42 Social Housing Mergers Made In 2018

Figures from commercial law firm EMW reveal there was a total of 42 mergers between housing associations in 2018. The analysis further states that this brings the total number of deals in the last five years to 171. Housing associations are said to have been undertaking mergers as a way of cutting their cost base to deal with reduced government spending on social housing. Figures from the National Housing Federation show the government’s capital commitment towards building homes plummeted from £11.4bn in 2009 to just £5.3bn in 2015. The analysis added that, by merging or amalgamating, housing associations can remove duplicated back office costs in areas such as IT and HR. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/42-social-housing-mergers-completed-last-year/

MHCLG Linked To ‘Mega Ministry’ Merger

MHCLG could be merged into a new ‘mega-ministry’ under mooted government plans to save billions. Reports suggest such a ministry could be made up of MHCLG, the Department for Transport and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to focus on major infrastructure projects. The reports also pitch Departments for International Development, Exiting the EU and International Trade into the Foreign Office. Already, the Institute for Government has warned setting up new departments – considered in the context of the spending review – can incur huge costs.Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/mhclg-linked-to-mega-ministry-merger/

Housing Association Merger Will Lead To Social Cleansing, Warn Tenants

Tenants in west London have warned that a plan to create one of the UK’s biggest housing associations will lead to the social cleansing of poorer families from wealthy areas. The proposed merger between London-based housing associations Notting Hill Housing (NHH) and Genesis, would create a mega landlord with a combined annual turnover of £676m and 65,000 homes in management, many in sight of Grenfell Tower, which was destroyed by fire in June. But the associations have between them sold off 800 street properties in the last five years and used the proceeds to build more homes in cheaper areas, leading to fears that further sell-offs are planned. Read more on the Guardian website.

Council To Grab Back Housing From ‘Failing’ Social Landlords

Talks are under way to try and bring social housing estates in London’s deprived East End back under local authority control.  It follows protests that some landlords don’t carrying out repairs or proper gas safety checks and have “lost touch” with the community. Now Tower Hamlets Council is in talks with Circle Housing to try and prevent its planned merger with Infinity Sutton, turning it into Europe’s biggest social landlord and becoming even less accountable to local families.  The council, meanwhile, has voted that Circle Housing be dropped as a preferred partner for development, a move that would seriously hinder any future planning applications for new properties. Read more on the East London Advertiser website.