Housing Minister Iain Wright announced that ex-servicemen and women who are seriously injured are to be given priority for specially adapted social homes.
New guidance issued instructs local authorities to treat seriously injured service personnel as a priority when allocating modified housing.
The guidance seeks to ensure better availability of specially adapted housing with features for service personnel, such as walk-in bathrooms, wider door frames, lowered light switches and entry slopes.
The guidance will also reinforce changes to help make sure all members of the Armed Forces can also apply for social housing in areas in which they were based during their service. Previously, service personnel were restricted by the need to demonstrate a local connection beyond having served there.
The Director General of The Royal British Legion, Chris Simpkins, said:
The announcement forms part of the Ministry of Defence's Service Personnel Command Paper, a package of cross-Government measures designed to end disadvantage experienced by the Armed Forces, their families and veterans as a result of service."Housing was a key issue for the Legion's Honour the Covenant campaign, so we welcome this decision, which will be of real benefit to those who have given so much for their country.
"We welcome the steady progress being made to restore balance to the Military Covenant, which this announcement signifies and which is so important for our Armed Forces."
A new initiative to provide support and advice to local authorities and their partners on the delivery of rural affordable housing was launched at an event in Bristol, which was attended by over 80 local authorities, housing associations and other organisations.
Jointly launched by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Rural Affordable Housing Project aims to help local authorities increase the delivery of affordable housing in rural settlements of fewer than 3,000 residents.
The project will build on initiatives by both organisations over the past few years and compliments the work of the Rural Affordable Housing Group (RAHG), chaired by HCA board member Candy Atherton, who said:
"The sustainability of rural areas is an issue of crucial importance, and housing availability is integral to this. There is already a lack of affordable housing in rural areas, and the current economic climate means that situation is in danger of continuing.
"This project offers an important opportunity to address some of the issues which local authorities and their partners are facing, and for the HCA to take action to assist in helping them to increase delivery."
In launching the project, Colin Molton, Regional Director of HCA for the South West, said:
"Affordable housing in rural areas has been recognised as deserving of special attention by both organisations. We are very mindful of the challenges facing local authorities in addressing this issue.
"We intend the project to do more than just highlight the needs and challenges associated with rural affordable housing. It will also promote joint working within rural communities to ensure that affordable housing for rent or purchase is achievable. Additionally the project will provide clear guidance on how central government agencies such as the HCA and Defra can assist.
"This project is a very tangible way in which we can assist local authorities address the housing needs of small communities."
Key issues which were discussed at the event included: the availability of land, planning policy, community involvement, partnership working and sustainability, amongst others.
A further event to review progress on sharing best practice; practical support to local authorities and their partners; and setting up future delivery will be held in October this year, with a national report delivered at the culmination of the project in March 2010.
The number of people living in overcrowded homes in England will rise by 15% over the next two years as unemployment soars during the downturn.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) estimated that 2.65 million people would be forced to live in cramped and unsuitable conditions by 2011, an increase of 350,000 people.
The NHF said rising unemployment would force families to stay in properties that were far too small for them and, if there was a sharp downturn in the construction of new affordable homes, the situation could be even worse.
The Government has pledged to build 3 million new homes by 2020, but the NHF said house building had virtually ground to a halt. It is estimated that just 70,000 new homes will be built in England in 2009-10, after 140,000 were constructed in 2008-09.
The NHF warned that overcrowding could lead to widespread problems with health, children's education and family relationships.
NHF chief executive David Orr said:
"To prevent overcrowding reaching epidemic proportions, we believe the Government should introduce a house-building fiscal stimulus in the Budget, with around £6.35 billion being spent on constructing 100,000 new homes for social rent over the next two years.
"This would ensure we can continue to build high-quality affordable housing, with adequate space standards, through the downturn - while at the same time helping to boost the economy."
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) delivered some 50,000 new, affordable homes across England and hit its target to invest £3.9 billion on its national housing and regeneration programme in 2008/09.
The Agency has been able to increase the number of completed rental and low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties as well as the number of rental starts compared with last financial year. The preliminary end of year results showed that it exceeded several of its output targets, including completion of rental properties, reclamation of brownfield land and creation of employment floor space.
Rental completions, at 27,501 homes was up on last year's performance of 27,047. LCHO completions at 19,743, although slightly below target, were up on last year's result of 18,865 homes. Starts on site of rental properties at 30,389 was above target and an increase on last year's figure of 27,209.
As well as more than £2.6 billion spent through the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP), the HCA was responsible for allocating funding across a range of programmes, such as Housing Market Renewal, Growth Area Funding, Thames Gateway and Decent Homes.
Private sector investment in property and regeneration was just over £1 billion, slightly below target. Housing starts for both LCHO properties and housing starts within the Property and Regeneration programme were also below target because of the challenges facing the industry in the latter half of the year.
The HCA has been successful in bringing brownfield land back into productive use and in the creation of new employment space.
Other achievements in the past four months - since the Agency opened for business - have included:
In the past 12 months the HCA Academy, which promotes learning and skills within the industry, has promoted the UK's first foundation degree in sustainable communities to make it available across all English regions by 2011. ,p>The Academy has also piloted a place-based approach to capacity building with North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership, Milton Keynes South Midland and Tees Valley Unlimited - three areas undergoing significant transformations.