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The most widely read Inside Housing articles of 2017
We reveal our most-read pieces online this year
Below is a selection of our most popular pieces this year.
At the end of June we relaunched our website, and this changed the basis on which our statistics about readership are based. Therefore stories from before the relaunch cannot be compared with those published after.
For this reason we have split the most-read lists into top fives before and after the relaunch. The pieces are ordered by unique pageviews, rather than total pageviews (this means multiple views of the same article on the same device are only counted once).
MOST READ NEWS STORIES
Second half of the year (1 July – 17 December)
Government drops LHA cap in huge climbdown: Theresa May’s announcement that the so-called Local Housing Allowance cap – a limit on housing benefit for social tenants in line with private tenants – would no longer apply in social housing or supported housing was greeted with relief.
Gentoo chief executive resigns with immediate effect: John Craggs left his position at Gentoo in September, in one of several stories about the Sunderland-based association that were much read by Inside Housing’s readers.
Government announces five-year rent settlement: The government ended months of speculation about rent-setting by announcing a new inflation-linked settlement shortly after the Conservative Party conference came to a close in October.
Regulator downgrades nine associations over financial viability: The Homes and Communities Agency’s new approach to viability ratings – under which some landlords are ‘regraded’ down if they are taking on a certain level of risk – generated huge amounts of interest in the third quarter of 2017.
Two housing associations under review by regulator: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) in August confirmed it was reviewing the compliance of high-profile Sunderland association Gentoo and London-based refuge provider Central & Cecil Trust.
First half of the year (Jan 1 – Jun 30)
Fire safeguards in Grenfell temporarily removed: Later on the day of the Grenfell fire we reported that safeguards intended to prevent the spread of fire were removed temporarily for refurbishment.
Revealed: external panels probable cause of huge tower block fire spread: Our news editor Pete Apps revealed in April – weeks before Grenfell – that external panels were a probable cause in a fire in Shepherd’s Bush in August 2016. This report was one of several that led to Inside Housing being named News Provider of the Year at the British Journalism Awards earlier this month.
Chief executive of large housing association resigns: In our first major story of 2017, we reported that Paul Tennant had announced his resignation as Orbit chief executive in a low-key statement over the Christmas break.
Universal Credit tenants in arrears increases to 86%: In January we reported the results of research by the Association of Retained Council Housing and the National Federation of ALMOs showing sharp increases in the number of Universal Credit tenants in arrears.
Housing associations downgraded by the regulator: The HCA’s downgrades for Swan Housing Association and the Industrial Dwelling Society in March, surprisingly perhaps, also make our list.
MOST READ ANALYSIS/FEATURE PIECES
Second half of the year (1 July – 17 December)
Who’s Who in Local Authority Development List: Our inaugural power list of the council heavy hitters driving the delivery of new homes captured our readers’ imaginations.
The Scottish Leaders List: Another power list, this time in August, featured senior Scottish housing figures and generated much debate.
The zombie housing policies: what has happened to the Right to Buy extension and high-value asset levy? Our piece looking at policies that are not quite dead, but not quite alive either, helped answer a lot of people’s questions.
Chief executive salary survey 2017: How much did your housing association chief executive earn last year? Our exclusive survey, available to Inside Housing subscribers only, was as popular as ever.
Who attended the Number 10 housing summit? Our straightforward guide to those senior sector figures who were invited to Number 10 piqued the interest of our readers in October.
First half of the year (1 January – 30 June)
Dispatches from Manchester: Our three-part guide to what was happening at Housing 2017 in June attracted a huge following.
Top 50 Biggest Builders survey: Find out which housing associations built the most last year.
Down by the Riverside: Sophie Barnes interviewed Riverside chief executive Carol Matthews in June.
Election Insight: manifesto housing pledges at-a-glance: It seems a long time ago now, but back in June our readers were keen for as much information as possible about the political parties’ housing policies ahead of the snap general election.
Manchester’s new chief: Joanne Roney was appointed chief executive of Manchester City Council in April and gave Inside Housing an exclusive interview just weeks into the job.
The poster for the acclaimed film Dispossession
MOST READ OPINION PIECES
Second half of the year (1 July – 17 December)
A massive relief to social landlords and tenants, but what now? Jules Birch’s take on the LHA cap announcement in October was comfortably our most-read opinion piece.
Moving away from traditional office workplace thinking: Philippa Jones, chief executive of Bromford, in November explained how the Midlands association had ditched start and finishing times for its staff.
House builders don’t ‘landbank’ – planning delays mean we need a pipeline: Philip Barnes of Britain’s largest house builder Barratt in October hit back at allegations of landbanking.
Barriers to setting up council-owned housing companies: Why aren’t more councils setting up housing companies? Professor Janice Morphet looked at the issues involved.
A review of the film Dispossession: Jules Birch’s review of the acclaimed social housing film Dispossession.
First half of the year (1 Jan – 30 June)
Jeremy Corbyn’s housing association problem: Inside Housing’s news editor Pete Apps turned his hand to commentary in February with a superb analysis of Jeremy Corbyn’s difficulties with using the phrase ‘housing association’.
Slowly moving away from social purpose: Former housing association chief executive Tom Murtha’s piece about social purpose struck a chord with many. Mr Murtha likened some associations to toads in a saucepan not realising the danger of boiling water.
We can help make Right to Buy work: Ruth Cooke, chief executive of Midland Heart, now set to take over at Clarion, wrote this interesting piece about how the Voluntary Right to Buy is an opportunity for housing associations.
The new housing minister’s to-do list: Nick Atkin, chief executive of Halton Housing Trust, used his IH50 column in June after the general election to lay out a number of areas the new housing minister should focus on.
Housing benefit is not intended to cover the cost of care and support: Tony Stacey, chief executive of South Yorkshire Housing Association, set the record straight about a ‘misapprehension’ about the nature of housing benefit.