Large HAs Plan To Introduce Pay To Stay

Several large landlords intend to introduce a version of Pay to Stay following the government’s decision to make the policy voluntary for housing associations. Family Mosaic, Stonewater and Metropolitan all intend to implement a Pay to Stay policy, subject to approval by their respective boards. Some smaller housing associations said they were not going to implement the policy. One anonymous housing association said Pay to Stay would give it the ability to release assets and have extra income. However a spokesperson said the voluntary scheme “leaves it in limbo” as it may struggle to get board approval for Pay to Stay.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Summer Budget: Reactions from the Sector

A wide range of housing organisations have given their reactions to the Budget. They include CIH; NHF; homeless charities Shelter, Crisis and Centrepoint; Generation Rent; YMCA; the London Assembly; Midland Heart; Hometrack; Placeshapers and Metropolitan Housing.  Read more on 24dash.

Landlord Terminates 20,000-Home Maintenance Contract

A major housing association has walked away from the biggest of its three contracts with social housing contractor Mears, due to the company’s performance ‘falling below an acceptable standard’.  Metropolitan confirmed this week that it had ‘terminated’ an agreement with Mears, which in 2008 won a trio of Metropolitan contracts worth £157 million that were described at the time as ‘10-year’ deals. Mears maintained that the contracts were currently in the process of ‘winding down’. Mears has been responsible for maintaining as many as 38,000 homes on behalf of Metropolitan under the three contracts since 2008, dealing with east of England and the midlands, Clapham Park, and the rest of London. Read more on Inside Housing.

Fairness Beats ‘Birthright’ In Social Housing Allocation, Says New Poll

Community links are more important than where you were born when allocating social housing, according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by housing provider Metropolitan. The survey revealed most people believe fairness and community participation, not nationality, should influence decisions on social housing.  The findings have been released in the wake of Labour MP Frank Field’s call for the social housing system to award priority to British taxpayers, after figures showed nearly half of tenants in some parts of London were foreign nationals.  The poll suggests the public do not share Mr Field’s views. Two thirds of people questioned said birthplace should not hinder someone’s chance of qualifying for social housing, and only 22 per cent of the 1939 respondents said someone born outside of the UK should be lower down the priority list.  Read more on the Metropolitan website.