Funding Boosts To Help Councils Tackle Lettings Legislation Enforcement

Several funding boosts in recent years should mean local authorities are better equipped to tackle the enforcement of lettings legislation in 2020. Using the additional funds to train more enforcement officers could lead to more penalties being issued, including banning orders for the worst offenders - which have been used sparingly since their introduction. Earlier this month, it was announced that 100 local councils will receive an additional £4 million in funding to combat rogue landlords and letting agencies.  Read more on the Property Reporter website.

https://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/funding-boosts-to-help-councils-tackle-lettings-legislation-enforcement.html

£45.5 Million To Help House The Homeless In The Private Rented Sector

The MHCLG has announced that £19.5 million will be shared amongst local authorities in England, to help the house the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless. A further £26 million will be used to fund specialist support for vulnerable tenants struggling with mental health problems and substance misuse issues. The £19.5million scheme which will involve 54 local authorities includes 15 London boroughs with varied regional representation through the participation of Manchester, Portsmouth, Norwich, Birmingham, Bristol and Exeter City Councils. The £26 million pot of funding is yet to be allocated but councils must submit their bids by 29 March 2019. Read more on the NLA website.

https://landlords.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/ps455-million-help-house-the-homeless-in-the-private-rented-sector

Minister: Responsibility For Removal Of Grenfell-Style Cladding ‘Rests With Councils’

Since the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017, more than 272 privately owned buildings with similar cladding have been identified.  But the process to remove them has been slow – with only 29 towers having completed remediation work and 69 where no plans are in place to remove the materials at all. In a debate in the House of Lord’s, Lord Nick Bourne, under-secretary in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said of these 69 buildings: “The ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the cladding comes off those rests with local authorities.” Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/minister-responsibility-for-removal-of-grenfell-style-cladding-rests-with-councils-59656?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Rogue Landlords: 90% Of Local Authorities Fail To Issue Fines

Almost 90% of local authorities failed to use new powers to fine rogue landlords last year, in the latest finding to suggest tenants are being failed by a lax enforcement regime. It follows a Guardian and ITV News investigation in October, which revealed a string of weaknesses in the legislation governing the private rented market and which also raised questions about the rigour with which certain councils pursued any offenders. Only 11% of local authorities issued a civil penalty notice against a landlord or letting agent during 2017-18, according to data provided by 293 English councils responding to freedom of information requests made by the Residential Landlords Association. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/29/rogue-landlords-most-local-authorities-in-england-fail-to-issue-fines

Social Housing Lettings Down Again

Latest figures from the MHCLG show that social housing lettings by local authorities decreased by 9% in 2016/17, a continuation of the long-term trend in the decline in the number of lettings. Lettings by private registered providers also decreased in the same period by 11%. Total new lettings by private registered providers and local authorities in 2016/17 was 334,602 - the lowest total in the last 10 years and down from a high of 394,484 in 2011/12. In the 2007/08 the number of lettings by local authorities was 145,403 compared to 103,122 in 2016/17. Download the figures from the MHCLG website.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/677489/Social_housing_lettings_in_England_2016-17.pdf

MHCLG Announces Planning Delivery Fund Allocations

Ministers have announced the allocations for the £15.8m first wave of a fund aimed at speeding up planning decisions. The Planning Delivery Fund money has been awarded to 68 successful bids from local authorities across England. It is intended to help the councils process more applications, train new planners and implement reforms to their planning policies. Funding has been allocated to those working on ambitious planning projects and strategies, often in combination with other local authorities. Read more on the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683592/Planning_Delivery_Fund_list_of_bids.pdf

Social And Affordable Lettings Drop By 40,000

Housing associations and councils let 334,602 homes for below market rent in 2016/17, down from 374,586 a year earlier. That is the lowest level recorded in the stats which go back to 2007/08. General-needs social rent lettings fell by 14,103 for housing association homes and 8,948 for local authority homes in 2016/17. Supported housing social rent lettings dropped 12,948 among housing association stock and 1,389 for council stock. Download the figures from the HCLG website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/social-housing-lettings-in-england-april-2016-to-march-2017  

Local Authority Pension Funds Back Rental Homes Investment Scheme

In the face of rising rents and the nationwide housing crisis, Hearthstone Investment Management has put together a £100 million fund to buy clusters of houses and low-rise blocks in areas where there is sold rental demand. The Hearthstone Residential Fund 1 has five local authority pension funds as cornerstone investors, including the West Midlands Pension Fund and Staffordshire Pension Fund. The other three backers are the local authority funds in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Teeside. The fund will invest in UK regions, buying newly-built clusters of houses and low-rise blocks in areas of solid rental demand that appeal to families and young professionals. Read more on the Express & Star website.

Government Scraps Local Top Up For Supported Housing

Following the announcement that Government is dropping Local Housing Allowance rates from the funding mechanism for supported housing, the Committees have now received the full response from Government to their joint report. The response shows that the Government has also acted on the Committees' concerns that local authorities should not have to "top up" payment for supported housing, by introducing a new "sheltered rent" that means the cost of sheltered and extra care housing will be entirely covered by Housing Benefit or its replacement Universal Credit, in accordance with and actually going further than another of the committees' central recommendations. Read more on the Parliament website.

Government Actions A Further Step In Homeless Prevention

New guidance to make sure local authorities intervene earlier to help prevent families and individuals becoming homeless in the first place has been published. The guidance, which is subject to an 8-week consultation, sets out how local councils should implement the Homelessness Reduction Act, due to come into effect in April 2018. The new Act requires councils to provide services to all at risk of becoming homeless, on top of those with a priority need such as families with children and those who are vulnerable. Read more on the CLG website.

