Council’s Selective Licensing Renewal Approved

Newham Council’s application to renew its borough-wide selective licensing scheme has been approved by the Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid MP. The Council has confirmed the approval in its publication of the Designation of an area for Selective Licensing. Any privately rented property within the designated area, that is not already covered by mandatory HMO licensing or the additional HMO licensing scheme, will need to be licensed. Earlier this year Newham Council consulted on plans to renew their borough-wide selective licensing scheme, and subsequently agreed to go ahead with the renewal in June. You can read the NLA's response to that consultation here. Read more on the NLA website.

Ministers Press Ahead With Neighbourhood Planning Changes

The government is pressing ahead with several reforms aimed at speeding up and simplifying the neighbourhood planning process. The CLG has published a consultation response confirming it is proceeding with measures to make it easier “for residents and business to come together to produce a neighbourhood plan”. The Localism Act 2011 grants communities a right to shape development in their areas by producing a Neighbourhood Plan, which becomes part of the local planning authority’s Local Plan, setting out housing priorities. Under the changes councils must designate all of the neighbourhood area applied for by parish councils as soon as possible, replacing the current requirement to consider an application within eight weeks. Download the consultation response from the GovUK website.

Benefit Claimants Exempt From Pay To Stay

Social tenants in receipt of housing benefit will be exempt from the Pay to Stay policy, the government has announced. A government response to a consultation on the scheme, said households claiming housing benefit would escape the new rules, contained in the Housing and Planning Bill. “It should not be the case that those who are in receipt of housing benefit should be subject to increased rents, as the rent rises would simply need to be covered by the taxpayer,” the consultation response said. “Households in receipt of housing benefit will therefore be exempt from the policy.” Download the consultation response from the CLG website.

Seven-Day Wait Sparks Rent Arrears Fears

The government has confirmed it is pressing ahead with its plan to introduce a seven-day waiting period into its flagship welfare reform, despite warnings from the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) that it should not go ahead. Under the measure, claimants have to wait seven days after their claim before they become entitled to universal credit, in addition to the month and seven days that claimants currently wait between making a claim and receiving their first payment. In consultation responses, which were published in the SSAC’s report alongside the government’s response, landlords expressed concern that the move would increase rent arrears and take its toll on income streams. Download the report from the GovUK website.

Councils to Pay for Ombudsman Service

Following a consultation, councils will pay fees to the Housing Ombudsman from next month, the CLG has confirmed. The change will bring councils into line with housing associations, which already pay fees for the service. It follows a consultation in which housing associations ‘unanimously’ supported the move, which was opposed by the Local Government Association.  Download the consultation response from the GovUK website.

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State  

(1) whether his proposals for secondary legislation relating to universal credit will apply to people who reside in supported housing arrangements; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what recent progress he has made on reform of housing benefit for people who reside in supported housing arrangements;

(3) when the Government plans to respond to the consultation on Housing Benefit Reform—Supported Housing, which closed in 2011.

Steve Webb: We are still considering options for housing benefit reform for those who live in supported 'exempt' accommodation as defined in the consultation document. We are looking at the feasibility of each of the options set out in that document and will make an announcement in due course.

Homeless Link Fears Grant Could Be Diverted

An umbrella group is concerned councils could spend homelessness grant on purposes other than homelessness through proposed changes to allocating business rate funding.  Homeless Link has responded to a CLG consultation on the business rate.   One of the proposals is for certain grants, including the homelessness prevention grant, to be rolled into the business rates retention scheme.  Councils currently have to return business rates - paid by businesses and other non-domestic occupiers of property - to the government who then redistributes it. Under the new scheme, they could retain half of the money collected.  But Homeless Link says this means the grant will no longer be identifiable at local level and there will be no transparency on the way it is spent. They fear that councils could further cut money spent on homelessness services, as they could when the ring-fence came off Supporting People funding in 2009.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Concern That Universal Credit Will Cause Real Hardship

Crisis has outlined its concerns at how Universal Credit - the Government's new, simplified benefits system - will work in practice once it is introduced in October 2013.  In response to a consultation, Crisis stated that it is particularly  concerned that:

    *Universal Credit will penalise young people who are out of work and staying at home, which at a time of high unemployment could lead to an increase in family tensions, relationship breakdown and youth homelessness.

    *Universal Credit will fail to protect households that have suffered bereavement or redundancy, as current protections will be reduced or withdrawn altogether.

    *Universal Credit will lead to an increase in financial difficulties, particularly for those used to being paid weekly, those vulnerable due to drug or alcohol problems and those whose circumstances change mid-month.

Download a copy of Crisis’ response to the consultation from their website.

Benefit Reforms Will Cause 'Family Breakdown'

New rules will leave young benefit claimants struggling to contribute towards their households’ rent, leading to family breakdown, housing bodies have warned. In its response to the SSAC’s consultation on regulations for the universal credit, the National Housing Federation has voiced concern over a change to rules for ‘non-dependents’. Deductions from benefit are made for non-dependent members of the household, such as grown-up children. Currently, households with people claiming jobseekers allowance or employment support allowance under the age of 25 are exempt from deductions, while those in work can lose between £11 and £74 a week from their housing benefit depending on their income.  The new system brings in a flat rate deduction of £65 per month for everyone over the age of 21, regardless of their employment status. This means working non-dependents will be better off but those aged 21 to 25 years on benefit will be hit by the deduction for the first time.  The NHF believes this is unfair as people aged under 25 years receive less jobseekers allowance and will receive less universal credit. The NHF believes this will make it more difficult for these non-dependents to contribute to housing costs.  Homelessness charity Shelter has warned the move could lead to family breakdown.  Download a copy of the NHF response to the consultation below.

