Section: Yesterday's News

Five Years Back

In January 2002, we were reporting:

The Government confirmed April as the start date for new measures to crack down on fraud, including:
- Checking bank, insurance and utility company information where fraud is suspected.
- New laws to punish persistent offenders.
- Tougher penalties for collusive employers.
In future, professional investigators will be able to use a new swift and effective intelligence gathering network to help them tackle benefit fraud...
The Government signalled its intention to publish good practice guidance for play areas, following its consideration of a pending Private Members Bill to encourage play facilities for disabled children.

The guidance is to set out in clear terms what local authorities and other bodies are expected to consider when making or improving play area provision. Attention will be drawn to current legislation and the duty to ensure that disabled children and their carers can make as much use of play areas as all other children...
Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Stephen Byers, confirmed the Government would address issues surrounding families with children who have become intentionally homeless. A recent legal ruling raised the possibility of children being taken into care because their family became homeless.

Amendments to be brought forward shortly to the Homelessness Bill, in the House of Lords, will require housing authorities to notify Social Services once they are clear they are dealing with a homeless family with children not eligible to be housed because they are deemed intentionally homeless...
The Government published bidding guidance for the Starter Home Initiative equity loan scheme. In doing so, it invited registered social landlords, local authorities and employers to submit bids to administer the scheme, which provides equity loans of £10,000 to assist key workers acquire their first homes.

The £20 million scheme is targeted at supporting key workers, such as nurses, teachers and police officers, in securing accommodation close to their work place in high house price areas...
The publication of The Way Forward: Our Approach to Regulation marked the launch of the Housing Corporation's new regulatory code.

The new code will replace detailed performance standards. It moves away from tick-box assessments of compliance, with the objective of being less prescriptive and more focused on outcomes...
Irwell Valley HA reported that two other associations have set up schemes similar to its own Gold Service Scheme. The Irwell Valley HA scheme was set up in 1998, to reward tenants with a good behaviour and rent payment record with prompt repairs and other incentives. It is understood that the new schemes have been introduced by Castle Vale HAT and Wyre HA...

One Year Ago

In January 2006 we were reporting:

As part of its Respect Action Plan, the Government issued a consultation paper that proposes cutting the Housing Benefit of tenants refusing to accept help to amend their ways if they have been evicted for reasons of antisocial behaviour. For a fuller report, see this month's Housing Management section...
In a clampdown on Supporting People providers that use Housing Benefit to supplement their cash-strapped schemes, the Department for Work and Pensions circulated a paper warning that charges for general counselling and housing support should not be allowed to creep back into the Housing Benefit system...
A landmark decision has had the effect of banning students from moving into a new 52-homes housing estate close to Loughborough University. The 106 agreement by Charnwood Borough Council requires developers of the houses on the site of a former university hall not to permit 'the use of any dwelling' by anyone aged 18 to 27 who is studying at the college or university...
A spokesperson from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has warned that charging tenants for supported housing services was not within the spirit of the Supporting People programme. Local authorities were urged to take a hard line with Supporting People providers that charge vulnerable people top-up payments to meet budget shortages.

A Government report on the Supporting People programme claimed that providers from at least 67 local authority areas are charging their tenants for housing support services...
A new European Union directive that gives member states three years to introduce rules that will require landlords to issue energy saving certificates on properties when they are first constructed, and then every time they are sold or let, was issued. Certificates will be valid for 10 years.

Developers will be able to offset the cost on sale prices, whereas those in the letting sectors, including social landlords, will have to absorb the costs in other ways...
The Prime Minister launched the Respect Action Plan, which highlights a greater role for social landlords in tackling antisocial behaviour.

The Plan sets out the Government's intentions, including new powers to allow housing officers to issue on-the-spot fines for unruly behaviour and draw up Parenting Orders.

The Audit Commission will step up its scrutiny of social landlords in regard to their success in tackling antisocial behaviour. A respect standard, to be enforced through inspections, will aim to monitor the effectiveness of social landlords in taking action to tackle antisocial tenants and support those suffering abuse...
The Government confirmed its plans to set up a network of help centres to enable older people to access affordable housing. Already, eight local authorities have been asked to set up Link-Age Plus pilots, based on the Sure Start model that assists families living in deprived areas. The initiative is part of a 30-point cross government plan to improve public sector services to people over the age of 50...

Section: Yesterday's News

Five Years Back

One Year Ago

Housing Monthly Diary

Reporting on January 2007

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