Brokenshire On The Spot Over ‘No Deal’ Housebuilding

On the spot over the future for low-cost housing post-Brexit, James Brokenshire turned his fire on – the last Labour government. At MHCLG questions in the Commons this afternoon (March 4), Healey called on Brokenshire to commit to £4bn for new low cost homes next year in the event of a No Deal Brexit. Healey had teased Brokenshire in asking how many fewer homes might be built in the event of No Deal, referencing the Bank of England assessment of a 30% plunge in house prices – double the fall after the global financial crash. Brokenshire did not directly address Healey’s call for commitment. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/brokenshire-on-the-spot-over-no-deal-housebuilding/

Housing Associations – Parliamentary Written Answer

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many social homes they estimate were sold by housing associations during the last financial year.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: Between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 a total of 13,086 sales of social stock including: social rented general needs, supported housing, intermediate rent and Affordable Rent and Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) were reported by Private Registered Provider through the Regulator of Social Housings Statistical Data Return. 9,660 sales were to tenants through various home ownership schemes and 3,426 were sales for non-social housing use.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2018-12-14/HL12321

100,000 Low-Cost Homes Have Had Rents Hiked Since 2012

Labour has unveiled plans to stem the loss of low-cost homes as new analysis reveals more than 100,000 social homes have been converted into a more expensive type of property in the last six years alone. The party said it would scrap a policy introduced by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in 2012 that forces housing associations and local councils to raise rents by an average of 40 per cent by converting social homes into “affordable homes”. The announcement is the second to come out of Labour’s review into the future of social housing, which is likely to report in the coming weeks. Read more on the Independent website.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-social-housing-policy-affordable-homes-100000-converted-coalition-government-a8256776.html

Funding Boost For Accessible Homes

Housing and homelessness minister, Heather Wheeler, has announced an extra £42m funding for local housing authorities to make a range of adaptations to a disabled or elderly person’s home. Some of these changes are low cost but can make a big difference to the person’s quality of life such as grab rails which can be installed for as little as £30 but can prevent a serious fall. Other changes include:

·         ramps and stair lifts

·         widening of doors

·         level access showers and raised toilets

·         accessible gardens

·         home extensions which can include the construction of downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms

Read more on 24housing.

http://www.24housing.co.uk/news/funding-boost-for-accessible-homes/

Government Housing Schemes Have Little Impact On Social Mobility

Flagship government schemes to help more people get on the UK housing ladder have little impact on improving social mobility as better-off buyers are most likely to benefit from the support. A new report published by the Social Mobility Commission into the impact of low-cost home ownership schemes found that those benefitting from schemes - such as Help to Buy - earn more than one and a half times the national working age median income. Around 3 in 5 first-time buyers said that they would have bought anyway and that the scheme merely enabled them to buy a better property, or one in a better area, than they were originally looking for. Download the report from the Gov UK website.

Bricklaying Robot Can Build Low-Cost Houses In Two Days

A new bricklaying robot was originally created to help meet labour shortages. But the robot can also cut construction waste and save so much money that it could be a viable way to build low-cost housing even in the poorest communities in the world. The truck-mounted robot – called the Hadrian X - uses a patented system to keep its 92-foot long arm stable as it works outside, even in windy weather, and handles heavy blocks. Builders upload a computer file of the design, and the system handles everything else. The robot cuts each brick as needed, and the system feeds them up a conveyor belt, where they're coated with adhesive and precisely placed in the house (without the need for water or mortar). Read more on the Co.Exist website.

You Can't Trust The Tories When It Comes To Affordable Housing

Britain's cost of housing crisis means that for too many families and young people on ordinary incomes, a decent and stable home is simply beyond their means. This isn't a natural disaster. Housing is, as the ex head of the civil service Lord Bob Kerslake has said, "the biggest public policy failure of the past 50 years".  Even under Margaret Thatcher, significant public funding was available for building affordable homes, and she re-affirmed the long-standing duty on private developers to do their bit to build low cost homes too. But this Conservative government has torn up the idea that we should build houses to cater for all needs, and with it any hope of solving the cost of housing crisis. Read more of this piece by John Healey on the Huffington Post website.

Boris: Starter Homes Could Damage Shared Ownership

Boris Johnson is pleading with ministers to ensure requirements on councils to support Starter Homes do not damage his ambitious shared ownership targets. His intervention will deepen fears that large-scale government plans for Starter Homes risk smothering other low-cost housing options such as shared ownership. City Hall has “made representations” to government to ensure Starter Homes and shared ownership “work harmoniously”. The Greater London Authority (GLA) is concerned that potential quotas for Starter Homes would leave the mayor unable to fulfil his pledge to get 250,000 Londoners into shared ownership within the decade. Mr Johnson is now pushing for the power to set his own targets for Starter Homes in London. Read more on Inside Housing.

Councils Reconsider Housing Association Links

The Right to Buy extension will ‘re-cast’ the relationship between local authorities and housing associations, councils have said. In return for the discount, there will be more flexibility to build homes for other tenures such as shared ownership and “portable discounts” for certain properties.  John Bibby, chief executive of the Association for Retained Council Housing, said if associations replace homes sold under the policy with low-cost home ownership homes, it could change the relationship with local authorities. “We will have to wait and see what that means for traditional type of agreements where councils gift land or provide discounted land to associations in return for nomination rights,” he said. He warned if associations become more commercial, councils could treat associations “like any other developer”.  Read more on Inside Housing.

Housing Bill Will Be Introduced In October

A bill to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants will be published in October. The CLG has confirmed that the Housing Bill, which would implement the controversial policy, will be introduced in Parliament next month. The National Housing Federation is currently in talks with the government in an attempt to secure more flexibilities under the extended Right to Buy scheme. It is understood this could involve a plan under which associations pledge to build more low-cost homeownership properties – a key priority of the Conservative government – in return for Right to Buy being adopted voluntarily. Read more on Inside Housing.

Combine Shared Ownership and Help to Buy

The government should allow home buyers to use the Help to Buy scheme to make shared ownership purchases, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has said. In its submission to the government’s spending review, the Institute said the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme should be used for low cost home ownership to help people on low incomes access the housing ladder. Currently, the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme, which allows people to buy homes with 5% deposits, cannot be used to purchase shared ownership products. The CIH said the mortgage guarantee scheme should be extended beyond December 2016, but should be used solely to help buyers purchase low cost ownership homes, including shared ownership. Read more on the CIH website.

London Employees In and Poorer Families Out Of York

People on lower incomes will be forced out of York and the city will become part of the London commuter belt unless solutions are found to its housing crisis, a packed meeting was told. John Hocking, executive director of Joseph Rowntree Housing Foundation, was speaking at a meeting hosted by York Social. Both YorSpace, a community housing initiative, and York Social urged the council to reconsider its approach to bids to buy council property to enable non commercial organisations to provide lower cost housing for local people. Mr Hocking said: "If York is going to grow, it needs the housing base which is going to support its growing workforce." Read more on The Press website.

Affordable Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how his Department defines what constitutes affordable housing.

Brandon Lewis: The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (sections 68 – 70) defines social housing as low cost rental accommodation and low cost home ownership accommodation. In the Act, a low cost rent is simply defined as below the market rate. Low cost home ownership is defined by its availability for occupation on a shared ownership or equity percentage basis. This provides flexibility to support a range of people with different housing needs through our affordable housing programmes. Read more on the Parliament website.