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Morning Briefing: council’s £88m project to end use of B&Bs
A London council is looking to end its use of B&Bs for homeless families, another bid for a combined authority has been submitted, and Help to Buy purchasers may be in for a nasty shock
In the news
Waltham Forest Council has agreed an £88m partnership with Mears to buy 400 homes for people in emergency accommodation like B&Bs, the Evening Standard reports this morning.
The borough currently has almost 100 households in B&Bs and spends £3.4m a year on emergency housing, with another 2,326 families in temporary accommodation and 8,496 households on its council housing waiting list.
It hopes to make a return on its investment through house prices over the life of the 40-year initiative.
Elsewhere, a number of councils in the North of England have submitted a proposed ‘One Yorkshire’ devolution deal to housing secretary Sajid Javid.
The suggested deal includes a £500m Housing Investment Fund and new compulsory purchase order powers for the combined authority’s mayor, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile the Daily Mail is warning that the first people to purchase a home through Help to Buy around five years ago face paying an extra £1,050 a year on their mortgage from April as the interest-free period on the loans comes to an end.
In other news, Conservative St Albans District Council has approved a Labour motion to ask its MPs to lobby ministers on being allowed to keep 100% of Right to Buy receipts, per The Herts Advertiser.
And the Bristol Post reports that city mayor Marvin Rees has called for developers to be required to pay council tax on unbuilt permissioned homes in the wake of planning reforms unveiled by the prime minister on Monday.
On social media
People are marking day three of the Chartered Institute of Housing Careers Week on Twitter:
On day three of @CIHCareersWeek @HoultElly urges everyone in housing to make the effort to mentor a young person #ukhousing @CIHFutures
— Inside Housing (@insidehousing)On day three of @CIHCareersWeek @HoultElly urges everyone in housing to make the effort to mentor a young person #ukhousing @CIHFutures
— Inside Housing (@insidehousing) March 7, 2018
I can’t do a video at the moment but I will say a career in housing is like nothing you can imagine! Starting as a Neighbourhood Management Trainee allowed me to see the diverse roles available in housing which no other sector can beat. #CIHCareersWeek pic.twitter.com/8khRFtOrEQ
— Claire Twamley (@Claire_Twamley)I can’t do a video at the moment but I will say a career in housing is like nothing you can imagine! Starting as a Neighbourhood Management Trainee allowed me to see the diverse roles available in housing which no other sector can beat. #CIHCareersWeek pic.twitter.com/8khRFtOrEQ
— Claire Twamley (@Claire_Twamley) March 6, 2018
Excellent #cihcareersweek #choosehousing video from one of the most passionate advocates of #ukhousing @_RossWilliams79 ❤️ t.co/b4IyC7HuBj
— Michelle Reid (@MichReid2014)Excellent #cihcareersweek #choosehousing video from one of the most passionate advocates of #ukhousing @_RossWilliams79 ❤️ https://t.co/b4IyC7HuBj
— Michelle Reid (@MichReid2014) March 7, 2018
What’s on
- Prime Minister’s Questions will take place in the House of Commons at midday
- The National Housing Federation is to host a three-day ‘Future Hack’ summit in London, starting today, which will look at how housing associations can gear up for challenges ahead
