.
Green belt development row grows

23/08/2011

The planning minister has waded into a row between campaign groups and housebuilders over proposed planning reform.
Dare to care

23/08/2011

The news that residents of a threatened retirement home successfully fought their case against Anchor Trust is a small victory for people who felt they had been unfairly treated.
Council support for homeless families on the rise

23/08/2011

Local authority homelessness prevention cases increased by 16 per cent this year, according to government statistics.
Benefits cap will hurt larger families, report says

22/08/2011

Larger families will face financial shortfalls under government plans to cap benefits, according to research.
Housing survey reveals support for communities

22/08/2011

More than 93 per cent of people in Scotland rate their communities as nice places to live, according to the annual Scottish Household Survey.
Outlook gloomy for housing provision

19/08/2011

Only 110,000 new homes will be built each year, according to new research by economics consultancy Cebr.
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.
Landlords: ‘We will kick convicted rioters out ’

19/08/2011

Most social landlords in areas affected by last week’s riots will consider evicting tenants convicted of offences relating to the disorder.
Tory calls for development on green belt

18/08/2011

A Conservative peer has tabled an amendment to the Localism Bill suggesting that the green belt should be used for development.
Housebuilder goes into administration

18/08/2011

A Scottish housebuilder has gone into administration, citing sustained cash-flow problems caused by the downturn in the housing market as the reason for its demise.
Statutory housing strategy for councils proposed

18/08/2011

A Labour peer has called on local authorities to have a statutory 10 year housing strategy as part of the Localism Bill.
Council decides to keep ALMO

17/08/2011

Hounslow Council will retain its arm’s-length management organisation to manage its housing for at least another five years.
Housebuilders defend government reforms

17/08/2011

A group of housebuilders and construction experts has leapt to the defence of government plans to reform the planning system.
National Housing Trust launched

17/08/2011

The site for the first homes built under a new Scottish finance initiative was opened today by the Scottish housing minister.
Call made for new funding for Scottish affordable housing

17/08/2011

The chief executive of one of Scotland’s largest housing associations is calling on the Scottish Government to find new ways of funding affordable housing after slashing its development targets.
Charity demands policy rethink in wake of riots

16/08/2011

A charity has called on the government to rethink policies that might harm families in the wake of the riots across the country last week.
Cameron pledges to help troubled families as Miliband attacks

15/08/2011

The Prime Minister has promised to ‘turn around’ the lives of the most troubled families in the UK following the riots across the country last week.
Paper calls for Community Right to Buy exemption

15/08/2011

Residential property should not be included in plans to help communities purchase local assets, a consultation has said.
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.
Social housing starts on the rise

15/08/2011

Social housing project starts increased by 19 per cent in the three months to July, according to the latest Glenigan construction figures.
Wandsworth seeks eviction over riots

12/08/2011

A Wandsworth Council tenant whose son has appeared in court charged in connection with Monday night’s disturbances in Clapham Junction will today be served with an eviction notice.
Resident critical following tower block fire

12/08/2011

A man is in a critical condition following a fire in a council tower block in London last night.
ALMO office damaged during rioting

10/08/2011

An arm’s-length management organisation had one of its housing offices damaged during riots in Wolverhampton last night.
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.
Campaigners defend attacks on planning reforms

09/08/2011

Countryside groups have defended their attacks on the government’s planning reforms, after a minister accused them of mounting a ‘smear campaign’.
Payment row leaves 2,000 without TV

08/08/2011

Thousands of London homes have been left without television for more than a week after contractors removed aerials due to a dispute over pay.
Landlord awards £40 million home improvement contract

08/08/2011

Lewisham Homes has appointed maintenance contractor Mitie to carry out a £40 million home improvement programme over the next five years.
Politicians urged to recognise importance of housing

08/08/2011

Getting the balance right between renting and homeownership will be key to winning over the squeezed middle at the next election, says a new book published this week by the Fabian Society.
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.
Brussels takes on London over campaigners’ bills

05/08/2011

Housing providers could face a wave of legal challenges over plans to develop new homes if politicians in Brussels win a landmark case in the European Court of Justice.
Claim that offices can become 250,000 homes rejected

