32 Million People Think Britain’s Homes Are Not “Fit For Purpose”

In this year's HomeOwners Survey, concerns about the quality of Britain’s housing stock and our outdated leasehold system have soared faster than at any point since 2014. We take a look at worries UK housing isn't fit for purpose - and other issues keeping us all awake at night....

·         63% of UK adults are worried about the quality of housing stock

·         60% of UK adults say the leasehold system is a serious concern

·         85% say house prices and saving for a deposit are the biggest housing issues

·         Concerns mounting over negative equity and gazundering

·         Satisfaction with housing highest in Wales and lowest in Northern Ireland

Read more on the Homeowners Alliance website.

https://hoa.org.uk/2019/03/32-million-britains-homes-not-fit-for-purpose/

Government Launches English Private Landlord Survey 2018

The newly created Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a survey asking PRS landlords about the homes they provide, their tenants and their experiences. It will be talking to more than 100,000 landlords and agents, so it is likely a number of you will be contacted. The invitation-only survey is the first time the Government has approached landlords directly and asked them to share their experiences in almost 10 years – so if you get an invitation to participate  we would urge you to accept it. Read more on the RLA website.

https://news.rla.org.uk/governments-english-private-landlord-survey-2018/

Activity Drops Amid Price Increases

The UK housing market continues to lack momentum in September, as demand from new buyers and sales fall again and the shift in interest rate expectations contributes to buyer caution in a slowing market, according to the September RICS UK Residential Market Survey. Survey in brief:

·         Buyer enquiries and sales balances slip back a little further in September.

·         National price balance still marginally positive, but London and the South East return weaker readings.

·         Expectations point to a subdued near-term outlook for both prices and sales.

Download the survey from the RICS website.

The People Dumped In “Temporary” Housing For More Than A Decade

A survey of more than a hundred local authorities has found that many councils are housing people in stopgap accommodation for years on end. The survey, carried out for the DWP, asked councils for the maximum period that claimants are being placed in temporary housing. 114 councils responded to the survey. Of these, a third said they had claimants who had been in temporary housing for more than a year. Less than 40 percent of councils did not have anyone in temporary housing for more than a year, while a further 29 percent didn’t know what the maximum local period in temporary housing was. 3 percent said they had had people in temporary accommodation for 10 years or more. Read more on the Sentinel News website.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Private Landlords

Shelter recently commissioned YouGov to carry out the biggest and most representative survey of landlords for five years. Here are a selection of the survey’s top findings about landlords.

·         More than 40% of landlords are mortgage free

·         Only 6% of landlords rent themselves

·         Almost 60% of landlords only let out one home

·         Not many are accredited or in a trade body

·         Nearly two thirds of landlords don’t like to take people on housing benefit

·         Almost half are less likely to rent to people they think are immigrants in the future

·         Half of landlords are having regular electrical safety checks

·         Most landlords are open to the idea of offering longer tenancies

Read more on the Shelter blog.

Funding Increase For Councils To Crack Down On ‘Cowboy’ Landlords

Councils will receive a £5m boost to help them tackle rogue landlords in their area, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has announced. The extra money will be divided between 48 councils in order to provide them with the means to take on landlords who force tenants to live in squalid and dangerous properties. The funding will allow for more raids, an increase in property inspections, statutory notices, and street surveys. It will also pay for the demolishing of ‘beds in sheds’ and prohibited buildings. The new funding will be included in a raft of proposals designed to protect private renters in the Housing and Planning Bill. Read more on the Local Government website.

Eight Out Of Ten Renters Want Tenancies Of A Year Or Less

Eight out of ten of those renting accommodation want tenancy agreements of one year or less, a large Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) survey has suggested. 39,855 tenants whose deposits are protected by The DPS’ responded to the survey, with 80.1% saying that they preferred agreements that lasted no longer than 12 months. 89.83% said that they preferred agreements that lasted up to two years, with 34.60% of the total saying they wanted contracts for six months or less. Read more on 24dash.

