Government Confirms 25,000 Homes Figure Is ‘An Estimate’

Recently, the government briefed journalists that the £2bn could pay for 25,000 social rented homes over five years. Now, a CLG spokesperson has said this was just an estimate. The exact number will depend on the bids that are submitted by councils and housing associations. The money will likely fund a number of affordable rented homes and properties at other tenures as well. Social rented homes require a higher subsidy than affordable rented homes, so if a provider bids to build affordable rented homes they could build more homes overall. The £2bn funding will be focused on “supporting council housebuilding and housing associations in areas of greatest need”. Read more on Inside Housing.

Two-Thirds Of Councils Could Face Centrally Set Housing Targets

Failing to set up Local Plans could expose almost two-thirds of English councils to new government measures encouraging housing delivery. The report by planning and development consultancy Lichfields, entitled Planned and Deliver, found that only 36% of local authorities have completed Local Plans, while 43% have not yet published a draft. The government’s proposal is that if a council does not have a Local Plan in place by November, its targets for housing delivery will be set according to central estimates for household formation. Read more on Inside Housing.

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people above pensionable age and living in general needs accommodation who will be deemed to be under-occupying their home and will have their housing benefit reduced in accordance with their household size as opposed to their property size as a result of the cap on housing benefit for social housing tenants to the Local Housing Allowance Rate; and what the average loss incurred by this group of people will be.

Caroline Nokes: This measure will be introduced in April 2018, where new tenancies have been taken out or existing tenancies renewed from 1 April 2016 (or 1 April 2017 for supported housing). Full impact and equality impact assessments will be undertaken in due course.

£1m Admin Cost Estimate On First Year Of Pay To Stay

A London borough estimates that Pay to Stay could cost it £1 million in first year administration costs alone to make IT and other system and process changes happen.  The borough of Camden has put a £1 million price on the bureaucracy that Pay to Stay will generate.  Camden concedes to “little detailed information” about how many households are likely to be affected by Pay to Stay, but estimates indicate that as many as 13% of tenants may be affected - against the government’s national estimate of 7.4%. Read more on 24dash.

Rise In Number Of 'Hidden' Rural Rough Sleepers

According to the latest Government figures, the estimated number of rough sleepers has risen by 14% in the UK, with 2,744 people sleeping on the streets on any one night. The South West is one of the areas outside London believed to have seen the biggest increases, with charities noting a lack of housing and high rents have led to a growing number of people sleeping rough in rural locations. The reasons behind people sleeping rough in the countryside differ - some want to disappear, others feel safer sleeping there than in urban areas. Despite the reported rise in rural rough sleepers, charities warn the hidden nature of the problem means it is easy for those affected to drop off the radar. Read more on the Sky website.

DWP Stands By Low Loophole Estimate

The DWP has revealed how it calculated just 3,000 people might be affected by a bedroom tax loophole, after criticism of its low estimate. The DWP said just 3,000 to 5,000 households will benefit from a technical error in the bedroom tax regulations. The DWP’s estimate is below that of others, with some estimating around 40,000 could be affected.  A DWP spokesperson said the single housing benefit extract, a data source from councils, allows the DWP to search for claimants dating back to 1 January 1996. The DWP estimate relies on 380 authorities recording the data in exactly the same way, for every week for the last 18 years. Read more on Inside Housing.