Conversion of Commercial to Residential Ends with a Whimper

After last year's bold claims that removing the need for planning permission for conversion of commercial properties to residential could produce 260,000 extra dwellings, the government has now released its response to the consultation exercise on the issue and confirmed that it will progress the idea no further.  All that will be implemented is a change to the General Development Order which will allow the creation of up to 2 flats in existing A1 or A2 (Shop/Retail finance) premises without needing planning permission: the current permitted development rights only allow one additional dwelling.  This only applies to upper floors, so an element of commercial use must remain.  Download the consultation response from the CLG website.

Tenants to Benefit from Simplified ‘Right to Manage’

The government is pressing ahead with plans to make it easier for tenant groups to take over the management of their homes, following a consultation. Revised regulations on the ‘right to manage’ will remove requirements that tenant groups must produce a ‘feasibility study’ before balloting residents, and that local authorities must send the result of ballots and copies of tenant management organisations’ agreements to the communities secretary. The government has also said it will produce ‘streamlined, sector-led guidance that provides practical help for tenants in exercising their right to manage’. The CLG announced it will go ahead with the plans in a summary of the 56 responses it received to a consultation on the proposals.  Download a copy of the consultation responses from the CLG website.

NPPF to Allow Offices to Be Turned Into Homes

The government has confirmed plans to make it easier to turn businesses into homes following a consultation.  The National Planning Policy Framework will be amended to make clear authorities should approve applications to transform commercial buildings for residential use ‘where there is a identified need for additional housing in that area’ unless there are ‘strong economic reasons’ to oppose the development.  The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 will also be amended so space above shops can be turned into two flats without planning permission. Current rules only allow one flat.  The government published a consultation on relaxing rules on changing commercial premises into homes in April 2011, and issued a summary of responses and its next steps this week.  Download a copy of the consultation response from the CLG website.

TSA Fails To Engage Tenants

Just one tenant responded to a consultation on the future of housing inspection, prompting fears not enough was done to involve people. The Tenant Services Authority’s 12-week consultation on its plans for housing inspection was conducted mainly online and closed on 10 June. The consultation document, published in March, said: ‘We are seeking views from tenants, providers, lenders and other stakeholders with an interest in social housing.’ But a summary of consultation responses published last week revealed just one of England’s 8 million social housing tenants responded. Michael Gelling, chair of the Tenants’ and Residents’ Organisations of England, said thousands of tenants should have participated. ‘Maybe the TSA does not have, or does not want to spend money on consultation exercises, or to pay someone like us to inform tenants,’ he added. Mr Gelling said landlords had a role to play in passing information on to their tenants. Read more on Inside Housing.

TSA Sets Out Inspection Role

The Tenant Services Authority has rejected all of the Audit Commission’s suggestions on how social landlords should be policed. The commission urged the regulator in a consultation response to check a ‘core set of areas’ during inspections, publish all reports alongside recommendations, and involve tenants. The commission’s response brand-ed the TSA’s proposals for regulation as inadequate and unfeasible. But the TSA’s summary of responses reveals that 34 out of 39 written submissions were ‘broadly or strongly supportive’ of its approach. Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Calls for Local Authorities Role in New Regulator

Complaints from councils concerned about poorly performing landlords should spring the new social housing regulator into action, a major London authority has urged. Lewisham Council has indicated its disappointment that local authorities were not specifically mentioned in a Tenant Services Authority consultation document about the future of regulation. ‘Lewisham would like to see a role for local authorities outlined in the standards,’ its consultation response states. ‘In a borough as complex as Lewisham (with an ALMO, community gateway organisation, several stock transfers, a housing PFI and three TMO’s) often the first indication of an issue with a housing provider is brought to the council either as a misdirected complaint or a members enquiry.’ Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Takes ALMO Back In House

A London council is taking its arm’s-length management organisation back in house with the hope of saving more than £5 million. Ealing councillors voted in May last year to bring the service back in house after dropping plans to pass the management of the homes to private companies. The decision followed a consultation with tenants and leaseholders. The ALMO, Ealing Homes, was set up to deliver the council’s decent homes programme, which is expected to finish this month. Changes to Bolton’s ALMO, Bolton at Home, have also gone through this week. The body has become a housing association, taking ownership of the 18,000 homes it previously managed on behalf of the council. It has promised to invest £124 million in improvements over five years. Read more on Inside Housing.

Future Of Local Public Audit

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has issued a consultation document on the future of the audit of public bodies, following the announcement of plans to abolish the Audit Commission. See the Consultation page for full details.

Local Decisions: Summary of Responses to Consultation

This document summarises responses to the consultation paper, Local Decisions: a fairer future for social housing, and indicates the Government's intentions on next steps in the reform of social housing. Download from the CLG website.

Local Decisions: A Fairer Future for Social Housing, Consultation Response

The Government has issued a document summarising responses to the consultation paper, Local Decisions: a fairer future for social housing. It also indicates the Government's intentions on next steps in the reform of social housing. Download a copy of the responses from the CLG website.