Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Sir Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he has taken to speed up the delivery of replacement social homes for rent for those lost through Right to Buy; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: The reinvigorated Right to Buy scheme is helping social tenants become new home owners; it levers in new finance to increase construction and house building; and it assists new people into affordable housing who would otherwise be on a housing waiting list. One of the key changes we have made to the Right to Buy is to ensure that all additional receipts raised from local authority Right to Buy sales are used to directly fund new homes for affordable rent. Since April 2012, £219 million has been generated from additional sales and 1,622 homes have been started on site or acquired. There will invariably be a certain time lag between the Right to Buy sale and the construction of the new build home, but the replacement timetable is in control of the local authority. If a council were to fail to spend the receipts within three years, it would be required to return the unspent money to government with interest. This provides a strong financial incentive for any slow-coach councils to use this new funding and get on with building more homes for local people.

Social Housing – Parliamentary Oral Answer

Sir Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD): What fiscal steps the Government are taking to encourage the building of social housing.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander): I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for his contribution on the housing issue while a Minister in the CLG, particularly on helping to ensure that the £4.5 billion affordable homes programme is on track to deliver 170,000 new affordable homes by March 2015—100,000 are completed so far—and to fund an extra 165,000 houses over three years from 2015.

Sir Andrew Stunell: That is a remarkable contrast with Labour’s disgraceful approach, which got rid of those houses. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that highly successful arm’s length management organisations, such as Stockport Homes, which just opened the 4 millionth social home in the housing stock, will have an opportunity, under the Chancellor’s proposals, to build more social housing to meet the urgent need of my constituents?

Danny Alexander: My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and I congratulate Stockport Homes on its success—I think it was recently voted one of the best landlords in the country. The 4 millionth social home was part of the Government’s commitment to reverse the trend under Labour, where the social housing stock in this country fell by 421,000. Over the term of our housing plan, we will build at least 315,000 new social homes, and he will also have noted that in the autumn statement we announced an increase of £300 million in headroom under the housing revenue account precisely to allow local authorities to build more social homes in this country.

Community Groups to Bring 2,000 Empty Homes Back To Life

CLG minister Mr Stunell has announced the winners of £25.1million of government funding on a visit to one of the successful projects in Newark, Nottinghamshire.  Newark and Sherwood Homes Ltd successfully applied for a £50,000 grant to purchase and bring four empty properties back into use from the Empty Homes Community Fund. These will be a mix of 2-3 bedroom houses and bungalows that will provide affordable housing for 20 people. Mr Stunell also visited Newark and Sherwood Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations to find out first hand how they have been involved in these projects.  Read more about this and other successful projects on the CLG website.

Affordable Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the level of affordable house building starts in 2011-12.

Andrew Stunell: There were 15,698 affordable housing starts on site in 2011-12 delivered in England through the programmes managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.

£145 Million Boost To Help Tackle Empty Homes

A further multi-million pound cash boost for communities will help tackle the blight of empty properties and bring thousands of homes back into use announced Communities Minister Andrew Stunell.  Following bidding processes, 20 successful councils will each receive a slice of £60 million to tackle clusters of empty homes, and voluntary and community groups across the country will receive over £25 million to tackle individual empty properties in their area, ensuring that another 5,600 empty homes are lived in once again. The number of long term empty homes has fallen to the lowest level since 2004, but with 720,000 empty homes across England, Mr Stunell believes there is still more to do. Read more on the CLG website.

Government to Scrap Council Tax Reliefs

According to a story in the Sunday Independent, Andrew Stunell is expected to use the Empty Homes Network National Empty Homes Conference as the opportunity to announce the removal of empty homes discounts and exemptions as proposed during a consultation exercise in the Autumn.  The key measures are expected to be:

    *the removal of the 6 month exemption class "C" for unfurnished empties

    *the removal of the minimum 10% discount for second homes

    *the introduction of an Empty Homes Premium for homes empty longer than      2 years

The particular set of measures can be inferred from the "£420million" in the headline - this was the total calculated additional tax income if all the measures described in the consultation.  Read more on the Empty Homes Network website.

Travellers: Caravan Sites – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding his Department provides to local authorities to assist with the costs of creating temporary Traveller sites.

