New Sleaze Allegation Against Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick

The Times has revealed new allegations concerning the behaviour of Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. Last year Jenrick - along with junior housing minister Jake Berry - intervened in the process of awarding hundreds of millions of pounds of public money to local areas under a regeneration scheme called the Towns Fund. The newspaper alleges that in September of 2019 - a few months before the General Election - Jenrick and Berry personally chose 61 of the 101 towns which would each receive £25m. Typically, the selection would have been made by civil servants acting impartially. No fewer than 60 of the areas selected were in Conservative-held seats or target seats to be won at the election. Read more on Estate Agent Today.

https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2020/9/new-sleaze-allegation-against-housing-secretary-robert-jenrick 

Poll Shows Housing Policies Popular But Little Faith In Delivery

Ipsos MORI research reveals few think any party will improve housing if elected. Housing policies in Tory, Labour, and Lib Dem manifestos are popular – but few think any party will improve housing if elected. Confidence in Labour to deliver on housing in government is as high as 45% among past Lib Dem voters – only a little short of the 54% who are confident in their own party. But past Labour voters are particularly attracted to the range of policies – for example, more support Conservative ‘First Homes’ and ‘Help to Rent’ than Conservative and Lib Dem past voters respectively. A majority of respondents backed Labour’s programme of building social housing. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/poll-shows-housing-policies-popular-but-little-faith-in-delivery/

Brexit And General Election ‘Weighing Down On Housing Market Confidence’

Consumer confidence that house prices will rise over the coming year is stronger than 12 months ago, according to building societies. But issues stemming from Brexit and the General Election are seen as significant risks to the housing market in 2020, the Building Societies Association (BSA) found. Nearly three in 10 (28%) people expect house prices to increase over the coming year – up by five percentage points compared with a year ago. Brexit, selected by 43% of people surveyed, and the General Election result, selected by 30%, are seen as being among the factors posing the biggest risks to the stability of the housing market in 2020. Read more on the AOL website.

https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/12/05/brexit-and-general-election-a-weighing-down-on-housing-market-c/?guccounter=1

Election Plea For BME Housing Associations

BMENational wants cross-party commitments to back BME housing associations that work in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the country. “We have identified four areas where government action is urgently needed: ageing well, ending homelessness, equality of opportunity, and thriving and diverse cities,” said chair of BMENational, Cym D’Souza. “We call upon all parties to commit to support our aims and help us work together in addressing the challenges faced in our communities,” she said. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/election-plea-for-bme-housing-associations/

2.4 Million Private Renters Could Lose Their Vote

More than two million private renters could miss out on voting at the General Election, analysis by Generation Rent reveals. Generation Rent is urging private renters to register to vote, highlighting 96 seats in England where newly registered private renters could cast the deciding vote. “Many renters are on 12 month contracts, meaning they are much more likely to move house in a given year,” said Caitlin Wilkinson, Policy & Public Affairs Manager, Generation Rent. “In key marginals across the country, renters registering could decide the outcome of the seat. Read more on the Generation Rent website.

https://www.generationrent.org/

Cladding Crisis Front And Centre Of Election Campaigning

The cladding crisis is front and centre of election campaigning, with the government accused of downplaying risks posed by high-pressure laminate (HPL) panels linked to the blaze that ripped through a student block in Bolton. Former housing minister Kit Malthouse was accused in June of ‘misleading’ MPs over fire-safety tests carried out on HPL prior to June 2017. Answering a written Commons question from Labour’s Steve Reed, Malthouse effectively admitted that MHCLG had been aware of another cladding type that failed a large-scale fire test. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/cladding-crisis-front-and-centre-of-election-campaigning/

Landlords Hit Back At National Renter Manifesto

Renters and housing justice campaigners from across England have come together to launch a national renter manifesto ahead of the General Election. In a warning that political parties would be “foolish” to ignore the renter vote – a Generation Rent report identified 47 seats in England with a higher than average private renter population and a parliamentary majority of less than 5000 votes.

Now, the Landlords Alliance have hit back – with their own manifesto. Written by Larry Sweeney, CEO of the Landlords Alliance, the manifesto calls for an alternative, positive agenda – which works for “both landlords and tenants”. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/landlords-hit-back-at-national-renter-manifesto/

‘Cull Claimants’ Comments Overshadow End Of Benefits Freeze

As a Tory candidate is exposed calling for a ‘cull’ of benefit claimants, government is slammed for cynicism in confirming the widely expected end of the benefits freeze ahead of a general election. The announcement of the thaw found a frosty reception when set against would-be Gower MP Francesca O’Brien saying the claimants she saw on TV’s Benefits Street should be ‘put down’.  O’Brien’s Facebook comments have still to be condemned by the government as pressure increases for her to be removed as a candidate for the marginal seat she was selected for last month. O’Brien wrote in January 2014: “Benefit Street..anyone else watching this??  My blood is boiling, these people need putting down.” Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/cull-claimants-comments-overshadow-end-of-benefits-freeze/

Rent Control The Way Forward Say Labour

The first political conference of 2017 kicked off in Brighton on 27 September, with Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn announcing that if they win the next General Election, they will introduce rent controls for the private rented sector. Rent control has been promised by Labour as far back as 2015, with their Party Manifesto claiming, "For the 11 million people who rent privately, we will legislate to make three-year tenancies the norm, with a ceiling on excessive rent rises" and later in their 2017 manifesto "Labour will make new three-year tenancies the norm, with an inflation cap on rent rises.” Read more on the ARLA website.

