Associations Face Losing Charity Status

Charity Commission tells providers to seek legal advice on implications of charging 80 per cent rent. Housing associations risk losing their charitable status if they implement the government’s new affordable rent regime. This is the stark warning issued to the 1,236 charitable housing associations in England and Wales by regulator the Charity Commission. It said each association should seek legal advice about whether introducing the regime will affect its charitable status. The affordable model will see new tenants charged up to 80 per cent of market rent on their homes. The commission has advised associations to look at the extent to which homes rented at affordable rates will relieve poverty. Read more on Inside Housing.

Affordable Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his proposals for the 2011-15 Affordable Homes Programme on the supply of (a) larger family accommodation comprising four bedrooms or more and (b) supported housing for the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
Andrew Stunell: The number and type of affordable rent homes delivered will be dependent on agreements between providers and the Homes and Communities Agency, in consultation with local authorities. We expect providers of affordable housing and local authorities to work closely to identify the type of provision that will most appropriately meet the locally identified needs. The needs and aspirations of vulnerable and older people should be considered in the provision of general needs housing, as well as in specialist provision.

Social Landlord Warns That 'Case Law Could Derail Shapps' ASBO Reform'

Registered provider Riverside has welcomed the government’s willingness to crack down on anti-social behaviour (ASB) but is concerned that current case law may conflict with the new proposals. Grant Shapps has announced proposals to reform the tools and powers available to tackle ASB. These include a new additional mandatory ground for possession so tenants with a track record of ASB can be evicted from their council or housing association property more quickly. Tom McGuire, Riverside’s Lead Director for ASB, said: “The majority of ASB can be resolved before it gets out of control, for example through the use of mediation services such as family intervention projects. While we welcome any new measures the government brings in to tackle ASB, we’re not sure how effective the new proposals are.’ Read more on 24dash.

Right to Manage - Parliamentary Written Answer

Simon Kirby MP (Conservative, Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven): What is the Government’s policy on tenant management of housing owned by (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords?
Grant Shapps MP:Local authority tenants wishing to take over the management of their homes from their landlord have a statutory right to do so under the Housing (Right to Manage) (England) Regulations 2008. Tenants of registered social landlords can enter into a voluntary agreement with their landlord if they wish to manage their housing.

Tenants’ Income - Parliamentary Written Answer

David Crausby MP: (1) What steps does the Minister plan to take to inform (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations on the level of income above which tenants may be required to vacate social housing?
(2) What provisions does he plan to make for (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations to collect information on the incomes of social housing tenants under his proposed reforms and what estimate he has made of the likely cost to the public purse of such activity?
Grant Shapps MP: The Government proposes to provide local authorities and housing associations with freedom to offer fixed-term or lifetime tenancies to new tenants. Social housing providers will be expected to set their own policies for the award and renewal of tenancies of different types. There will be no changes to the security and rights of existing social tenants.

Right to Buy Element in Shapps' Affordable Rent Model

A right for housing association tenants to buy properties after their fixed term tenures come to an end will be incorporated into Grant Shapps' Affordable Rent product. In a Parliamentary Statement, Mr Shapps added further details of the product housing associations will be able to offer new tenants from April 2011. Under one of the conditions applied to the Affordable Rent model, he said landlords and tenants will be able to consider a range of end of tenancy options, including selling the property to the tenant via conversion to shared ownership. Read more on 24dash.

Social Landlords Given Key Role in Green Deal

The government has confirmed social landlords will become accredited ‘Green Deal providers’ under its multi-billion pound flagship retrofit scheme. This will allow social landlords to compete for a share of a £7 billion a year private sector market by financing and delivering energy efficiency measures in 26 million existing homes. The government has confirmed social landlords will be encouraged to become scheme providers, potentially providing a lucrative source of new revenue. This could be through partnering an energy company, offering services to the private rented sector or through distributing information. Details of the scheme are being published as part of the Energy Bill. It uses a pay as you save model where the upfront costs of the measures are met by investors, who are then paid back using the resulting savings in energy bills over 25 years. Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Agrees Housing Transfer Plans

Improvement plans for Stockton’s 10,283 council houses and housing services, worth £140 million over the next five years, are on the verge of going ahead. The council is now working to complete the transfer of all its housing to a new-style Tristar Homes before Christmas. In a ballot earlier this year, council tenants gave the plans a clear ‘yes’ vote, an overwhelming 89.6 per cent of those taking part favouring the transfer. Only final approval by the Secretary of State is now required for the transfer to go ahead. Tristar Homes, already a not-for-profit organisation, will become a registered social landlord and have access to funding sources not open to the council. This will enable it to invest £140 million in repairs and improvements to homes across the borough over the next five years. Homes which do not already have double-glazed windows will receive them within three years of the transfer, the council says, with the oldest kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems replaced within five years. Read more on 24dash.

Landlords Look to Expand Portfolios As Rent Demand Soars

Nearly a third of landlords are looking to increase the number of properties they have in the next 12 months as demand for rented accommodation soars and 43% think they will maintain their portfolios at their current size, according to LSL Property services, the UK's largest letting agent network. Landlords' confidence is being driven by growing demand for rental property, with 50% of landlords seeing an increase in the number of people who want to let a home during the three months to the end of October, while 69% expect demand to continue to grow during the coming year. The increase in demand, combined with a shortage of rental homes, pushed rents up to a record high in September, following eight consecutive months of rises. Landlords are also increasingly confident that their properties will not be empty for long periods in between tenants. Just under half of landlords said they thought it was a good time to invest in property, while only 1% said they thought it was a good time to reduce the number of properties they have. Read more on 24dash.

TSA Outlines Plans for Regulation During Review

Following the announcement by Grant Shapps of the Government’s review into the role and purpose of the TSA and the best framework for social housing regulation, TSA Chief Executive, Peter Marsh has written to all Registered Providers to provide clarity on what it means for their regulation while the review is undertaken. The letter makes clear that until a final decision is made on the future of the TSA and the regulatory regime, providers should maintain their relations and work with the TSA as normal. Providers are expected to continue adhering to the existing regulatory framework and the TSA standards that came into force on 1st April 2010. The TSA also call on providers to continue preparing for their annual reports for tenants and develop plans for local offers by 1st October with a view to having the offers in place by 1st April 2011. A copy of the letter can be found on the TSA website by clicking on the logo below.

Taking Action against Anti-Social Behaviour

The issue of anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the negative impact it has on neighbourhoods continues to be a high priority for registered providers (RPs) and the communities they serve. Recognising the important role of RPs in this key area of work, the CLG has made funding available for a new ASB action team, delivered in partnership with the TSA and the CIH. Obtaining a baseline understanding of the views of RPs is important both to the ASB action team and to key stakeholders. This baseline position has been gathered through an online survey. Over the next 12 months, the information gathered through the survey will inform the activities of the ASB action team, and help shape how activity can be tailored to best support providers who have requested help and guidance to improve their ASB services. Read more findings from the survey on the TSA website.