05/08/2011

Senior officials warned that statistics the government used to promote a flagship policy to convert office space into new homes were too optimistic.
Council decides to retain ALMO

03/08/2011

Lambeth Council will retain its arm’s-length management organisation after a consultation on its future.
Public sector house building on the rise

02/08/2011

New home registrations are steadily are up from last year, according to data from the National House Building Council.
Northern Ireland homeless figures on the rise

02/08/2011

The number of households presenting as homeless in Northern Ireland has increased by 8 per cent on last year.
Cash boost for repossession help service

01/08/2011

The Northern Ireland housing minister has announced a £500,000 fund to help people at risk of losing their home.
Social housing charter consultation published

01/08/2011

The Scottish Government has published a consultation on the future of tenant services and landlord regulation.
£20 million scheme to tackle rough sleeping launched

01/08/2011

A new £20 million grant scheme has been opened up by a homeless charity for voluntary sector organisations working to tackle rough sleeping in England.
Call made to remove two-year tenancies from bill

01/08/2011

The Labour party has called on the housing minister to remove all mention of two-year social tenancies from the Localism Bill.
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.
Minister announces council planning proposals

29/07/2011

Councils will have to make planning decisions within 12 months, decentralisation minister Greg Clark has said.
Welsh landlords plan £75m bond

29/07/2011

A group of Welsh housing associations is turning to the bond market for funding following government grant cuts.
Tenants to have vital role in shaping new panels

28/07/2011

Tenants’ organisations will play an integral role in producing guidance for new tenant panels.
Council brings ALMO back in house

26/07/2011

Basildon Council has brought its housing management back in house, saving £1 million annually.
Scottish affordable homes target missed

22/07/2011

The Scottish Government’s flagship affordable homes fund will only deliver 700 homes this year – 500 fewer than planned.
First bids for NHT funding

22/07/2011

The first deals have been signed under Scotland’s flagship programme to kick-start house building.
Pathfinder bids too high

22/07/2011

A £30 million fund to help the areas worst affected by the axing of the housing market renewal programme has received almost £45 million of bids.
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.
Inquiry calls for housing changes to support elderly

19/07/2011

An inquiry into care for older people has called for housing, health and social care to be integrated in order to help people maintain their independence.
Housing project gives city economic boost

18/07/2011

A £1 billion project to upgrade homes in Glasgow has brought a major economic boost and thousands of jobs to the city.
House building starts fall

18/07/2011

Construction starts were down 24 per cent between April and June, the latest Glenigan Index has revealed.
Cardiff land for housing warning

18/07/2011

Land for housing in Cardiff will run out in two years, planning consultants have warned.
Experts concerned by planning framework

15/07/2011

The forthcoming national planning policy framework lacks detail around plans for the provision of affordable housing, experts have warned.
Call to step up help for child runaways

15/07/2011

Young homeless children are being left at risk of sexual exploitation because the services designed to help them are too slow to make contact or simply do not know they exist, a new report warned this week.
Housing staff turn bin men in Southampton

15/07/2011

Housing association staff have been doubling as bin men in Southampton after mounds of rubbish piled up in the city during strikes by council workers.
Solicitor wins legal aid review in battle to save resident wardens

15/07/2011

A solicitor campaigning to keep resident wardens in sheltered housing schemes has won the right to appeal a decision to deny her firm legal aid funding.
Fuel poverty on rise in UK

14/07/2011

More than a fifth of UK households were affected by fuel poverty in 2009, government figures have revealed.
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.
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.
Localism Bill amendment for regional spacial strategies snubbed

12/07/2011

The government has ruled out a transitional arrangement to help councils prepare for the scrapping of regional planning targets.
Impact assessment shows health concerns with tenant cashback scheme

12/07/2011

The government has admitted that a new scheme to let tenants control their repairs might lead to health and safety problems.
Campaign group demands care alternative

11/07/2011

A campaign group has written to every MP in the country calling for community-based supported living services to replace institutional services for people with learning disabilities.
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.
Dilnot: associations to play larger care role

08/07/2011

Proposed changes to the way social care for adults is funded could lead to housing associations offering care services to private homeowners, housing experts have predicted.
Peers in plot to fight benefit cap

