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From the archive - week of 10 July
Inside Housing looks back at what was happening in the sector this week five, 15 and 25 years ago
25 years ago
Local authorities should be under a duty to inspect all houses in multiple occupation every three years, and the law on fire prevention should be tightened.
This was the conclusion of an independent report produced in the wake of a fatal fire in a house in multiple occupation (HMO).
But the report, produced for Hove District Council by barrister Alun Alesbury, fell short of recommending a national HMO licensing system.
The report also said Hove District Council did not breach any statutory duty to ensure adequate fire precautions at the house, where five people died in the fire.
The housing minister, meanwhile, got a soaking when he bared his face at a school fete in Ealing, west London. Children – and even more parents – took turns to lob sponges at Sir George Young.
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15 years ago
It was being suggested that NHS trusts could be used as the model for introducing payments for housing association board members – with the potential for a sum as high as £20,000 for senior figures.
Any movement on the highly divisive issue had been delayed, however, by the ministerial changeover at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the focus on the spending review.
The Housing Corporation had made a submission to the government and was awaiting a response before making any move.
Consultation in 2001 had revealed widespread disagreement within the sector, and a further consultation was said to be likely to be launched before any final decision.
Malcolm Levi, then chief executive of Home Group and a supporter of payments, said: “You need to recognise that associations are now significant businesses and the amateur approach can no longer work.
“We are asking a lot of people who give up their time in return for a few sandwiches. In order to attract the right people you need to make payments.”
Five years ago
Landlords trying to provide homes for vulnerable people faced three more years of uncertainty after the government refused to commit to new proposals to fund care.
As the then health secretary Andrew Lansley (above) unveiled the long-awaited care and support white paper, providers warned that they would delay the development of new supported housing schemes until the government provided more certainty over funding.
Mr Lansley said the government supported the principles outlined by Andrew Dilnot’s report the previous year, including capping the cost of care for individuals. But he would not commit to funding until the next spending review in 2013, meaning the cap would not come into effect until 2015 at the earliest.