Construction Output Suffers Sharpest Fall For Five Years

The run-up to the General Election saw the largest three-month drop in construction output for five years, according to latest official figures. New figures for May showed all work output slipped by 1.2% month-on-month, driven mainly by a 4% fall in infrastructure, equating to a real value fall of £61m. The only sector to show growth was social housing, up £6% or £21m in cash terms. The Office of National Statistics three-month trend figures also slipped back 1.2%, which represented the sharpest fall for five years, albeit after a sustained period of growth. This fall was driven mainly by infrastructure and private new housing, which dropped 1.3% and 1.8% respectively. Read more on the Construction Enquirer website.

Confidence In Housing Market Declines After Election Result

Consumer confidence in the housing market dipped in the days following the General Election, a survey has found. Just over one in five (21%) people think now is a good time to buy a home, down from 29% in March, according to research from the Building Societies Association (BSA). The survey took place four days after the election. Nearly a third (30%) of people in the survey disagree that now is a good time to buy a home - the highest figure since 37% of people felt this way in December 2008. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they expect prices to fall, up from 10% in March. Read more on the Belfast Telegraph website.

General Election Hurt Demand And House Prices

The National Association of Estate Agents says the General Election led to a drop in the number of registered house hunters per branch by eight per cent in May - and it also reports a sharp fall in the number of homes selling above asking price. The NAEA says the number of house hunters registered per estate agent branch fell from an average of 381 in April to 350 in May - “unsurprising as political uncertainty ahead of the election stalled buyers” says the association. Only three per cent of properties sold for more than asking price in May, down four per cent from April and the lowest level since October. Read more on Letting Agent Today.

'Fit For Human Habitation' Amendment May Be Reconsidered After London Fire

A proposed amendment to the government's Housing and Planning Bill which suggests landlords are required to make homes 'fit for human habitation' may be reconsidered following the fire at Grenfell Tower. The amendment was tabled by the Labour Party last year, but was defeated by MPs following a vote of 312 to 219. The proposal was also included in Labour's manifesto for the General Election. According to a report on The London Economic website, Parliament's register of interests shows that 72 of the Conservative MPs who voted against the amendment were themselves private landlords. Read more on the Letting Agent Today website.

Residential Property Sales Drop Ahead Of General Election

The number of residential property sales has fallen by 20% as many prospective purchasers adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach ahead of the general election. Each branch of estate agents agreed sales on eight properties on average in April, down from 10 in March, according to the latest figures published by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA Propertymark). The trade body found that there were just 36 properties available to buy per branch in April, down from 39 properties in March. But demand also fell, with the number of buyers registered with each branch reaching 381 in April, which was below the 425 recorded in January and February, and 397 in March. Read more on Property Investor Today.

London Rents Keep Falling On Election Jitters

Rents in London have dropped for a fifth successive month amid political uncertainty, according to a new report from lettings agency Your Move. The average property in London was let for £1273 in April, a 0.3% drop from a month earlier and 1.8% down from April 2016. uncertainty caused by Brexit and the snap election had forced the property market here “to take a pause for breath”. The upcoming election was also blamed for a slowdown in UK housebuying demand. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

Renters Could Swing The Election In 93 Seats

There are 93 ‘renter marginals’ where there are more private renters without a strong commitment to any political party, according to analysis by the Renters Vote campaign. Up to 30 seats could be taken by a party that appeals to these voters. 73 of the renter marginals are in England, while 18 are in the devolved nations.  The renter swing vote was calculated by multiplying the electorate at the 2015 election by the proportion of the population that rent privately. This was then multiplied by 30%, the proportion of private renters who told a Survation poll that they were likely to vote for a different party at future elections. Read more on 24housing.

Lack Of Property For Sale In The UK

April is traditionally a busy time for the UK housing market, but fewer homeowners put their properties up for sale last month, the latest UK Property Supply Index from HouseSimple shows. The online estate agent says that the number of new UK property listings dropped by 4% in April from the previous month. The firm suggests that the cold weather and political uncertainty, caused by the triggering of Article 50 and Theresa May’s decision to call a snap general election, are the main causes for the decline in the number of homes put up for sale, with Runcorn (-33.9%), Doncaster (-31.1%) and Woking (-28.6%) suffering the biggest supply drought, according to the research. Read more on the Property Investor Today website.

Labour Pledges 'Tougher' Standards For Rented Houses

Labour has promised a "consumer rights revolution" for renters in England if it wins the general election, with the introduction of new legal standards for rented homes. Landlords who fail to meet the "tougher" minimum standards would face fines of up to £100,000, Labour said. The proposals include requirements for safe wiring and appliances, freedom from damp and general good repair. But the Conservatives said the plan could increase people's rent. Read more on the BBC website.

UK Housing Market Is In Neutral Gear, Say Lenders

The UK's housing market is in "neutral gear" and the general election will do little to change that, the mortgage lenders' trade body has said. The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said gross mortgage lending totalled £21.4bn in March, in line with the monthly average over the past year. But it was much less than the £26.3bn lent in March last year, when there was a surge in buy-to-let borrowing. Then, landlords rushed to buy homes ahead of a rise in stamp duty. Since that surcharge came in, the buy-to-let market has become more subdued, as has the market for home movers. Read more on the BBC.

Post-Election Housing Supply Surge Fails To Materialise

Hopes for a post-election supply bounce fail to materialise as vendor instructions fall for the fourth consecutive month and the average stock of houses per surveyor falls by around 12% since the start of 2015. House prices rose again in May, and at a quicker pace than in April, as the stock of homes per UK surveyor fell to a record low since the data series began in January 1978, according to the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey. While 34% more surveyors saw prices rise in May, supply to the market declined for the fourth consecutive month with 19% more surveyors reporting a drop in new instructions. Read more on the RICS website.