Later Life Housing ‘Largely Ignored And Not Understood By Government’

A new survey from Winckworth Sherwood has found a series of aspects of older people’s housing are ignored by government. The government are also failing to provide the choice of tenures and care options and is confusing for buyers, says a new report from law firm Winckworth Sherwood and Housing LIN, a specialist housing network of housing, health and social care providers. The report – The other end of the housing market: Housing for older people – also notes a marked rise in the number of private developers moving into this market and fear over high service charges holding back decisions to move. Download the report from the Housing LIN website.

Government Offers £7bn Affordable Homes Fund To Housing Providers

Housing providers can apply for a share of a £7bn fund to increase the supply of affordable homes, the government has announced. Housing associations, local authorities and private developers in England are able to bid for funding to build thousands of shared ownership, rent-to-buy and affordable rented homes in what the CLG described as a “dramatic expansion” of its housing programme. However, the £7bn figure is compiled from previous announcements. It is made up of £4.7bn in grants announced in April 2016, £1.4bn that was announced in the November 2016 autumn statement, and about £1bn that was allocated under a previous affordable homes programme. Read more on the Guardian website.

Affordable Homes Vanish As Developers Outmanoeuvre Councils

Private property developers are outmanoeuvring councils in housing negotiations and routinely delivering fewer affordable homes than town halls want, an industry analysis has revealed. Amid growing anger at the sale to foreign buyers of almost two-thirds of London’s tallest residential skyscraper, which includes no affordable housing, it has emerged that not one London borough that set targets has met them in the last six years. Councils sometimes secured as little as 13% affordable housing when their stated targets were as high as 50%, according to analysis commissioned by BNP Paribas Real Estate, which advises local authorities and housebuilders in negotiations. On average, the 34 boroughs achieved 22% affordable housing, on targets ranging from 30% to 50%. Read more on the Guardian website. 

Councils Could Rely On Developers For Replacements

Councils could be forced to rely on private developers to replace high-value homes sold to fund the Right to Buy extension. Baroness Susan Williams, parliamentary undersecretary at the CLG, made the admission in a debate about the policy in the House of Lords. Pressed over what would happen if a council was left with no funds to replace homes due to the demand for Right to Buy homes, Baroness Williams said: “My Lords, in that sort of situation, I would imagine that the local authority has a number of options available to it, including the use of capital reserves, or indeed borrowing if it wished to. Alternatively, of course, private sector developers could build housing.”  The comments are the latest indication there might not be enough funding from the sale of council housing to fund both Right to Buy discounts and replacement council homes. Read more on Inside Housing.

Cameron’s £140m To Tear Down Sink Estates Is A Loan

David Cameron’s promise to spend millions on bulldozing and rebuilding sink estates as a key part of his prime ministerial legacy appeared to be unravelling as it emerged that the small amount of money set aside for the project can only be accessed by private developers in the form of loans. The prime minister announced his intention in January to potentially tear down 100 of the UK’s worst estates to tackle drug abuse and gang culture. The modest size of the £140m “fund” set aside by Cameron to meet costs was widely questioned at the time, but Downing Street insisted that the redevelopment programme would reverse decades of neglect. Now the Observer has learned that the £140m is only available in loan form to private sector organisations who come forward to regenerate stricken areas. A statement quietly released by the CLG in February admitted: “£140m of loan funding has been set aside by government, to be used as a springboard for partnership and joint venture arrangements, with the active involvement of communities.” Read more on the Observer website.