Andrew Stunell: Temporary and transit Traveller sites are eligible for funding under the £60 million Traveller Pitch Funding programme administered by the Homes and Communities Agency. A total of £3.15 million was allocated in January 2012 for this purpose.

Tackling Inequalities for Gypsy and Traveller Communities

Government commitments to tackle ingrained inequalities and promote fairness for Gypsy and Traveller communities have been unveiled by Communities Minister Andrew Stunell in a new report.  The progress report by the Ministerial working group on tackling inequalities experienced by Gypsies and Travellers contains 28 measures from across Government that will improve outcomes for Gypsies and Travellers across education, health, accommodation, employment and in the criminal justice system.  Gypsies and Travellers experience, some of the worst outcomes of any ethnic or social group including: below average educational attainment; above average rates of miscarriage, still births and neo-natal deaths; and widespread discrimination and hostility.  Download a copy of the report from the CLG website.

Housing: Rents – Parliamentary Written Answer

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration he has given to extending the timetable for rent convergence between local authority housing and registered social landlords beyond 2015-16.

Andrew Stunell: The Government have confirmed their intention to continue with the last Administration's policy of rent restructuring with convergence in 2015-16 and have no plans to change this.  Rental income assumptions underpin the local authority housing self-financing settlement, which begins on 1 April 2012. This initiative sees the end of the complex and unwieldy housing revenue account subsidy system and returns responsibility for social housing finance, including rents, to local communities.

Localism Act 2011 – Parliamentary Written Answer

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects provisions within the Localism Act 2011 relating to the duty of local authorities to hold a register of community assets to come into force.

Andrew Stunell: We are currently in the process of finalising the Assets of Community Value provisions which will require local authorities to make available a list of their assets of community value. We expect these regulations will come into force in the summer of 2012.

Housing Revenue Accounts: Debts – Parliamentary Written Answer

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the potential effect of further council house sales on the ability of local authorities to service housing revenue account debt.

Andrew Stunell: The Government have made clear that in reinvigorating the right to buy the viability of the housing revenue account must be maintained. We have laid regulations before Parliament that permit local authorities to retain from receipts obtained from additional right to buy sales a sum sufficient to cover the debt on those properties.

Stunell: First Cash to Bring Empty Homes Back Into Use

The first cash payments to tackle the scourge of empty homes will ensure thousands of properties are lived in once again and breathe life into scores of neglected neighbourhoods across the country, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has announced. Almost £70m of funding for 95 projects will bring over 5,600 properties back into use across the country, far exceeding original expectations of 3,300 homes, and with £30m still to be allocated at a later date. Over half of the projects receiving funding today are in the North and Midlands. Many of the successful projects will provide housing for people at risk of homelessness, and provide employment to local people, helping them to learn new skills. Read more on the CLG website.

Stunell: Government Takes Next Step on Zero Carbon Homes

Zero-Carbon Homes are a step closer after new proposals were announced to cut carbon emissions in new and existing buildings by Communities Minister Andrew Stunell. Mr. Stunell said changes to the country's building regulations would make new homes, shops and offices warmer and cheaper to run, support growth and take England a step closer to meeting its bold low carbon commitments. The ambitious measures, developed together with the construction industry, will help reduce the regulatory cost for businesses, and pave the way for the introduction of zero-carbon homes from 2016. The proposals will also help with the roll out of the Green Deal this Autumn whilst helping to cut both carbon emissions and energy bills for householders. Homeowners will also save money with an extension to the range of simple, electrical DIY jobs that can be carried out without the need for a building inspector, reducing costs for both consumers and installers and the burden on local authorities who inspect work. Read more on the CLG website.

Stunell: Communities Have a Chance to Revive Their Neighbourhoods

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has invited community and voluntary organisations to apply for a share of £100 million that will help revitalise communities and bring the empty homes blighting their areas back into use. Mr Stunell said that the Government cash would help tackle this national scandal, creating more affordable housing and giving a new lease of life to homes and communities. The minister appointed fund manager Tribal - who have a wealth of experience in dealing with voluntary and community groups - to manage distribution of funding to successful applicants. Tribal will also assess applications and report back to the Department according to the criteria set out in the guidance. Mr Stunell encouraged innovative and ambitious applications, expressing his hope that successful projects would not only bring much needed empty homes back into use but also provide extra opportunities for local jobs and training. Read more on the CLG website.

