Shapps: Help for Older Tenants Wanting to Move

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has offered older tenants struggling to manage and heat their large family homes a dedicated officer to find them smaller properties more suited to their needs. Ministers are clear that they will not force people to move - but want to provide a helping hand to those wanting to do so. There are 430,000 under-occupied social homes in England - where tenants have two or more bedrooms more than they require. In many cases, these properties are occupied by elderly tenants whose children have since grown up and moved out. Mr Shapps has confirmed that councils from across the country managing the largest number of homes will get a share of £13million to make it easier for those tenants wanting to move from larger family homes to smaller, more manageable homes, to do so. Councils will be able to use this funding as they see fit to better meet the needs of their tenants. Find more information on the CLG website.

Statutory Homelessness: 1st Quarter, England

The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for January to March 2010 were released on 10 June 2010, under arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. They show that the number of people accepted as homeless has fallen 16 per cent in the last year. The key points from the latest release are:
*9,590 applicants were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during January to March, 16 per cent lower than during the same period last year.
*51,310 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2010, 20 per cent lower than the same date last year.
*On a seasonally-adjusted2 basis, 51,230 households were in temporary
accommodation, 5 per cent lower than the previous quarter and 50 per cent lower than the peak in 2004.
The full statistical release and accompanying tables, including regional and local authority data, are available on the CLG website.

Guidance for Councils on ASB Linked To Gypsy & Traveller Communities

Councils need to work more closely with other agencies to address anti-social behaviour associated with Gypsies and Travellers, John Denham said today. As with all communities only a small minority of Gypsies and Travellers behave anti-socially and their mobile lifestyle can exacerbate this – but perceptions that the community is not dealt with the same as other communities damage public confidence about fair treatment for all. Mr Denham is urging local councils to make full use of powers available to them when tackling anti-social behaviour in all communities. The Government has published guidance for local authorities, the police and other agencies, setting out the strong powers that are available to them in dealing with ASB associated with Gypsies and Travellers - whether they are the perpetrators or the victims – and where possible preventing such behaviour before it occurs. Download the Guidance from the CLG website.

CLG Select Committee Report - Beyond Decent Homes

The CLG Select Committee have published a report 'Beyond Decent Homes'. Both individual ALMOs and the NFA provided oral and written evidence to this inquiry. Briefly, among the references to ALMOs are;
*We regret the Government's inability to give a firm commitment on how the funding will be provided to enable the remaining ALMOs that have yet to receive funding to improve decency in their stock.
*We call on the Government to make clear as soon as possible when the funding will be delivered to achieve the completion of the Decent Homes programme in the ALMO sector.
*We conclude that the ten-year experience of ALMOs has generated improvements in asset management of social sector stock that are not simply attributable to additional funding.
*We recommend that the Government make arrangements for the continued management of housing stock by ALMOs, including by providing for access to funding under the new self-financing system.
*We consider that local authorities should not take their ALMOs back in-house until they have conducted a ballot of tenants and received an endorsement by tenants of that plan.
*We conclude that local authorities with retained stock are capable of effective day-to-day management, but that lessons learned from ALMOs should be applied to improve their results.
*The establishment of ALMOs has significantly improved the performance of council landlords and the requirement to reach a two-star rating of service in order to be granted funding has been a very successful driver of standards of housing management.
*We recommend that the Government give ALMOs the capacity to raise private finance against future rental streams in the context of a 30 year agreement with their local authority.
*We consider the restriction of ALMO spending on estates or communal areas to 5% of their budgets to be unreasonable, and recommend that the Government introduce greater flexibility to allow ALMOs to spend a greater proportion of funds on these measures as necessary.
Read the full report on the Parliament website by clicking on the logo below.

Tories: We Will Abolish the TSA

The TSA has been rocked by the news that it will definitely be abolished if the Conservative Party wins the General Election. The shock announcement was made by Stewart Jackson, shadow CLG minister, during a parliamentary debate. He told MPs: "For the avoidance of doubt, a future Conservative Government will abolish the TSA. We believe that what is being proposed in terms of the rationale reveals a fundamental lack of trust in tenants and an opinion that they cannot be trusted to work through properly elected boards with professional officers with RSLs in terms of the oversight facility. Our commitment is clear. The performance of the TSA has not been good over the past 12 months or so. It was the quango responsible for the extra bureaucracy laid upon council tax payers and central Government taxpayers, which paid the Audit Commission £1.8 million to carry out its basic audit function.” Read the full story on the 24dash website.

Homelessness: Young People - Parliamentary Written Answer

John McDonnell: What plans does the CLG have to increase support for young homeless people seeking permanent accommodation?
Mr. Ian Austin: Government have recently provided £30 million capital funding over three years from CLG that will provide up to 500 new places in Foyers and specialist supported housing through the National Affordable Housing Programme.
Read the full answer on the Parliament website.

Definition of HMOs into the Use Classes Order - Impact assessment

This final impact assessment considers the costs and benefits of introducing a definition of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) into planning legislation to allow local planning authorities (LPAs) greater control over the unwanted effects of high concentrations of HMOs. Find the document on the CLG website.

Houses in Multiple Occupation Consultation - Summary of Responses

This document comprises a summary of responses to the recent Government consultation on three options for addressing the impact of high concentrations of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), and the Government's response to the consultation. Find the document on the CLG website.

Consultation: Planning for a Low Carbon Future in a Changing Climate

The purpose of this e-consultation is to get stakeholder views and comments on the new draft planning policy which combines and updates the existing planning policy statements on climate change (PPS1 supplement) and renewable energy (PPS22). Find the consultation document and link to the response form on the CLG website. The consultation ends 1 June 2010.

