Council To Publish Files Used To Bypass Affordable Housing Quotas

Manchester city council has voted to make public the secret documents used by developers to bypass affordable housing quotas. Analysis by the Guardian earlier this month showed that developers behind almost 15,000 new homes given the green light by the council’s planning committee in the past two years all managed to avoid including any affordable housing in their developments. In many cases, developers submitted confidential viability assessments to successfully argue that their projects would not go ahead if they were to offer even one flat for affordable rent or sale. Just 65 of the 14,667 units analysed by the Guardian made any concessions to affordability, being pitched as shared ownership properties. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/mar/21/manchester-council-to-publish-files-used-to-bypass-affordable-housing-quotas

Housing White Paper Delayed For Second Time

Communities secretary Sajid Javid told MPs in November that the document, which was initially supposed to be published before the end of last year, was “due to be published in January”. The government had earmarked January 30th for the release, but multiple sources told Property Week that the document will now be published next month instead. One source said Theresa May’s team believed it needed “a few weeks more work”. “It was delivered to No 10 and they view it as not ready for publication and needing a few weeks more work,” the source said. “It’s seriously bad going from the CLG to get to this position so late in the day.” Read more on the Property Week website.

Tenants’ Tales of Council Housing

The Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) marked its annual Tenants’ Conference 2011 with the launch of a new publication, Home Truths: Tenants’ Tales of Council Housing, featuring interviews with tenants about their experiences of council housing. Residents in local authority homes across England tell their stories in the booklet. These include: an 82-year-old community champion from Birmingham; a woman who runs a charity for terminally ill people from her South Derbyshire bungalow; a school cook from West Lancashire; a young man preparing for life in his first home; and families in North Kesteven, who are overjoyed to move into new, eco-friendly houses. Download a copy of the booklet from the ARCH website.

Improving Financial Inclusion and Capability in Social Housing

Sponsored by the Money Advice Service and Barclays, this publication includes the latest positive practice in financial inclusion, shares the lessons CIH have learned in helping to develop this work and considers some of the challenges the sector faces in helping their tenants manage their money. Download a copy from the CIH website.