The Central Lancashire housing authorities - Preston, Chorley and South Ribble - became the latest to sign a housing protocol agreement with the Housing Corporation. The official signing, which took place at the Northern Futures Summit, marks a partnership that will bring together the resources and skills of all the organisations to deliver affordable housing across Central Lancashire.
Based on a national protocol agreed between the Local Government Association and the Corporation, the housing protocol sets out how the Corporation and local authorities will work together to deliver the common vision of affordable homes within strong communities, reflecting local priorities.
Action points include developing a co-ordinated homelessness strategy, working together to rationalise data collection, and making the best use of land in delivering more affordable housing.
A three-bedroom family home on a popular estate in Leeds attracted 463 applicants, prompting Labour councillors to call on the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition leaders on the city council to support policies to take over empty dwellings when they have been unoccupied for a long period.
Recently released figures show around 31,000 people on the Council's housing waiting list, with 18,500 new applications in 2005/06 alone.
The Council operates a choice-based letting system, which leads to more applications for properties in popular areas. A spokesperson said only 216 of the 463 applicants qualified for the house.
A proposal by Cornwall County Council to move to a unitary authority status, which would see Carrick District Council disappear, created uncertainty for the District Council's ALMO, Carrick Housing. Tenants of the flagship arm's-length management organisation were reported to be taking legal advice on the potential implications.
Tenants claim they were not consulted about the potential impact of the move and the County Council failed to appreciate the implications for the future of the ALMO.
The proposal was prompted by guidance from Communities and Local Government, which advised that county councils should draw up plans to ensure districts worked more closely together.
Marianne Hood, a consultant hired by tenants, claimed there could be problems in other areas where district councils had retained ownership of stock.
A spokesperson for Communities and Local Government confirmed stock-owning councils would have to talk to tenants before changes to management could proceed.