Alarming Decline in Homes for Rent

The UK property rental market has seen a worrying slump of 11.6% in available stock over the last six years. Scotland has seen the most dramatic fall, with a 34.7% decrease in available properties to rent between July 2011 and June 2017. In Wales over the same period there has been a fall of 28.1% while the South West has seen a decline of 26.5%.In total, seven out of 11 UK regions saw a fall in excess of the UK-wide average. This includes a decrease of 24.6% in the East Midlands, a fall of 20.8% in the South East and a drop of 16.7% in the West Midlands. The supply of available stock in East Anglia has dropped by 11.9% since 2011. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Councils Warn Housing Shortfall And Benefit Cuts Fuelling Rising Homelessness

Almost two thirds (64%) of councils across England are struggling to find social tenancies for homeless people, while half find it ‘very difficult’ to assist applicants into privately rented accommodation, according to a report by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF). The report, which includes evidence from 162 of England’s 326 local authorities, reveals that councils are finding it particularly difficult to house homeless young people and large families, with 85% of responding councils having difficulties assisting single people aged 25-34 into accommodation and 88% finding it difficult to house large families. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Universal Credit Tenants In Arrears Increases To 86%

The percentage of council tenants on Universal Credit in rent arrears has increased to a “critically high” 86% over the last year, sparking “extreme concern” among councils. The National Federation of Arms’-Length Management Organisations (NFA) and the Association for Retained Council Housing (ARCH), which together represent more than one million council homes in England, carried out annual research into Universal Credit claimants and found the percentage of council home tenants in receipt of Universal Credit who are in rent arrears has increased by seven percentage points – from 79% in March last year to 86%. This compares to 39% of tenants in arrears who do not receive Universal Credit. Download a copy of the research from the Housingnet website.

71% Unsure Of Right To Buy Purchase Price

Affordability remains a key issue in moderating demand for Right to Buy, says a new report. 71% of respondents said they did not know what the purchase price of their property would be, while 21% said they had a rough idea. The report, commissioned by the National Housing Federation and five participating housing associations, was conducted by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University during 2016. It found regional variance in levels of tenant demand and property valuations, reflecting the different local markets in which the pilot was operating. Download the report from the Housingnet website.

What More Should Government Do To Promote The Building Of New Homes

 A contribution from the members of the Lyons Housing Commission November 2016  Faced with the consequences of decades of failure to build the homes the country needs, public concern about housing is now at the highest it has been for 40 years. In the two years since the Lyons Housing Commission published its review of housing supply, tackling the housing crisis has risen up the national political agenda and is firmly embedded as a top priority for government. Building on recommendations from our previous report this article sets out a number of proposals for the Government to consider as part of its White Paper. Download the report from the Housingnet website.

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.

Research Reveals Scale Of Housing Developers' Profits

A new report from Sheffield Hallam University analysed the financial records of the nine biggest housebuilders between 2010-2015 and found startling results. The nine increased their housing output by 33 per cent from 2012-15. At the same time, revenue grew at more than twice this rate, increasing to 76 per cent, with profit before tax rising by a staggering 200 per cent in this period.  The research also showed that end of year profits for the biggest five firms increased from £372 million in 2010 to over £2 billion by 2015 - an increase of over 480 per cent. Furthermore, dividend payments to shareholders in 2015 by these firms amounted to 43% of yearly profits, raising questions about the levels of reinvestment in housing production taking place. Read more on Housingnet.

If You Own Your Own Home You Are Likely To Live Longer

Across most of the UK there is a direct correlation between homeownership levels and life expectancy according to an analysis by the HomeOwners Alliance; where homeownership levels are higher, so is life expectancy. However, homeownership levels have been declining for the past decade (peaking in 2002 at 69.7% down to 63.8% according to latest official figures from the April-June 2016 Labour Force Survey). High demand for homes is pushing house prices to unaffordable levels. Political parties, experts and the government all agree that the underlying cause of the housing crisis is that we have not been building enough new homes for decades. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Alarming Lack Of Government Investment In Affordable Housing To Rent

The UK Housing Review briefing's summary of current government support for affordable and private market housing investment in England from 2015/16 onwards shows that out of the £45 billion of government investment dedicated to housing, just £2 billion is being spent on below-market rented housing, only four per cent of the total. This is largely because money previously directed toward housing for rent is now going towards low-cost homeownership initiatives, such as shared ownership and starter homes, where over £6 billion is now to be invested. This means that 80 per cent of government commitments - a further £36 billion – is now going to wider initiatives to support the private market, especially via help to buy. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Social Tenants Who Claim Benefits Are Worried About Future Welfare Changes

Worryingly, over two-thirds (69%) of claimants living in social housing said they would feel more stressed about their financial situation if their benefits were to be cut or reduced, whilst nearly two in three (63%) fear they would have to cut back on food. Furthermore, almost three-fifths (58%) are concerned they may get into debt. Claimants also expressed uncertainty over Universal Credit. Over two-fifths (41%) said they feel unsure about this new benefit because of negative stories they’ve heard in the media.  Research further demonstrates how crucial welfare support is for those on lower incomes, with 88% of social tenants saying it has had a positive financial impact. Read more on Housingnet.

