Landlord Offers 'Budgeting Accounts' Ahead Of Universal Credit

Walsall’s largest housing association, whg, is signing tenants up to new budgeting accounts – offered through its local credit union – ahead of Universal Credit next year. The budgeting accounts were set up by Walsall-based credit union, Walsave, two years ago for private rented sector (PRS) tenants receiving local housing allowance (LHA).  They offer a way for landlords to safeguard income and allow tenants to ensure their rent is paid on time. Find out more on the Walsave website.

Council Looks to Move Homeless outside London

Croydon Council is looking at offering homeless households accommodation outside the borough due to the lack of council houses in the area and the high rents being demanded by private landlords. Croydon has already acquired properties in Manchester and Walsall, however some of those in temporary accommodation had refused to take up the offer.  It now says it is going into partnership with Richmond, Kingston and Sutton councils with a view to jointly obtaining 150 properties outside London, with Croydon "taking the larger portion".  The council says it has seen a 36% increase in homeless numbers in 2011/12 - leading to a 200% spike in its use of B&B lets.  It further warns that the planned introduction of the household benefit cap next April will leave a couple with three children, for example, with a maximum rent allowance of £176.18, a shortfall of £76.82 against the average LHA rent in Croydon.  Read more on 24dash.

Council 'Suspends' Long Distance Re-Housing Policy

An east London council has suspended its policy of re-housing families long distances away in favour of a more focused approach to support people hit by housing benefit cuts.  Waltham Forest Council - which has already re-housed 14 families in Luton and five in Margate - also recently acquired affordable accommodation in Walsall, 138 miles away.  However, according to the BBC, the council has now suspended the "problematic" policy after fewer than expected families took up the offer. It concluded that re-locating families as far afield as Walsall was a "step too far" and that it had been "largely rejected by residents".  The council - which currently has 21,000 people on its housing waiting list - is understood to now be "more rigorously" considering work, school and family ties and was also looking to join a consortium of London councils aimed at "re-assigning tenants back to their respective boroughs." Read more on the BBC website.

Council Backs Stalled Housing with Cash

Walsall council is pumping £770,000 into a series of stalled developments which can now deliver more than 200 new homes and 380 jobs. The council is using cash from the New Homes Bonus to issue loans and grants to four construction companies on five sites with a combined value of £20 million. Developers had to satisfy a range of criteria and also have part-built developments or schemes with planning permission which had not yet begun, before they could get the cash. The loans will be repaid by the developers and reinvested in other schemes to help create new jobs and homes. Read more on Walsall Council’s website.