Morning Briefing: Conservative MPs call for social landlords to be held to account

In other news, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has warned that private rents could rise 15% by 2023 as small-scale landlords pull out of the market due to new taxes on the sector, per the BBC.

The Secure Trust Bank has told Reuters that it has seen a drop in demand for loans to house builders as they prepare for Britain’s exit from the European Union.

The Scottish Government has made £100,000 of emergency grant funding available to help asylum seekers caught up in the Serco eviction row in Glasgow, the BBC reports.

Also in Scotland, Aberdeen City Council has signed up to be part of a Housing First scheme to provide 120 flats for homeless people, according to The Press and Journal. Inside Housing has previously interviewed the founder of the initiative, Josh Littlejohn.

In Wales, Wales Online reports that the number of homeless people in Neath Port Talbot has almost tripled in just a year.

And from Northern Ireland, Joe Frey, knowledge exchange broker at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, writes a blog on the consultation to abolish the House Sales Scheme (or, as it’s known in the rest of the UK, the preserved Right to Buy) as the Department for Communities attempts to move housing associations back to the private sector.

Finally, yet more green belt debate. Writing in City AM, Sam Dumitriu, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, delivers some “home truths” on the green belt and calls for the government to “legalise housing”.

But The Sun’s Rod Liddle frames the debate in terms of immigration, and calls for those who want to build on Britain’s green spaces to “belt up”.

On social media

Twitter has been reacting to the news this morning that the government has decided to keep housing benefit in place for all supported housing:

A welcome end to the uncertainty surrounding funding of short term supported housing. Hopefully this gives providers the reassurance they need to keep doing what they do so well to help people in urgent housing need. t.co/eNFPDYILx1

— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH)

A welcome end to the uncertainty surrounding funding of short term supported housing. Hopefully this gives providers the reassurance they need to keep doing what they do so well to help people in urgent housing need. https://t.co/eNFPDYILx1

— Melanie Rees FCIH (@MelanieReesCIH) August 9, 2018

This is fabulous news. The govt actually listened to the powerful feedback that its ongoing proposals to reform #supportedhousing funding risked scheme closures & has abandoned plans. Well done all 👍 @placeshapers @natfednews @charlie_MSV @Angela_NSHG @frank_westkent @TonyStacey t.co/yCTajaNgFK

— Lucy Ferman (@LucyFerman)

This is fabulous news. The govt actually listened to the powerful feedback that its ongoing proposals to reform #supportedhousing funding risked scheme closures & has abandoned plans. Well done all \uD83D\uDC4D @placeshapers @natfednews @charlie_MSV @Angela_NSHG @frank_westkent @TonyStacey https://t.co/yCTajaNgFK

— Lucy Ferman (@LucyFerman) August 9, 2018

Brilliant news overnight. All
Supported housing will continue to be paid through housing benefit.

— Juliann Hall (@hall_juliann)

Brilliant news overnight. All
Supported housing will continue to be paid through housing benefit.

— Juliann Hall (@hall_juliann) August 9, 2018