Code for Sustainable Homes: A Cost Review

This report presents the findings of research in 2009 to update and enhance existing cost data for achieving different performance levels under the Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code). The report updates Cost Analysis of The Code for Sustainable Homes: Final Report, published July 2008, which reported on Code cost data research undertaken in 2007. Find a copy of the report on the CLG website.

Housing Policy Should Help Cohesion

Policy makers should place more emphasis on community cohesion when making decisions on housing, the government has said. The CLG community cohesion guidance encourages councils to take account of how cohesion in housing, planning and regeneration policies will ensure different groups get on well together in the community. ‘Large social housing estates or swathes of expensive properties will shape the local population,’ it states. ‘An emerging issue is the growth of houses of multiple occupancy in some areas.’ It also suggests information on levels of crime and anti-social behaviour and the strength of the local economy are recorded. Find the guidance on the CLG website.

Decrease in Homelessness Continues

New national statistics show that despite the tough economic times, the number of those accepted as homeless is down by 72% since 2003. The figures show that 9,430 households were accepted as homeless by local authorities between October to December 2009 - a 22 per cent reduction compared to the same time last year. The number of households in temporary homes on 31st December 2009 has also fallen by 21 per cent since the same date last year - down to 53,370 - showing that local authorities have almost met the 2010 target of halving the number of households in temporary accommodation. Find more details on the CLG website.

Reconstructing the Builders' Rulebook to Reduce Emissions & Bills

Housing and Planning Minister John Healey has announced changes to the country's building regulations. The amendments coming into force this year will make homes 25% more energy efficient, typically saving householders £100 a year on their heating bills. Building on the Warm Homes, Greener Homes strategy, the Government is continuing the drive towards all new buildings reaching the zero carbon standard from 2019. The standards will see around 2 million tonnes of carbon saved every year by 2020, equivalent to taking over 3 million cars off of the road. The measures include practical steps that builders can take to make buildings greener, while at the same time ensuring that more efficient, air-tight homes and offices are sufficiently ventilated. Where homeowners choose to extend or renovate their homes, they will now need to use more energy efficient windows and boilers. New homes will need to be more water efficient too, with each household saving, on average, enough water a year for 260 baths. Read the full story on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.

Tackling Race Inequality: Summary of Responses

The Government published the consultation document Tackling race inequalities: A discussion document in February 2009, to seek views on the Government’s future approach to tackling race inequalities. Eight Listening Events were also held, across the English Regions, to complement the written consultation. The Government has now issued a summary of the responses to the consultation document and Listening Events. The Government’s Tackling race inequality: A statement on race draws on this feedback. Find the document on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.

Working Tenants Get Help To Move Home

Housing Minister John Healey has announced plans for tenants with a new job offer to get Government help to find a new home. The Minister made clear the Government's commitment to helping the 'squeezed middle' - working tenant in public housing on low wages. These low-paid workers have been among worst affected by the recession with over half seeing a fall in their income due to reduced hours, less overtime and wage cuts. As the organisations who know these residents best, the Minister is looking to councils and housing associations to help households who are in low-paid work and need help to improve their career prospects, or to avoid getting into debt. Under a new home-finding scheme, a resident with the offer of work outside their local area will be given help to find affordable accommodation nearer to their new job. Find full details on the CLG website.

CLG Faces 'Significant Hole' In Spending Plans – MPs

A major Whitehall department faces a "significant hole" in its spending plans unless it speeds up efficiency efforts, a committee of MPs has warned. It said it would be "extremely challenging" for the CLG to find the £887 million of savings demanded by 2011 by the Treasury. "Failure to do so will leave a very significant hole in CLG's plans," said the Commons select committee which monitors its performance. In a scathing assessment, the MPs accused the department of lacking the "full range of skills" required to do its job properly and failing to come up with figures needed to judge its work. A policy of moving staff on after nine months was "not a sensible way to run an organisation", their report warned mandarins - but also blamed ministerial reshuffles for poor performance. Read the full story on the 24dash website.

Making Better Use Of Energy Performance Certificates And Data: Consultation

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) and Display Energy Certificates (DEC) have an important role to play in supporting the Government’s carbon reduction aims by providing vital information about the energy efficiency of buildings in England and Wales and advice about measures to improve their energy performance. To enhance their contribution, CLG are consulting on a number of measures to help improve the effectiveness of EPCs and to make better use of energy performance data. The closing date for comments is 25 May 2010. Download the Consultation document from the CLG website below.

The Code for Sustainable Homes: Case Studies

It takes approximately 18 months to design and build a home, therefore it is only now that Code Homes have been completed since the policies inception in 2007. This publication sets out a number of detailed case studies on actual Code Homes. The case studies show the different ways of achieving various levels of the Code and also highlights potential pit-falls for developers. Click on the CLG logo below to find the download to the Case Study and look out for the link to the second volume of Case Studies in the Related Documents section on the same page.

Requiring Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) For Houses In Multiple Occupation (HMOs): Impact Assessment

This impact assessment will require owners of HMOs to make energy performance certificates available when renting out rooms in HMOs to prospective tenants. This will improve awareness of energy efficiency, giving tenants and landlords more information about the energy performance of the property. Download the Impact Assessment from the CLG website below.

Tenure and Change In Deprived Areas

This report, which considers evidence from the New Deal for Communities (NDC) areas, examines the possibility that different patterns of tenure in deprived areas may make a difference to how much change an area is likely to experience over time. The relationship between concentrations of social housing, socio-demographic profiles of areas and achieving change across a range of key indicators is explored. Download a copy of the report from the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.