08/07/2011

Labour peers are to challenge government plans to cap benefits.
Tenants fight to save ALMO

08/07/2011

A group of tenants has launched a petition to save an arm’s-length management organisation from being brought back under council control.
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.
Former minister questions removal of Supporting People ring fence

07/07/2011

A former housing minister whose own government removed the ring-fence around Supporting People funds has suggested it may not be correct in the current climate.
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.
Local areas promised benefits after RDA land switch to HCA

06/07/2011

Money raised from the sale of Regional Development Agencies’ assets will be ploughed back into local areas, the Homes and Communities Agency has pledged.
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.
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.
Neighbourhoods at risk of becoming ghettoised

04/07/2011

Some of Britain’s poorest neighbourhoods are at risk of becoming ghettoised if budget cuts halt society’s efforts to pull them ‘back from the cliff edge’, a new book warns.
Millions of tenants snubbed by landlords

04/07/2011

More than 7.5 million private tenants have had issues with their landlord in the last 10 years, and 3 million said their landlords did nothing when asked about problems, according to research.
Chief executive appointed for 'super-ALMO'

04/07/2011

The first multiple council arm’s-length management organisation has announced its chief executive.
Rise in homeless in Wales blamed on government cuts

01/07/2011

The First Minister of Wales has blamed an increase in the number of homeless people in Wales on the coalition government’s spending cuts.
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.
Judge throws out council plans for 3,600 homes

01/07/2011

A judge has quashed council plans to build 3,600 homes in Hertfordshire after finding they fell short of environmental requirements.
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.
Call for clarity after Pathfinders £1.4bn fund snub

30/06/2011

The housing minister has been asked to clarify his comments on the use of a £1.4 billion fund to support housing market renewal programmes.
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.
Scottish house building fund oversubscribed

29/06/2011

A fund for house building in Scotland has been oversubscribed, proving the Scottish Government should extend the offer, the Chartered Institute of Housing has said.
Plans for community control of ALMOS given to government

29/06/2011

Plans to allow local communities to take control of arm’s-length management organisations in a bid to gain access to more private investment have been presented to government.
Housing association transfers stock eight years after it was set up

29/06/2011

Glasgow Housing Association has finished the final stage of its stock transfer, eight years after it was set up for that purpose.
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.
Pathfinder areas cut off from £1.4bn fund

28/06/2011

The head of the £1.4 billion regional growth fund has said the money will not be used for housing market renewal, contradicting claims made by the housing minister.
Councils to cut care spending by 8.4%

28/06/2011

Council spending on social care for older people is likely to be cut by 8.4 per cent, charity Age UK has warned.
Benefit changes to hit one in five tenants

27/06/2011

One in five Scottish tenants will lose income as a result of benefit changes, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations has warned.
London homes could drive wider economy

27/06/2011

Investment in affordable housing in London is vital for the economy of both the capital and the UK as a whole, a report has found.
Pickles rejects criticism of planning reforms

27/06/2011

Eric Pickles has defended his decision to scrap house building targets, following criticism by a parliamentary committee.
Hometrack records surge in house sales

27/06/2011

House sales in the last month have risen 10.6 per cent, with more buyers registering interest with agents.
CIH tells Shapps to support housing more

24/06/2011

The housing minister must support the sector to bring it further up the political agenda, Sarah Webb, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said.
Homelessness in Wales on the rise

24/06/2011

The number of homeless households in Wales has risen by 13 per cent from last year with things set to get worse, Shelter Cymru has said.
Leeds ALMO staff link up to save cash

24/06/2011

In these austere times arm’s-length management organisations aren’t exempt from cutbacks - and three in Leeds are merging their back office functions to save £1.6 million a year between them.
Supporting People funds aligned to performance

24/06/2011

Supported housing providers could be forced to cut services because of plans to withhold contractual payments until they can prove how good they are.
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.
Housing providers should be on health boards argues CIH

22/06/2011

The Chartered Institute of Housing has issued new calls for housing providers to be mandatory members of new health and wellbeing boards.
Number of children living in damp homes increasing

