Swing Voters And Housing Policy

The National Housing Federation (NHF) commissioned YouGov to run a survey of swing voters to understand their views on housing issues ahead of the general election on 12 December. Their briefing describes the main findings of the survey, which include:

·         An estimate that swing voters are likely to be more concerned with housing issues than those who have decided how they will vote.

·         Housing is a top local issue for swing voters, second only to health.

·         Most swing voters are concerned about their or their children's housing situations, and have little trust in the main parties to improve these. 

Download the briefing from the NHF website.

http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/doc.housing.org.uk/Research_briefing_21112019_final.pdf

Councils Losing £300m A Year Due To Right To Buy

Total Right to Buy discounts have climbed to £1bn a year, leading to a net loss of some £300m for councils, according to new analysis from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Cutting the discounts available could lead to an extra 12,000 homes being built a year, the CIH has calculated. But the organisation says Right to Buy should be suspended altogether to stem the loss of social rented homes. The extent of the cost to the public sector is revealed in the UK Housing Review 2018 Autumn briefing paper. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/councils-losing-300m-a-year-due-to-right-to-buy/

Shelter Call For Reduced Land Prices In White Paper

The price of land must be reduced in order to build more housing that people can afford, say Shelter. In its white paper briefing, the charity has set out three key reforms which would make land cheaper. It is calling on the government to set up a new generation of development corporations, which would have powers to buy land at cheaper prices. This is with the view that these corporations would then give the land to those who want to “build the high volumes of good quality and affordable homes that we need.” Read more on 24housing.

Autumn Statement 2016 Briefing

On Wednesday 24 November Chancellor Phillip Hammond set out Government spending plans. This briefing provides an overview of the main housing-related measures, along with initial comment. Download this first-rate briefing from the Housingnet website.

Universal Credit Rollout Schedule Announced For Early 2017

As the rollout of Universal Credit across the country continues, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the pace for the rest of the process, as well as the sites going live up until the end of March 2017. Rollout to five jobcentres a month will continue to June 2017, expanding to 30 in July 2017. That will be scaled up to 55 Jobcentre locations a month between October and December 2017, and to 65 per month from February 2018. The final 57 Jobcentre locations are scheduled to come online in September 2018. For more information, read the briefing note from the DWP.

The Need For Stable Renting In England

Private renting used to be seen as a stopgap. It has struggled to shake its image as short-term housing for students and people still trying to get on the housing ladder. But the number of people privately renting has ballooned in recent years. In the last decade it's doubled in size, as more and more people have been priced out of home ownership or unable to get a social rented home. While short-term private lets may have been suitable in the past, this new generation of private renters want stable, long-term housing. Almost 9 in 10 renters say that being able to stay somewhere for the long-term is an important consideration when they are looking for a home. Despite this overwhelming demand for long-term housing, a stable home is something that the English private rented sector is least able to provide. Download Shelter’s briefing from their website.

Councils Urge Clark To Resolve Housing Bill Problems

Council leaders have warned the communities secretary that the flagship housing bill could result in developments without schools and hospitals unless changes are made. A cross-party group of council leaders warned Greg Clark that there are “unintended consequences for local authorities and inconsistencies” that will result from the housing and planning bill. The delegation, led by the Local Government Association’s chairman Lord Gary Porter, said they could not fund the creation of the new schools, hospitals and roads needed to meet the government’s demand for new homes. The main concerns for councils are contained in a briefing paper that highlighted the exemptions for developers from housing and infrastructure contributions as a key issue. Read more on 24dash.

SHOUT Produce Scathing Parliamentary Briefing

The SHOUT campaign for social housing have produced a Parliamentary Briefing in response to the publication of the Housing and Planning Bill. Their briefing “focuses on the sections of the Bill which particularly affect social rented housing and the people who live in it", and specifically covers the details of some specific sections of the bill. On the hot topic of the day, Right to Buy for housing association tenants, the briefing notes that “SHOUT supports the Right to Buy, but only if homes sold are replaced in the same area and at genuinely affordable social rent”.  Download the briefing form the SHOUT website.

Will The Housing And Planning Bill 2015 Help Homeowners?

The Commons Library has published a briefing paper which looks at the proposals set out in this Bill. The Bill covers areas such as Starter Homes, extending the right to buy to housing association tenants, and measures to speed up the planning system. Download the briefing from the Parliament website.

Housing Benefit: Withdrawing Entitlement from 18-21 Year Olds

The Government intends to withdraw Housing Benefit entitlement from some 18-21 year olds from April 2017. This briefing considers evidence on the potential impact of withdrawal and provides comment from organisations and those working with young homeless people. Download the briefing from the Parliament website.

Building the New Private Rented Sector: Issues and Prospects

This briefing paper sets out measures taken by the Government, and policy proposals from those within the private rented sector, to increase the supply of privately rented properties in England. Since 2012-13 private rental has been the second largest housing tenure in England behind owner occupation, overtaking social housing. In the context of this growth over the last 20 years, and in the context of a national shortage of housing stock, successive Governments have increasingly looked to the private rented sector (PRS) to play a greater role in providing more new build housing. Download a copy of the paper from the Parliament website.

