Section: Registered Social Landlords

Corporation Reviews Information Needs

The Housing Corporation announced it has significantly reduced the amount of information small associations have to submit as part of the annual Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR). Small Associations are defined as those owning and/or managing less than 250 homes.

The announcement reduces by two-thirds the amount of information required from small associations. Additionally, the FV3 Quarterly Financial Return has been discontinued, with both decisions responding swiftly to recent research into the costs and benefits of the Corporation's regulation.

The research, by Frontier Economics, concluded that the net benefit of the Corporation's regulation was £175 million over a 5-year period.

The Corporation outlined the changes, which will take effect in time for the submission of the 2006 RSR, in a letter sent to all associations. In addition, the letter also gave notice that given the greatly simplified form and increased use of and access to the Internet, it would expect all RSR returns to be made online, cutting out data handling costs.

The Housing Corporation recently started a review of burdens on associations, covering information required by the Corporation to inform its regulation and investment decisions, as well as information required by other regulators and inspectors. Completion of the review is expected by early 2006.

In addition, the Housing Corporation is also testing a new national database - the National Register of Social Housing (NROSH) - containing records of each individual unit of social housing, which it is hoped will replace the most labour intensive parts of the RSR and CORE (COntinuous REcord of lettings and sales).

RSL Update

Asra Greater London HA and Leicester HA confirmed they would complete their merger and bring 11,000 homes under one umbrella. The new Group, LHA-Asra, will have a joint capital programme of £100 million, and has already submitted a bid to the Housing Corporation for inclusion in its investment programme to build just over 1,500 new homes in 2006/08.
Guinness Trust and Northern Counties HA embarked on partnership talks, which could lead to the creation of the largest group in the UK. The proposed partnership would have a combined stock of 51,000 homes. The next stage will see a business plan for the merger, which is likely to propose that Northern Counties becomes part of Guinness Trust.
Housing 21 HA and Hanover Housing Group announced they were discussing the formation of a new group structure. The move would bring 30,000 homes under one umbrella and create the largest specialist provider of accommodation for older people. A decision on the possible merger is not expected until the latter part of 2006.
The Housing Corporation announced it is scaling down its supervision of Mendip Housing, following the Association's decision to join the Aster Group.

The Corporation placed Mendip, which owns and manages around 4,300 properties across central Somerset, under supervision in February 2004 because of concerns about governance and management arrangements. The Corporation made three statutory appointments to the Board.

Mendip's members approved a rule change to enable the Company to join the Aster Group as an asset-holding subsidiary, to take effect from 1 January 2006. Aster will take steps to strengthen and support Mendip's Board and the statutory appointments will be discontinued.
Following tenant pressure spearheaded by a four-month campaign by Glasgow Save Our Homes, Glasgow HA abandoned plans to remove its 24-hour concierge service from high-rise blocks in the City. The Association denied it had made a U-turn and pointed out that the decision reflected feedback from its consultation with tenants.

The Association's next consultation programme will see it seek the views of its 70,000 tenants on the proposal to introduce a choice-based lettings scheme.

Housing Corporation Library

Top 200 RSLs and Top 60 Groups

This lists the largest 200 RSLs by stock size owned/owned plus managed this year. It also includes the top 60 Group RSLs.
Sector Study 41: Almshouse Charities

The Sector Study builds on the information presented in Sector Study 16b Profile of Housing Association Groups: Almshouse Charities. It presents data from the Regulatory and Statistical Return 2004 on the following areas of Almshouse Charity activity:

Size of Almshouse Charities and type of stock owned and managed.
Geographical distribution of stock.
Level and range of weekly maintenance contributions.

Sector Study 42: Labour Market Flows and the Demand for Social Housing.

This provides a summary of how the housing market links in with the labour market. It examines the assumption that job loss and economic decline underpin the weak demand for housing in some parts of the country. It looks in detail at the six flows of people into the labour market and how these work together as a system to impact on the demand for housing.
Sector Study 43: The Wider Role of Housing Associations: Further Evidence

This Sector Study aims to give a better understanding of the range of activities that housing associations are involved in and to assess the relationship between such activities and organisational structure.

The report uses data from the Regulatory and Statistical Return 2003 to provide evidence on the wider role of HAs in terms of the non-social housing that they own and manage and the range of non-housing activities that they undertake. It identifies the relative scale and importance of these activities, examines variations between HAs of different type and size, and assesses the extent to which HAs are involved in both non-social housing and other non-housing activities.
Sector Study 44: The Demand for Social Housing in Seaside Towns

The Sector Study provides an overview of how, in seaside towns, above average unemployment coexists with high demand for social housing. It looks at the role that in-migration plays in the perpetuation of seaside unemployment and how it also sustains a healthy demand for social housing.
Good Practice Note 12: Choice Based Lettings

This Good Practice Note is about the ways that housing associations can respond to Choice Based Lettings (CBL). It also clarifies the Housing Corporation's expectations around CBL, acknowledging the challenges and opportunities which choice provides, and pointing the way to other sources of published good practice.
Code of Practice for Board Members

This document sets out a Code of Best Practice for Board members of the Housing Corporation. It draws on the Public Appointments Unit's Guidance on Codes of Practice for Board Members of Public Bodies 2004, and on the Corporation's own experience and practices developed over nearly 40 years of existence.
Voluntary Purchase Scheme

The Voluntary Purchase Scheme provides eligible tenants of participating RSLs an opportunity to buy the home they currently rent.
The Housing Corporation's Annual Report and Accounts 2004/05
Building for Life Newsletter, Issue 5
05/05: Rents, Rent Differentials and Service Charges for Housing Associations

The regulatory requirements on rents state that housing associations should keep their annual rent increases to no more than the set guideline limit specified by the Corporation. This Circular sets out the guideline limit for 2006/07 and previous years, together with bedroom weights and the increase in rent caps and rent cap levels.

Section: Registered Social Landlords

Corporation Reviews Information Needs

RSL Update

Housing Corporation Library

Housing Monthly Diary

Reporting on Oct./Nov. 2005

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