22/06/2011

The number of children in Scotland living in damp homes has risen by 20 per cent from last year to 186,000, according to Shelter Scotland.
Public sector set for recovery

21/06/2011

The public sector is on the road to recovery and is not being abolished, a top economist has said.
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.
No cash left for low-cost homes

17/06/2011

Councils are dropping affordable housing targets to prioritise more lucrative types of development, the National Housing Federation has warned.
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.
Fire safety champion to help landlords increase safety

16/06/2011

The government has appointed a ‘fire safety champion’ who will help landlords reduce fires in their homes.
Government under pressure to rethink emergency fund cut

16/06/2011

Charities have put more pressure on the government to rethink scrapping an emergency fund for vulnerable people.
£1.5 million care grant released to help older people stay independent at home

16/06/2011

Care and repair services in Wales will benefit from an extra £1.5 million to help older people remain independent in their homes.
Presumption for sustainable development needs better definition say experts

15/06/2011

The government’s ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’ needs to be more tightly defined, experts have said.
Ministers to consider paying housing benefit direct to landlords

14/06/2011

Government ministers have reassured housing providers that they will consider paying housing benefit directly to landlords following a debate last night.
Housing market stays flat

14/06/2011

The housing market has failed to pick up in the last quarter, with little sign of an increased appetite to view property, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
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.
Housing association calls for creation of 'minister for older people'

14/06/2011

A leading housing association is spearheading a campaign to install a minister for older people in Whitehall.
Working people to get housing priority under Labour

13/06/2011

Ed Miliband will announce today that people in work will be given priority on social housing waiting lists.
40,000 affordable homes target is dropped

10/06/2011

The coalition government has dropped a target to build 40,000 affordable homes on public sector land.
Shapps: interest in affordable rent exceeding 'wildest expectations'

09/06/2011

The housing minister has said interest in the affordable rent programme from housing providers has exceeded his ‘wildest expectations’.
DWP criticised for ignoring localism drive

09/06/2011

MPs have criticised the Department for Work and Pensions for ignoring the government’s localism policy when developing its benefit reforms.
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.
Vulnerable people at risk under health reforms

08/06/2011

Government health care reforms risk shutting vulnerable people out of the health service, the National Housing Federation has warned.
Welsh government tells planners to do more

08/06/2011

The Welsh government has told planners they must do more to support jobs and economic growth.
HCA to release land for 3,000 homes

08/06/2011

The Homes and Communities Agency is releasing land for an extra 3,000 homes as part of a government drive to utilise public sector land.
Green spaces to get protection from communities

07/06/2011

Communities will be able to protect environmentally and locally important green spaces under plans outlined by the communities secretary.
Quarter of homelessness enquiries to charity from under-25s

07/06/2011

One in four homelessness enquiries to Citizens Advice are from people under 25, the charity has revealed.
HCA product to aid house building

07/06/2011

Local authorities will be able to map potential development areas through a free web-based system developed by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Council reveals £55 million regeneration plan for 600 homes

07/06/2011

Edinburgh Council has unveiled £55 million of regeneration across the city which will provide up to 600 new homes.
Housing support services lose thousands of users

03/06/2011

Thousands fewer people used housing-related support services in 2010/11 than during the previous year.
Miliband reveals thoughts on housing and localism

03/06/2011

Labour leader Ed Miliband has slammed government plans to introduce fixed-term tenancies, in an exclusive interview about his housing plans.
Older people told to run own services

03/06/2011

Groups of vulnerable older people should take over the running of their sheltered housing schemes if they don’t want their resident wardens axed, according to the decentralisation minister.
Shapps tells communities to start planning despite powers not being ready

02/06/2011

The housing minister has called on communities to start planning development in their area in readiness for new local powers.
Scottish voters misled by government over home builds plan, claims charity

02/06/2011

The Scottish Government has been accused of misleading voters about the number of social homes it intends to build.
Government construction strategy revealed

01/06/2011

The government has unveiled its construction strategy, which it hopes will reduce public sector procurement costs by up to 20 per cent by the end of this parliament.
Fears grow for first-time buyers

