CIH bid to mend 'tense' local government relationships

Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the CIH, said the body would hold a series of round table talks between associations and local authorities to develop new ideas “together” to solve the housing crisis.

Within the next year, councils are set to be forced to sell off their most valuable, empty housing stock in order to fund tenants’ discounts under the extension of the Right to Buy to housing associations.

Councils have expressed anger over the housing association sector’s decision to voluntarily agree to the Right to Buy extension, and in return be compensated fully for their tenants’ discounts.

Lambeth cabinet member for housing Matt Bennett wrote a heated letter to the National Housing Federation (NHF) last year, accusing it of becoming an “advocate for the loss of affordable housing”.

Ms Alafat acknowledged in her keynote address at the annual Housing 2016 conference: “Recent changes in our environment and the Housing and Planning Act have been the cause of some tension between local authorities and housing association sector.

“More than ever we must focus now on what we can do together to address our national housing crisis.”

She also called for housing associations to make a renewed effort to improve their efficiency “making sure we have our own house in order”.

Ms Alafat referred to a letter sent by social housing regulator chair Julian Ashby earlier this month, in which he raised “concerning” unexplained cost variations in the sector.

She said: “If we look to others to solve our housing problems then we are both dodging our responsibility as a profession and downgrading the role that we can, and must, play.

“I want to challenge us to recognise that while we must press for improvements in policy, we must ensure we are doing our best to maximise the contributions we make.”