A Key Role for the Third Sector at the Heart of Supporting People Strategy
Local Government Minister, Phil Woolas, unveiled a new strategy for delivering housing related support services to vulnerable people, and a key role for the Third Sector was at its heart.
The Supporting People Strategy outlines the vital role of the voluntary sector, and asks for its help in shaping how the programme will be delivered in the future.
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Housing's Key Role in Community Cohesion
Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing Annual Conference in Harrogate, Steve Douglas - Housing Corporation Deputy Chief Executive and member of the Commission on Community Cohesion - highlighted the pivotal role affordable housing plays in building integrated, cohesive and sustainable communities.
In his speech, he announced that the Corporation will be ensuring its impact assessments are extended to include assessment of the impact of its policies upon integration and cohesion. The Corporation will also require all affordable housing providers receiving investment funding to demonstrate how this funding will assist in promoting integration and cohesion.
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Private Sector Homes Waste More Money
According to a major Government report into house conditions, council houses are among the most energy efficient homes in the country. The report reveals social sector housing is much more energy efficient and is being improved at a faster rate compared to privately-owned housing.
The English House Condition Survey 2005 Annual Report finds that social sector housing - long associated with draughty post-war tower blocks and cold council flats - is more likely to have effective insulation when compared to privately-owned housing.
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Homelessness News in Brief
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Fresh Look at Affordable Rural Housing
Barry Gardiner, Minister for Rural Affairs, announced that Defra will begin researching a new funding programme to increase affordable rural housing.
The feasibility study will be funded by Defra and led by the Housing Corporation. It will consider the case for a new time limited funding programme to help local organisations overcome local barriers to the provision of affordable homes in rural areas.
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Survey Calls for a Major Rethink
A new survey of Chartered Institute of Housing members indicated that there needs to be a rethink on the priority given to extending home ownership and a clearer commitment to increasing the supply of new social housing.
Interim results found that:
New Venue Announced for CIH Annual Conference
The Chartered Institute of Housing announced a new venue and location for its Annual Conference and Exhibition.
From 2012, the event will be held at the Manchester Central Convention Complex. For more than 25 years, it has been held in Harrogate and before that in Brighton.
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FirstBuy Allocations Confirmed by the HCA
Over 100 house builders and housing associations are set to offer extra help for first time buyers, as the Homes and Communities Agency confirmed allocations for the new FirstBuy scheme.
A total of £180 million has been allocated to provide nearly 10,500 new homes for sale with the help of an equity loan across England over the next two years. The successful bidders are a mix of housing associations, major housebuilders and smaller local building firms.
FirstBuy was announced in the Budget as a new equity loan scheme specifically designed to help first time buyers struggling with the need for a large deposit, while simultaneously supporting economic growth by giving house builders the confidence to progress developments.
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Concern Expressed at Effect of NHS Reforms on the Homeless
The Chief Executives of Homeless Link, the National Housing Federation and St Mungo's sent an open letter to the media expressing their concern that homeless people could be left without a safety net under plans to reform the NHS.
The letter, published in the Times and Independent, said:
We are deeply concerned that homeless people will be left without a safety net under the Government's radical reforms to the health service. Homeless people suffer from high rates of poor health, but ensuring that they receive the right care benefits them and saves tax-payers money.
The NHS proposals fail to ensure that the needs of homeless people will be considered. People who don't have a home are often transient and they can be invisible to the very GPs who are about to become responsible for commissioning health services......
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Public Land Release for 100,000 New Homes
Housing Minister Grant Shapps announced Government plans to release enough public land to build as many as 100,000 new homes and support as many as 25,000 jobs by 2015.
The amount of previously-developed land owned by the public sector is more than twice the size of Leicester. The Minister confirmed that by Autumn 2011, every Government department with significant landbanks will publish plans to release thousands of acres of previously-developed land to housebuilders.
To make this radical ambition a reality by 2015, the Public Expenditure Committee, a Cabinet Committee chaired by Francis Maude, will go through each department's plans, to make sure every possible site is made available for housebuilding.
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Support for Participation on Tenants' Panels
The Government announced plans for a £535,000 residential training programme, aimed at giving tenants the confidence and skills they need to sit on tenant panels that represent their neighbours.
Tenant panels will also resolve local disputes, such as making sure repairs are made efficiently and that complaints against antisocial behaviour are dealt with quickly.
The funding is expected to assist at least 1,500 tenants who want to to sit on tenant panels. It will also provide eight different training courses covering a range of subjects - including tenant panels, influencing landlords, and sharing information and learning.