Section: Registered Social Landlords

RSL UPDATE

It was reported that Affinity and William Sutton Housing Groups were someway towards a merger agreement, which will create a group managing 52,000 homes.

If the merger goes ahead, the new Group will become the largest in the UK and have more properties in England than Places for People (51,600 homes). It will have assets worth about £1.5 billion, have an annual turnover of almost £200 million and employ some 1,600 staff.

The planned merger would create a new parent company, with the seven subsidiary organisations of the two groups remaining intact.
Freebridge HA, which plans to take over King's Lynn and West Norfolk Council's housing stock, announced that it has adapted the community gateway model. In a move aimed at attracting the interest of lenders, the Association has removed from its business plan any legal obligation to pursue full tenant control.

Lenders have expressed concerns about tenant majority-boards, which some see as a limiting factor on the ability of the Board to amass the skills and experience needed to manage a complex organisations.

The Association would still have a commitment to fully involve its tenants through share holding and board membership.
Home Group came to an arrangement with the Swedish furniture company IKEA to build six pre-fabricated homes on a site in Drumchape, Glasgow. IKEA will construct the Boklok units from its Milton Keynes base, with work starting early in 2006.
Wirral Partnership Homes teamed up with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to spread the fire safety message. As a pilot scheme, new tenants in one area are referred to the Community Fire Safety Team and fire fighters visit them in their home to carry out a free home fire safety check, give fire safety advice and fit smoke alarms.

The scheme has been a success and staff in Wirral Partnership Homes' other Housing offices are now looking at starting a similar scheme with other local fire stations.

HOUSING CORPORATION LIBRARY

Have you heard about shared ownership? A guide to buying a home from a housing association in stages

This leaflet informs on shared ownership schemes offered through housing associations and financed by the Housing Corporation. It is also a general guide to how shared ownership works.
Exploring the Costs and Benefits of Regulatory Compliance

This report from Frontier Economics was commissioned by the Housing Corporation as part of their continuous drive to improve the way they regulate housing associations. An exploratory exercise, the report is the Corporation's first examination of a complex area.

From the limited assessment, the results suggest that Housing Corporation regulation has a positive net benefit to the housing association sector. Based solely on the benefits that could be quantified readily – the benefit is around £175 million in net present value terms over a five-year period.

In addition, the report has provided an initial indication of the costs of complying with various elements of Housing Corporation regulation, as well as a methodology which can be built on for future research in this area.

Given these positive initial findings and the current interest in regulatory burdens, the Housing Corporation has announced its intention to draw on this report to develop and refine the cost model, to help in its work of continuing to reduce the burden of regulation.
Information brochure for round one of the Corporation's Gold award for excellence

This six-page information brochure gives a description of the purpose and logistics of the first round of the Corporation's Gold award. Brief sections include: what the competition is for; how the competition will work; eligibility; the first round themes; success criteria; and the people involved in the award.
Capital Funding Guide

The Guide contains the rules and procedures for housing associations which have received or will receive capital grant funding from the Housing Corporation. The guide was last updated in April 2005.
2004 Private Finance Monitoring Bulletin Analyses the actual and projected level of borrowing within the HA sector

This is the 15th Private Finance Monitoring Bulletin. It relates to housing associations registered with the Housing Corporation and with more than 250 units in management, and is based on data as at 31 March 2004.

Section: Registered Social Landlords

RSL UPDATE

HOUSING CORPORATION LIBRARY

Housing Monthly Diary

Reporting on September 2005

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