Tory Election Majority Means Housing Market ‘Dodged a Bullet’

A Mortgage Strategy poll of more than 900 readers at the end of April highlighted the mortgage industry’s overwhelming support for the Tories. There were concerns about Labour’s plans to introduce three-year tenancy agreements as standard and cap rent rises at inflation. They also pledged to scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers on homes worth less than £300,000, which critics suggested would boost demand but not increase supply.  Labour also pledged to build 200,000 homes a year by the end of the next parliament.  The Tories promised to expand Right to Buy to 1.3 million housing association tenants and introduce a Help to Buy Isa to help borrowers save for a deposit. It also pledged to build 200,000 homes for first-time buyers aged under 40 at 20 per cent discount and create a £1bn brownfield regeneration fund to unlock sites for 400,000 homes. Read more on the Mortgage Strategy website.

Four In 10 Claimants Doubt Simplicity of Universal Credit

Four in ten universal credit claimants do not think the policy makes it easier to understand how to claim benefits, a government-commissioned study has said. The survey published by the DWP could damage ministers’ assertions that universal credit makes it simpler to claim welfare payments than under the old system. The study polled 478 universal credit claimants on whether the policy makes it ‘easier to understand what you are required to do’ when claiming benefits compared to jobseeker’s allowance (JSA).A total of 39% of respondents, who all formerly claimed JSA, said they either disagreed (22%), were neutral (14%) or did not know (3%). Sixty one per cent agreed. Download a copy of the survey from the DWP website.

Three Quarters of MPs Contacted By Homeless People with Nowhere Left to Turn

Survey findings show that three quarters of MPs have been contacted by single homeless people turned away from help by their council. The survey also reveals that only 15% of MPs think single homeless people get enough help from their council, while nearly two thirds think councils should have a duty to do more to prevent homelessness. More than three quarters of MPs think homelessness should be a priority for the government. Drawing on the findings, Crisis is urging MPs and members of the public to back its No One Turned Away campaign, which calls for political action so that all homeless people can get the help they need. Read more on the Crisis website.

Pilot Reveals Flaws in Universal Credit Causing Hardship to Tenants

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) was one of four initial pilots in 2013 to roll out Universal Credit. The organisation has now carried out survey of its tenants who were switched to Universal Credit, and it claims to have found customers facing stark choices over heating or eating. The results show:

·         74% of tenants had not been offered personal budgeting support by the DWP

·         55% of tenants found the period between making their Universal Credit claim and receiving their first payment very difficult.

·         48% of tenants asked did not know they could apply for an advance payment for universal credit

·         37% of tenants did not receive their payment on the same day each month

·         22% said the job centre had not informed them that their rent needed to be paid out of Universal Credit money

·         59% of tenants had not found work since claiming Universal Credit

Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Universal Credit's Flaws Exposed By Tenants

A North West housing association has said a survey of its tenants has exposed flaws in the government's universal credit (UC) system, with some of those using it forced to turn to pay day lenders to get by. One of four initial pilots in 2013's roll out of UC, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) found that their tenants had suffered multiple frustrations and complications with the new system, with some saying it had forced them to face "stark choices over heating or eating". However, the DWP has called the survey "misleading" and not reflective of the true situation. Read more on 24dash.

More People Want More Homes after Planning Reforms

British households are increasingly happy to accept mass housing schemes, a Government minister claims. Brandon Lewis said reforms to the planning system have 'changed the mindset' and helped increase support for the construction of new homes. Mr Lewis hinted that the 'Not in My Backyard' attitude has changed, with support for housebuilding increasing 'dramatically'. Referring to a survey of British Social Attitudes the minister said support for new homes has risen from 28 per cent in 2010 to 47 per cent by last year. The percentage of those opposing new homes has decreased by 15 per cent over the same period, the survey showed. Mr Lewis credited the reforms with giving local people control over their local areas. Download the survey from the GovUK website.

