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From the archive - focus on empty homes funding

Inside Housing looks back at what was happening in the sector this week five, 15 and 25 years ago

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25 years ago this week, we focused on empty homes funding #ukhousing

5 years ago this week, Universal Credit pilots dominated Inside Housing #ukhousing

25 years ago

Bringing empty homes back into use was then, as today, a major concern for Inside Housing readers. We revealed that 53 housing associations were to be allocated £130m between them to buy up empty homes, with a target of buying up 17,000 properties.

But the magazine also reported that an existing scheme on empty homes above shops was stagnating, with most of the funding not actually spent. Associations could bid for funding from local authorities or central government from two pots. But after three years, only a handful of projects got off the ground.

“This year there is £5m from the [Department of the Environment], and some councils are admitting… that very little will be spent. The schemes are just not ready,” said Ann Petherick, director of Living Over the Shop, the agency that co-ordinated efforts.

15 years ago

Following the tragic death of a two-year-old girl named Ainlee Labonte, the magazine was trying to find the lessons for social landlords.

Ainlee’s parents – Leanne Labonte and Dennis Henry – were jailed for manslaughter and found to have abused and neglected the toddler, who was discovered dead in their Newham council flat.

A report by the Newham Area Child Protection Committee came up with many recommendations, but most strikingly dealt with how dread of the couple had led to a failure to address Ainlee’s deteriorating condition. “Leanne and Dennis were aggressive, threatening and violent towards healthcare staff and housing officers,” the report said. “Housing officers would not make home visits, nor allow the couple to visit the office after experiencing [their] violence.”

As a result, Inside Housing considered how social landlords were responding to the threat of violence to housing staff. Debbie Larner, manager of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s good practice unit at the time, said: “Pretty much everyone I know has been threatened. Where I worked before there were several violent incidents.”

Five years ago

The first pilots of Universal Credit had been going for six months, and Inside Housing reported keenly on the progress of these guinea pigs – and specifically the change of paying housing benefit to tenants, rather than their social landlords.

Most pressing was whether arrears would rise. “We are dealing with people who have never paid monthly for anything,” said Duncan Forbes, then chief executive of Bron Afon, one of six associations in the pilot.

A total of 435 ‘lower risk’ Bron Afon tenants took part, having been identified as more easily able to cope. But their arrears rose from £21,457 to between £83,000 and £116,000 depending on the time of the month.

Additionally, a third had higher arrears in December than in November.

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