Committee Announces Inquiry Into Combatting ‘Rogue Landlords'

The Communities & Local Government Select Committee has announced a new inquiry into combatting ‘rogue landlords’. The inquiry will focus on the role of local authorities in the private rented sector (PRS) and whether they have sufficient powers to deal with ‘rogue landlords’. The inquiry will also examine barriers to intervention in the PRS, whether landlord licensing schemes are actually achieving their goals and the effectiveness of complaint mechanisms for tenants. Read more on the NLA website.

Government To Overhaul Homelessness Data

Government is reviewing the Homelessness Code of Guidance as it overhauls how “homelessness data” is collected. In a letter to councils, homelessness minister Marcus Jones MP said changes could be revealed in time for the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act. The Code specifies obligations local authorities must adhere to in supporting 16 and 17 year olds. Implementation of the Act is expected from April next year, with £61m government funding behind the bill. Councils can use the funding boost to pay for the series of new responsibilities they must meet under the act. Read more on 24housing.

Councils Have Whitehall Support Ensuring Safety Of Private High-Rises

The Government will support councils in taking action against private sector building owners who do not cooperate with councils in ensuring the safety of high-rise buildings from fire. Sajid Javid wrote to council chief executives responding to concerns voiced earlier by local authorities that they were in the dark about the safety of privately owned buildings because they did not have access to the relevant information. Mr Javid reminded councils that councils do have the power to ask landlords to take necessary action to ensure that their buildings are safe and can ultimately carry out any necessary work themselves and then charge the landlord for it. Read more on the LocalGov website.

Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will rank each English local authority by the change in the number of social housing units in each such local authority since (a) 1987, (b) 1997 and (c) 2007.

Alok Sharma: Between 1997 and 2010, the number of social rented homes fell by 420,000. Since 2010 the stock has increased by 76,000

Councils Get Help To Meet Housing Targets

Councils are to get expert advice to help meet government housebuilding targets. Local authorities will get an adviser under a new scheme to enable their housing and planning teams to meet the pressures of reducing homelessness and build more homes. The LGA unveiled the Housing Advisers Programme for local authorities undertaking a specific project that delivers and plans for new homes, reduces homelessness, or helps councils generate savings or revenues. Under the scheme, councils can bid to get up to £14,000 to fund an external adviser to review and develop their plans. Read more on the LGA website.

Homelessness Surges 34% Under Tory Government

The number of families being declared homeless has rocketed by more a third since the Conservatives took power in 2010, analysis of new official statistics has revealed.  Between April 2016 and March 2017, 59,100 families were declared homeless by local authorities in England – a rise of 34 per cent on the same period in 2010-11. The statistics paint a bleak picture of the UK housing crisis and the impact a lack of decent, affordable homes is having on thousands of families. There has been a 60 per cent increase in the number of families being housed in insecure temporary accommodation. Read more on the Independent website.

Councils Warn Of Now ‘Severe’ Need For Affordable Homes

Nearly all UK councils now say their need for affordable homes is either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’. Lack of investment in genuinely affordable housing alongside deregulation of planning is reducing the ability for local authorities to secure the homes the nation needs. A report by APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) – written and researched by the TCPA – finds that UK councils are becoming increasingly unable to meet demands for affordable housing. Overall, 98% of respondents describe their need as either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’ with only 1% claiming that their need is not substantial. Download the report from the APSE website.

Homelessness Reduction Act Receives Royal Assent

On 27 April, the Homelessness Reduction Bill became an Act of Parliament. The Act places a new duty on local authorities to help prevent the homelessness of all families and single people who are eligible for assistance and threatened with homelessness. Key measures in the Act include:

·         An extension of the period during which an authority should treat someone as threatened with homelessness from 28 to 56 days

·         A new duty to prevent homelessness for all eligible applicants threatened with homelessness, regardless of priority need.

·         A new duty to relieve homelessness for all eligible homeless applicants, regardless of priority need.

·         A new duty on public services to notify a local authority if they come into contact with someone they think may be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Read more on Homeless Link.

Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the reduction in social housing rents on the maintenance and improvement of the existing housing stock, and on the building of new houses between now and 2022.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: The fiscal impact of the social rent reduction policy on public finances was included as part of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s policy costings for Budget 2015 which can be (attached) found at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/443195/Policy_costings_summer_budget_2015.pdf . In September 2015 the CLGcarried out an impact assessment of the effect of the social rent reduction policy on housing associations which can be (attached) found at http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impactassessments/IA15-006F.pdf .  Social housing providers are well placed to manage these reductions and have proved themselves to be more than capable of adapting and responding to change. The Government is investing £7.1 billion in the expanded Affordable Homes Programme from 2016-21, which will support housing associations and local authorities to build another 225,000 affordable homes by March 2021.

Council Housing Company Homes Could Be Subject To The Right To Buy

The government wants homes built through councils’ private housing companies to be subject to Right to Buy. A growing number of councils have set up housing companies to build homes for affordable rent, private rent and market sale. A government spokesperson confirmed the Right to Buy would only apply to the affordable and social rent homes developed by these companies. Some have set up these companies partly in an attempt to avoid having to sell off their stock through Right to Buy. The government had previously warned councils not to use council companies to “evade” the Right to Buy. Read more on Inside Housing.