Evictions on Rise As Landlords Toughen Up

Social landlords are increasingly taking eviction action against tenants to protect their rental income in the face of rising living costs and welfare reform. An exclusive Inside Housing survey of 167 social landlords across Britain reveals the extent to which landlords are now resorting to tougher measures to ensure rent is collected. Social landlords issued an extra 42,905 notices seeking possession to tenants for rent arrears in 2013/14 compared with the previous year, a jump of 21.9 per cent to 239,381. Among the 25 housing associations to take part in the survey, the increase was higher at 30.9 per cent, while the figure for 142 councils or arm’s-length management organisations was 19.1 per cent. Evictions for rent arrears also jumped 12.9 per cent to 7,131 with an extra 814 households evicted in 2013/14 compared to 2012/13. Read more on Inside Housing.

Rent Arrears Fall For Second Successive Month

Rent arrears in the English housing association sector fell for the second successive month, according to a HCA survey.  The HCA’s latest quarterly survey of registered providers shows the median level of rent arrears among 265 housing associations surveyed for January to March was 3.4 per cent. This is down from 3.9 per cent in October to December last year and 4.1 per cent in July to September last year. The HCA said: ‘Income collection data suggests that providers are continuing to manage the impact of welfare reform on their cash flows.’ Download a copy of the report from the HCA website.

Impact of Welfare Reform on Housing Associations

According to the latest Ipsos MORI survey of housing associations nearly three in five (58%) say they have been significantly affected by the introduction of the size criteria. The pattern of impact is however variable, with those operating in the north of England most likely to say they have been significantly affected.  At the time of the survey associations estimate that nearly one in five of their working age tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit are affected by the size criteria, and on average, more than a quarter (29%) have fallen into arrears since its introduction on 1st April 2013. Over half (53%) report increased difficulty in rent collection because of the size criteria. Download a copy of the report from the IPSOS Mori website.

Social Landlord's Survey Reveals Tenants' Issues

One of England's biggest social landlords has revealed the results of a tenant survey that was designed to find out about the issues affecting residents' lives. Affinity Sutton says its findings offer key insights into the challenges tenants are facing. The report reveals that:

·         Internet access amongst tenants has increased from 69% in 2012 to 74% in 2013, still below the national figure of 83%.

·         72% of those in receipt of benefits (other than pensions) were unaware of the introduction of universal credit in 2012. In 2013 the figure fell to 38%.

·         43% of tenants used prepayment meters to pay for energy, the most expensive way to pay for energy, compared to 14% and 16% UK-wide for gas and electricity respectively.

Read more on 24dash.

Social Landlord's Survey Reveals Tenants' Issues

One of England's biggest social landlords has revealed the results of a tenant survey that was designed to find out about the issues affecting residents' lives. Affinity Sutton says its findings offer key insights into the challenges tenants are facing. The report reveals that:

·         Internet access amongst tenants has increased from 69% in 2012 to 74% in 2013, still below the national figure of 83%.

·         72% of those in receipt of benefits (other than pensions) were unaware of the introduction of universal credit in 2012. In 2013 the figure fell to 38%.

·         43% of tenants used prepayment meters to pay for energy, the most expensive way to pay for energy, compared to 14% and 16% UK-wide for gas and electricity respectively.

Read more on 24dash.

Today’s ALMO World

During the autumn 2013 the NFA undertook the most comprehensive survey of all ALMOs to date. The survey captured numbers and nature of stock managed by the sector, as well as looking in depth at current and planned activity, including areas such as; new build development and finance, service diversification and governance arrangements. Every ALMO completed the questionnaire enabling the NFA to create an extensive up-to-date bank of information, which can be used to support learning and good practice sharing within the sector to continue to drive excellence in service provision. The research also provides a comprehensive baseline from which emerging trends can be identified and reported, and helps the NFA shape its support and services to ALMOs over the coming months. Download a copy of the report from the NFA website.

Councils Ready to Give Go Ahead to Green Belt Developments

Research by the National Trust finds half of councils likely to allow green belt development, while brownfield sites left untouched. Councils in England are increasingly likely to authorise development on green belt land while brownfield sites are spared from development, according to research commissioned by the National Trust. A survey by the Local Government Information Unit found that 51% of 59 councils with green belts that responded to the survey were either likely or very likely to authorise development on green belt land. The suvey also found that over half of the 147 councils that responded said they had brownfield sites, but they were not considered viable for development. Read more on the Building website.