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Short on time? Friday’s housing news in five minutes

A round-up of the top stories this morning from Inside Housing and elsewhere

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Short on time? Friday’s housing news in five minutes #ukhousing

Top story: Advice note 14: associations call for clarity on combustibles guidance as residents struggle to sell homes

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Government guidance on what building owners should do about high rises with combustible cladding has left thousands of people unable to sell or remortgage their homes.

Advice Note 14 tells building owners to check for and remove combustible non-aluminium composite material cladding, but leaseholders have found themselves unable to get hold of certification that the cladding system on their block complies.

As a result, mortgage lenders have undervalued flats or even valued them at £0.

Now, social landlords represented by the National Housing Federation and the G15 group of large London housing associations have called on the government to provide clarity.

It comes as the G15 revealed that 650 families living in their blocks are unable to sell or remortgage because of the confusion.

Camden Council submits £130m claim against contractors over Chalcots Estate

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Camden Council has filed a legal claim for £130m against firms involved in the refurbishment and maintenance of its Chalcots Estate.

Safety fears meant the estate’s five towers were evacuated on a Friday night shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire, in what is believed to be the country’s largest evacuation since the Second World War.

The council is seeking to recover costs relating to the evacuation, as well as the hiring of fire marshals, repairs to the buildings’ fire stopping and fire doors, and the removal of dangerous cladding from the blocks.

Its claim is against private finance initiative Partners for Improvement in Camden, which is now in liquidation, as well as principal sub-contractors Faithful + Gould, United Living South and Rydon.

Rydon was the main contractor for the refurbishment of the Grenfell Tower.

Lunchtime long read

Lunchtime long read

Photography by Getty and Rex Features

The general election campaign is hotting up, with the three major parties all having published their manifestos.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have all made big promises on housing – with pledges to dramatically increase social housebuilding on one side and giveaways aimed at boosting homeownership on the other.

Inside Housing’s news team has scoured each manifesto and picked out the most important promises for the sector.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Quote of the day

Quote of the day

“I want to rediscover the proud history of the housing association movement.

“I’d love to scratch the surface, rediscover the moral compass of the sector and not be afraid to fight for what is right. We must have a business head, but show our social heart.”

Brendan Sarsfield, chief executive of Peabody, asks whether housing associations need to take more of a collective stand over social injustice issues.

READ THE FULL COMMENT PIECE HERE

In the papers

In the papers

Picture: Getty

Influential thinktank Institute for Fiscal Studies has attacked both the Conservatives and Labour for their manifesto spending pledges, saying neither parties have offered “a properly credible prospectus”, as reported by The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Rabina Khan, an advisor to the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and a Tower Hamlets councillor, has written in The Independent about the impact of Brexit uncertainty on housing, and defending the Right to Buy.

Local news

Local news

Picture: Getty

The Islington Gazette publishes an investigation into public-private finance initiative deals struck by the local authority to manage council homes in the borough. It claims an off-shore private firm made at least £9m through the arrangements over six years.

Uttlesford District Council has unveiled its strategy to combat homelessness and rough sleeping, with an aim to eliminate use of B&Bs for temporary accommodation in the next five years, according to the Saffron Walden Reporter.

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