Section: Registered Social Landlords

RSL Update

The Housing Corporation announced that, following a series of improvements, it has removed Severnside Housing from supervision.

The Corporation placed Severnside Housing, which owns and manages around 5,400 homes in the Shrewsbury area, under supervision in January 2006 because of concerns about its governance and management. The Corporation used its statutory power to make three appointments to the Board.

In response to the concerns raised by the Corporation, Severnside Housing drew up a comprehensive supervision action plan. It has now delivered all the key action points, and, as a result, has been removed from supervision. The statutory appointees are standing down from the Board with immediate effect.
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper visited Community Gateway Association, in Preston, to meet residents who are reclaiming their neighbourhood by driving drug dealers from their flats.

Community Gateway Association is backed by £47 million from Communities and Local Government. It is the UK's first housing association to be set up under the Community Gateway Model, giving residents greater power to determine their neighbourhood's future.
WPH Building Services Ltd (part of Wirral Partnership Homes) celebrated after winning one of the prestigious Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Occupational Health and Safety Awards for 2007.

The coveted Gold Medal Award, which is the fifth consecutive annual gold award that WPH have won, was presented to WPH at a special ceremony at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel.

The RoSPA awards are designed to help ensure that organisations have good health and safety management systems in place.

David Rawlins, RoSPA Awards manager, said: "WPH Building Services Limited have demonstrated how seriously they take health and safety management and are a fine example to many other companies. We would like to see more organisations following their lead."
Following discussions with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), Anchor Trust - the largest not-for-profit provider of housing, support and care for the elderly in England - agreed to change long lease agreement terms and conditions that the OFT deemed unfair.

The unfair terms in its lease agreements included those that:
- allowed Anchor a wide right to alter its 24-hour emergency response service;
- potentially imposed unreasonable costs on the tenant in the event that Anchor carried out works or repairs to the property;
- appeared to give Anchor the right to end the lease if the tenant did not fulfil his obligations, without reference to the need to obtain a court order first; and
- excluded Anchor's liability for anything it had done (or not done) after parting with its interest in the property.
Ray Hall, OFT's Director of Services, said: 'We are pleased with the outcome of our discussions with Anchor Trust. The terms of its long lease agreements are now fairer and clearer for consumers.'

Housing Corporation Publications

Housing Corporation Circular 06/2003: Registry Information Requirements

This Circular advises all housing associations of the requirements for updating the Housing Corporation of any relevant changes in their circumstances. It gives advice about how to provide this information to the Corporation's registry.

It has been updated to advise associations of a change of address of the Housing Corporation registry.
Housing Corporation Good Practice Note 5: Board Member Remuneration

This Note informs housing associations that the Housing Corporation has increased the maximum amount that associations may pay their officers, from £20,000 (set in 2003) to £25,000, in line with inflation. The Corporation does not anticipate revising this limit until 2009.
Housing Corporation Circular 06/2007: Amendment to Governing Documents

This Circular advises all housing associations of the Housing Corporation's arrangements for processing changes to their governing documents/constitution, including the need to obtain the Corporation's sealed consent under Part II, Schedule 1 to the Housing Act 1996.

Section: Registered Social Landlords

RSL Update

Housing Corporation Publications

Housing Monthly Diary

Reporting on June 2007

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