Shapps: Councils Should Help Older People Live At Home For Longer

Housing Minister Grant Shapps and Communities Minister Andrew Stunell have called on councils to use every opportunity under the New Deal for Older People to give elderly people more choice and control over where they live, so they are not pressured to sell their home or move into residential care. Mr Shapps said councils should learn from the Government-backed FreeSpace project piloted by the London Borough of Redbridge, where elderly homeowners will be helped to downsize to rented accommodation that better suits their needs, but without requiring them to sell their home. Under the scheme the council will arrange for elderly people to move into rented accommodation, and take responsibility for maintaining and letting their property at an affordable rate. Homeowners will benefit from the rental income from their home, which will be passed back into their estate at an agreed date. Ministers have hailed the win-win project as a future model for councils across the country - helping the elderly keep their homes while living in more comfortable accommodation, and at the same time increasing the availability of affordable family homes. Read more on the CLG website.

Stunell Wants Tenants Involved In ALMO Decisions

Councils must consult tenants when reviewing housing management arrangements, the communities minister has said. Despite government reluctance to give councils instructions, Andrew Stunell has published updated guidance to local authorities considering bringing their ALMOs back in house. ALMOs were originally set up to access Decent Homes funding, but a number of the original management agreements are drawing to a close. So far, eight ALMOs have been brought back in house, with several more expected to finalise decisions shortly. Download a copy of the guidance from the National Federation of ALMOs website.

Minister Hails '21,000 Drop In Long-Term Empty Homes'

Communities minister Andrew Stunell has hailed the biggest annual fall in the number of long-term empty homes for seven years. Latest figures show that over the past year the numbers of long-term empty homes - those vacant for six months or more - has fallen by over 21,000 – the biggest year-on-year drop since 2004. There are now 279,000 long-term empty homes across England. When the figures were first collated in 2004, that figure stood at 319,000. The total number of vacant dwellings in the country now stands at 720,000 down from 737,000 a year ago. Read more on the CLG website.

Stunell Wants Tenants Involved In ALMO Decisions

Councils must consult tenants when reviewing housing management arrangements, the communities minister has said. Despite government reluctance to give councils instructions, Andrew Stunell has published updated guidance to local authorities considering bringing their ALMOs back in house. ALMOs were originally set up to access Decent Homes funding, but a number of the original management agreements are drawing to a close. So far, eight ALMOs have been brought back in house, with several more expected to finalise decisions shortly. Download a copy of the guidance from the National Federation of ALMOs website.

Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of tenants of social landlords who are of working age and whose homes will be deemed to be underoccupied on 1 April 2013 in (a) England and (b) Stockport constituency.
Andrew Stunell: The latest available estimate is that 8% of social rented sector households with a working age tenant were under-occupying their accommodation in 2009-10. This estimate is a three-year average based on data from the 2007-08 Survey of English Housing and the 2008-09 and 2009-10 English Housing Surveys. Under-occupation is measured according to the Bedroom Standard. Households are said to be under-occupying their accommodation if they have two or more bedrooms more than they need according to the Bedroom Standard. An estimate for April 2013 is not available. Data is not available at the constituency level.

Housing Revenue Accounts – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will provide resources to local authorities to compensate for rent loss from properties under the Right to Buy, following the reform of the Housing Revenue Account.
Andrew Stunell: We are committed to ensuring that every additional home sold under right to buy is replaced by a new home, and receipts from sales will be recycled towards the cost of replacement. The receipt needed to fund replacement will only be a fraction of the cost of a new home. This is because most of the funding for new affordable rented homes comes from borrowing by the provider against the future rental income stream; and, in many cases, cross-subsidy from the landlord's own resources, including land. Our proposal is that right to buy receipts will first be used to meet debt on additional properties sold, then will meet Treasury and council forecast receipts, and that the balance will be available for investment in replacement properties. Our initial modelling shows that the expected receipts will provide a sufficient contribution to the cost of replacement homes. We will set out detailed proposals in the right to buy consultation. We are committed to letting councils keep the proportion of the receipt needed to cover the housing debt associated with additional right to buy sales. This will ensure that the right to buy reforms do not have an impact on the viability of self-financing or independent social landlords.