The Introduction of Universal Credit to Couples

Universal Credit was expanded to take new claims from some couples in five of the new live running sites (Inverness, Rugby, Bath, Hammersmith and Harrogate) on the 7 July 2014. The DWP intends to expand the areas taking claims from couples to every live running site later in the summer. The NHF have issued a briefing which covers:

·         Eligibility rules

·         Challenges the DWP will face

·         Our recommendations for ensuring a smooth roll out

·         The main impacts on housing associations and their tenants.

·         The introduction of Universal Credit to couples

Download the briefing from the NHF website.

Service Charges and Universal Credit

The National Housing Federation has published a new briefing note, focusing on service charges and changes which have come into play with the introduction of Universal Credit. The briefing covers the following key issues:

• Service charges are governed by legislations and regulation
• Eligibility for benefit will change under Universal Credit (UC)
• There is a need to inform tenants claiming UC of eligible and ineligible charges

Download a copy of the briefing from the NHF website.

Rents Must Fall If More People Are To Come Off Benefits

The government risks never achieving its aim of getting more people off benefits unless rents fall, according to the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).  Universal credit will give tenants in lower-paid work more disposable income by reducing the "poverty trap" in the current benefit system. And as a result more working tenants will receive universal credit than now receive housing benefit or tax credits.  But at the same time, rising rents in both the social and private sector will mean it is less likely that claimants can ever increase their earnings by enough to come off benefits.  The analysis comes from CIH’s UK Housing Review (UKHR) Briefing.  Download a copy of the briefing from the Housingnet website.

Sheltered Housing and Welfare Reform

The National Housing Federation (NHF) has issued a briefing about the implications of welfare reform for sheltered housing tenants, including the transfer of housing benefit to Pension Credit Plus.  The Federation has raised with DWP and CLG problems that providers were experiencing with the existing definition of ‘exempt accommodation’. A recent DWP ministerial statement acknowledged that the Government were ‘alive’ to the issue and wanted to work with the sector to help find a solution.  The problem with the existing definition is that it potentially excludes a number of schemes because of the contracting arrangements for support.  Download a copy of the briefing from the NHF website.  

Welfare Reform and Social Housing – HQN Briefing

The Welfare Reform Bill was introduced to Parliament on 16 February. The reforms most directly concerning housing are those related to Housing Benefit (HB), the new Universal Credit regime and the overall benefit cap framework. The main HB reforms affecting social renters are the uprating of non-dependant deductions, and relating benefit payable to the rent payable for a dwelling of an ‘appropriate size’ Universal Credit, to be phased in over four years from October 2013, will radically reshape the entire welfare benefits structure, replacing existing income-related work-based benefits. Download the briefing from the HQN website.

Social Networking for Social Housing – an Introduction – HQN Briefing Paper

So, how are housing organisations embracing digital technology and social networking to best serve their tenants, residents, employers and partners? The Social Housing Providers Digital Inclusion Action Plan released in 2010 claimed 70% of residents don’t have online access. However, our own direct work with social housing organisations as well as evidence from other providers shows this to be much lower – often in the region of 50-60% of residents who do have access. Therefore online communications and particularly social networking should be a serious and effective part of the communications strategy for any housing organisation. Download this briefing paper from the HQN website.

Recent briefings - Click on the Hyperlinks for More Information

*Localism Bill – localism and ALMOs - NFA Briefing on the Localism Bill
*A more risky world - HQN Briefing on risk assessment
*Localism and the Big Society agenda: the role for social landlords? HQN Briefing which aims to generate a wider debate about the opportunities this agenda brings for social landlords
*New Help for Anti-Social Behaviour Victims - Trials of a new approach for handling complaints of antisocial behaviour. Home_Office Press Release
*Your questions answered – governance (part 1) - This HQN briefing is published in response to questions about governance from HQN members.

Safe as Houses? Security of Tenure for Social Housing Tenants In England

The Liberal Think Tank, Centre Forum has published a briefing outlining its concerns to the proposed changes to security of tenure.  Safe as houses? Security of tenure for social housing tenants in England argues that the Government's plans to restrict security of tenure would change the understanding which has historically been at the heart of social housing, forcing families to move out of their homes and removing tenants who often serve as the 'social glue' which helps bind communities together. Instead, it proposes that greater flexibility could be introduced into the existing social housing stock by periodically reassessing the circumstances of social tenants, with those who can afford to do so paying a market rent, with the additional revenue ringfenced for reinvestment in the housing supply.  Download the briefing from the Centre Forum website by clicking on the logo below.

Tackling Homelessness – Assessing the Needs of 16- and 17-Year-Olds

This HQN briefing paper summarises recent developments in assessing the need for accommodation and related services by 16- and 17-year-olds faced with homelessness. It follows guidance issued jointly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS) and Communities and Local Government (CLG) published in response to recent case law. Download a copy from the HQN website.