31/05/2011

Nearly two-thirds of adults believe they will never buy a home, with fears that lack of mortgage availability will lead to a generation of renters.
Thousands of elderly people not receiving right support claims charity

31/05/2011

Around 800,000 elderly people are not getting the social care support they need, and that figure could rise to one million people within four years, according to Age UK.
Planning permissions at half the level of five years ago

31/05/2011

Housing planning permissions granted in the first quarter of this year show a year-on-year fall and are now at around half the level of five years ago, according to the Home Builders Federation.
Cala appeal dismissed in court

27/05/2011

A developer has lost its appeal against communities secretary Eric Pickles’ decision to scrap regional planning targets.
Feantsa: ‘UK must stop deporting rough sleepers’

27/05/2011

European homelessness organisations are demanding that the UK scraps a pilot scheme to forcibly deport homeless people to their country of origin.
New powers could evict tenants for littering

27/05/2011

Tenants could be evicted for minor offences such as littering under new anti-social behaviour powers, homeless charities have warned.
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.
More providers are assessing homes for climate change risk

26/05/2011

The number of housing providers assessing their homes for climate change risk has risen by nearly a quarter in two years.
Property industry should support communities

25/05/2011

Developers and communities will need to work together to deliver the government’s plan for local-led development, the Land and Society Commission has said.
Scottish government u-turn on adaptation funding

25/05/2011

The Scottish government have agreed to look again at the eligibility criteria for housing adaptations after criticism from landlords.
Housing ladder a distant dream for Scottish young people

25/05/2011

The majority of young Scots are losing hope of getting on the housing ladder, a survey has revealed.
Empty homes 'hidden' by councils

24/05/2011

Thousands of empty homes are being hidden from statistics as councils run out of money to fund regeneration projects, research has revealed.
Council to challenge Shapps over £30 million snub

24/05/2011

Gateshead Council will challenge the government over a decision to exclude it from a £30 million fund to improve housing market renewal areas.
Miliband outlines Labour promise to improve housing

23/05/2011

Labour leader Ed Miliband has set out his promise to improve housing in a speech today.
Sustainable development warning issued ahead of planning framework

23/05/2011

The government has been urged not to water down the definition of sustainable development through its planning framework.
Landlord brings repairs in-house to protect jobs

23/05/2011

Liverpool’s biggest landlord has set up an in-house repairs service in an attempt to save jobs after cancelling its previous contract.
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.
Proposals for draft National Planning Policy Framework released

20/05/2011

Local authorities must have a clear understanding of the housing need in their area, a proposed draft of the National Planning Policy Framework has said.
Green revolution

20/05/2011

The Green Party this month won an historic victory to take control of its first council. Here, in an exclusive interview with Rhiannon Bury, Brighton & Hove’s new leader Bill Randall reveals his plans
Kent reveals new build plan

20/05/2011

Kent Council has unveiled proposals to increase the use of public land to deliver new affordable housing.
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.
Funding boost for older people's housing service

19/05/2011

A national older people’s housing advice service has been awarded a two-year funding package worth £1.5 million.
Campaigners fight under occupancy cut

18/05/2011

Housing and disability campaigners have joined forces to fight against proposed cuts to housing benefit for people who under occupy homes.
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.
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.
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.
Pickles accused of legalising cash for planning

12/05/2011

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has been accused of attempting to legalise planning decisions made on the basis of financial reward.
Councils still failing homeless teenagers

11/05/2011

Councils have been urged to meet their legal obligations to homeless 16 and 17 year olds, following a court judgement last week.
Welsh Assembly should set up empty homes fund

22/03/2011

The Welsh Assembly Government should set up a fund from which local authorities can lend to landlords to bring empty properties back to use, suggested a report.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Call for councils to be given control over housing benefit

01/10/2010

Unemployed tenants who find a job should receive an increase in housing benefit rather than have their state support cut, according to the Liberal Democrat leader in local government.
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.
HCA map to pinpoint location of England’s 652,000 empty homes

20/08/2010

The Homes and Communities Agency will map every empty home in England in a bid to dramatically reduce their number - an estimated 652,000.The map will be used to pinpoint empty homes ‘hotspots’ and provide information on their surroundings.
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.

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