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A round-up of the top stories this morning from Inside Housing and elsewhere
Top story: another council returns to housebuilding as it plans to launch as registered provider
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Sunderland Council will become the latest local authority to return to housebuilding as cabinet members are expected to approve plans for it to launch as a new registered provider.
After transferring all of its 36,356 homes to Sunderland Housing Group – now Gentoo – in 2001, the new not-for-profit entity will acquire and renovate empty homes in the area, with the idea of eventually building new homes.
Earlier this month, Inside Housing revealed that councils are set to quadruple their housebuilding over the next five years.
Sunderland Council is expected to follow in the footsteps of Liverpool and Peterborough, which have re-established their Housing Revenue Accounts in order to build new homes.
Housing associations may not be able to cover fire safety costs for all leaseholders, says G15 chair
Helen Evans, chair of the G15 and chief executive of Network Homes, has told Inside Housing that housing associations cannot give “blanket assurances” that they will cover the cost of fire safety work for leaseholders in the blocks they own.
The cost of fire safety work in the wake of Grenfell has had a huge impact on the sector, with many associations seeing reduced surpluses and being forced to cut development plans as a result.
These costs are expected to rise as more recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry become clear. The G15, which represents the largest housing associations in London, has estimated that it could cost up to £6.9bn to make their buildings meet standards.
In recent years, G15 members have increasingly been selling homes for market sale to fund affordable and social rent homes, meaning there will be many leaseholders left with large bills if housing associations are unable to pay for remediation work.
Helen Brierley had a property valued at £0 (picture: Asadour Guzelian)
Thousands of people have been left unable to sell or remortgage their homes due to confusion over the government’s Advice Note 14, which advises building owners on cladding safety.
Jack Simpson investigates how this has happened and speaks to some of the people who have been affected.
Picture: Getty
“There is a rough sleeping crisis on our streets – not just in London, but across the country. This is a national scandal”
The quote comes from Howard Sinclair, chief executive of St Mungo’s, following the news that the number of new rough sleepers in London has risen by 50% on the year previous.
Picture: Getty
Jason Allday, the off-duty gas engineer who went into the basement of Grenfell during the fire to try and turn off the gas supply, has told the Evening Standard that he is “no hero”, after this week’s Grenfell Inquiry report singled him out for his “leadership”.
Also on the topic of Grenfell, the Belfast Telegraph reports that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is reviewing the report to see if they can learn any lessons from the criticisms of the London Fire Brigade’s response.
Meanwhile, The Guardian has published an opinion piece on the bedroom tax, shining the light on one of “Britain’s forgotten scandals”.
Picture: Getty
Work has started on the next phase of a 700-home regeneration project in Hull, built in partnership between the council and Compendium Living, the Yorkshire Post reports.
Glasgow Council will invest £500m on affordable housing after approving its five-year strategic housing investment plan, according Glasgow Live.
Meanwhile, The Edinburgh Reporter writes that Edinburgh Council has said uncertainty over Brexit could impact its commitment to build 20,000 homes over the next decade.