News

First ‘housing delivery test’ results revealed

February 28, 2019

The government has released in its first ever ‘assessments of housing delivery’. This shows that 108 councils are falling short of the 95% delivery of assessed need with 86 required to add more land for housing to local plans as a result. Councils that deliver between 85% and 95% of assessed need must develop an… View Article

Sales market slowdown

February 25, 2019

Housing associations are warning of significant slowdowns of private and shared ownership sales. Nationally the number of unsold housing association homes has soared to more than 7,000. Notting Hill Genesis has indicated that it has a combined total of 400 unsold homes and is exploring the potential for converting the shared ownership homes into rental… View Article

Affordable Housing Commission

February 15, 2019

Over the past year, the housing sector has seen the production of several high-profile reviews and reports, including the Governments Social Housing Green paper, the Shelter commission which called for 3.1 million new social homes and a new regulator. The latest of these, the Affordable Housing Commission is to be chaired by Lord Richard Best…. View Article

Government culpable for lack of action post-Lakanal fire, says MP

January 25, 2019

Inside Housing reports on an adjournment debate in Parliament on fire safety and cladding. https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/government-culpable-for-lack-of-action-post-lakanal-fire-says-mp-59885

Housing Minister comments on tower blocks in fire safety debate

January 23, 2019

Kit Malthouse agreed in a parliamentary debate on fire safety that council tower blocks built in the 1960s and 1970s suffering from structural concerns should make way for low rise, high density developments. Responding to a question in the House of Commons regarding the demolition of two blocks which have structural concerns and whether they… View Article

Sadiq Khan launches £38m fund for community-led housing

January 16, 2019

The mayor of London has launched a £38m fund for community-led housing as part of his plan to address the capital’s housing crisis. The new London Community Housing Fund is expected to create 500 community-led homes by 2023 and will provide grants or loans for building, development and delivery. The funding will also help with… View Article

The challenges for housing association development in 2019

January 10, 2019

A thought provoking article by Jack Simpson in Inside Housing explores financial stress points, competition between councils and housing associations and development resources: https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/the-challenges-for-housing-association-development-in-2019-59625  

CIH response to a new deal for social housing

November 11, 2018

Headlines from the report are: “We believe that there are many positive proposals set out in the green paper to improve standards including: a stronger focus on ensuring all landlords are meeting the regulator’s consumer standards a more consistent approach to regulating local authority and housing association landlords the removal of the ‘democratic filter’ to… View Article

Budget Highlights

October 29, 2018

Key Budget measures for housing: £500m in housing infrastructure fund to unlock a further 650,000 homes The next wave of strategic partnerships with nine housing associations which will deliver 13,000 homes British business bank guarantees for SME house builders ’Simplification’ of process to convert commercial properties to new homes Providing funding to empower 500 neighbourhoods… View Article

Khan launches £10m fund to ‘boost’ planning teams

October 19, 2018

The Mayor of London today launched a multi-million pound fund aimed at boosting the housing and planning teams in the capital’s local authorities. Central Government cuts have seen council budgets for planning and development fall by 50% in London over the last eight years. This has served to undermine plans to build new council homes…. View Article