New Survey Shows Housing Crisis Is Deepening

The housing crisis is deepening as concerns mount about the availability and quality of homes, while increasing numbers aspire to own the roof over their head, according to the 2016 Homeowner Survey conducted by YouGov for HomeOwners Alliance and BLP Insurance. The survey, in its fourth year, polls over 2000 UK adults on the housing concerns and latest trends affecting homeowners and those aspiring to own. The survey shows that the appetite amongst UK residents to own their home has been steadily rising over the past four years. Almost three quarters (73%) of non-homeowners now say they would like to own their home compared to 69% last year, 68% in 2014 and 65% in 2013. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Report Calls For More Affordable Housing

As the housing crisis continues, first-time buyer figures highlighted in this year’s UK Housing Review reveal the significant need for government to focus housing policy and investment on a rented offer for households for whom home ownership is out of reach.  Figures highlight that government is investing a total of £42 billion in the private market, with only £18 billion spent on affordable rented housing - just 30 per cent of the total investment in housing.  The effect of the government's switch in priorities since last autumn’s Spending Review means that investment in affordable renting will fall to its lowest levels since the Second World War. Of the government's target for new homes to be built by 2020, only 12 per cent will be affordable rented homes. Read more on Housingnet.

Landlords Plan Repairs Cuts

Three quarters of landlords are planning changes to their maintenance services, with half of these planning to cut planned repairs in the face of government cuts, a survey has found. More than 40 landlords owning a total of 400,000 homes answered a survey by Build Recruitment and Housingnet, revealing they are considering a significant shake-up of repairs in light of changes such as the 1% rent cut. A fifth said they are planning redundancies in their repairs section, while a fifth were also planning to bring repairs in-house. Two-thirds of the respondents to the survey were housing associations, almost a fifth were local authorities and the rest include ALMOs and a housing co-op. Read more on the Build website.

7,000 Council Homes A Year Could Be Lost If Right To Buy Funding Gap Isn't Closed

Analysis from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) shows that local authorities could be left with no money to replace the homes they are forced to sell to fund the policy.The research indicates that:

• Between 2,100 and 6,800 ‘high-value’ council homes are likely to become empty and be sold each year – compared to the government’s estimate of 15,000

• Those sales would generate between £1.2 billion and £2.2 billion a year – compared to the government’s estimate of £4.5 billion

• Around 1.45 million housing association tenants would be eligible for right to buy during the first five years of the policy, with around 10 per cent (145,000) likely to take advantage

• £1.2 billion would be around half the amount needed to compensate housing associations for homes sold under the scheme – housing associations would need almost all of the higher £2.2 billion estimate, leaving virtually nothing for councils to replace the homes they have sold or for the brownfield regeneration fund.

Read more on the Housingnet website.

Councils Seeks Clarification on ‘Office-To-Residential’

Permitted development rights (often referred to as ‘office-to-residential’) were introduced in May 2013 to fast-track the conversion of offices to homes, but can result in sub-standard housing and undermine new jobs and economic growth – according to London Councils, which represents the city’s 33 local authorities. The rights, which allow developers to bypass existing planning regulations, are due to expire in May 2016. However, the government has indicated they might be extended and that current exemptions – including Canary Wharf and east London’s Tech City – may be removed. Cllr Claire Kober, London Councils’ Executive member for infrastructure and regeneration, said: “The negative impact of permitted development rights in London is stark and we urge central government to clarify its position on making these rights permanent and removing existing exemptions for central London and many town centres.” Read more on the Housingnet website.

Tackling Homelessness Early Could Save £1000s for Every Person Helped

Tackling homelessness early could save the taxpayer between £3,000 and £18,000 for every person helped, according to new research from homelessness charity Crisis. The Financial Costs of Single Homelessness in the UK makes the economic case for helping homeless people at an early stage. It warns that unless people get the help they need, their lives can quickly spiral out of control, leaving them vulnerable to mental and physical health problems, violent crime and problems with drugs and alcohol. As a consequence, they can become much harder to help and are more likely to need costly public services such as A&E, hospital treatment and psychiatric support.  Conversely, tackling homelessness early enables people to succeed in their lives and to contribute to society and the economy. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Build 100,000 Social Rent Homes a Year and Slash the Housing Benefit Bill

Investing in 100,000 new social homes a year would save the country billions of pounds in housing benefit, according to new major research. And the report from Capital Economics says “the economic and fiscal case for building new social rent housing is unanswerable". Compiled on behalf of the housing campaign SHOUT and the National Federation of ALMOs, the 'Building More Social Rent Homes' report warns that, if left unchecked, current housing policies will see the cost of housing benefit soar to nearly £200 billion over the next few decades. Download a copy of the report from the Housingnet website.

Energy Efficiency in Social Housing ‘Stalled’, Says New Report

Social landlords are struggling to make inroads into the energy efficiency of homes, a new analysis of the sector has found. The report, which collected data from landlords accredited with the SHIFT sustainability standard, looked at the progress made since 2012 on a host of measures, from the residents receiving energy saving advice to preparedness for flooding. The standard measure for measuring energy efficiency, ‘SAP’, was static between 2012 and 2014, indicating that landlords are facing severe challenges in an unstable funding environment. But SHIFT-accredited landlords were still performing better, on average, than the rest of the social housing sector on this measure. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Three Quarters of Public Think There Is a Housing Crisis in Britain

Seventy-five per cent of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI for the CIH agree that there is a housing crisis in Britain, while almost half (46 per cent) think there is a housing crisis in their local area.  The poll also showed that the situation is being felt most sharply by people who live in London and renters. Eight out of 10 (81%) people living in Greater London said there is a housing crisis in Britain and three-quarters (76%) agreed there is a housing crisis in their local area. Eight out of 10 (81%) renters said there is a housing crisis in Britain while more than half (60%) agreed there is a housing crisis in their local area. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Call for ‘Help to Move’ Package to Help Older People Downsize

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People  has urged the Government to offer a package of financial support and advice to make it easier for older people to move home if they wish to downsize. The ‘Help to Move’ scheme would include a stamp duty exemption for older people buying lower value homes, an equity loan offer - similar to the ‘Help to Buy’ approach already aimed at first time buyers - and comprehensive advice linked to new pensions freedoms. Read more o the Housingnet website.