Housing KLOEs Revised
Organisations undergoing housing inspections by the Audit Commission were being encouraged to find innovative ways of responding to the key lines of enquiry (KLOEs). The current documents set out both the questions being considered by inspectors and descriptors of what inspectors are looking for from organisations providing a 'fair' or 'excellent' service.
The Commission is changing the presentation of the KLOEs by making suggestions to help organisations carry out research and find their own routes to providing excellent services.
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Innovation and Good Practice Grants
Sixteen innovative projects across the country were set to benefit from £800,000, as part of a package of grants to encourage innovation and good practice in housing.
The grants have been awarded under the Housing Corporation's Innovation and Good Practice programme.
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Needs of Vulnerable People Prioritised
The Housing Corporation launched its Investing in Independence - Housing for Vulnerable People Strategy. It highlights the need for developing and providing high quality homes and services that meet the needs of vulnerable people, as vital to ensuring they have independence and choice.
The strategy sets out how the Corporation will engage with housing providers and support them in responding to the needs of vulnerable people.
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New Policy Signals the End of Institutions
Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis opened a bidding process for £175 million for local authorities and primary care trusts to make the transition from providing campus accommodation to more appropriate independent arrangements for those with learning disabilities.
At least 1,600 people who have a learning disability live in NHS campuses and are not given the opportunity to develop important social skills, or the freedom to make everyday decisions.
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Agreement Pledges Support to Zero Carbon
Housing Minister Yvette Cooper hailed an agreement with house builders and councils that will make zero carbon housing a reality within 10 years, and urged other partners in the industry to follow suit and 'sign the green pledge' by emailing her department.
Key members of the home building industry, councils, green groups and homelessness organisations have given their support to the Government's housing agenda by signing up to Communities and Local Government's 2016 Commitment, joining with it in an ambition to build 240,000 new zero carbon homes a year by 2016.
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Dispute Resolution Toolkit Launched
The 'Dispute Resolution Toolkit' was launched at the TPAS Annual Conference. The Toolkit was funded by the Housing Corporation, through the Innovation into Good Practice programme, and supported by the Housing Ombudsman.
The toolkit was developed using three 'live' case studies, involving three housing associations from different areas of the country that opened their doors to Compas@TPAS and allowed them access to ongoing disputes. More than 50 people were interviewed having been involved in the various disputes, including chief executives, police, housing officers and residents.
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Tenants' Organisations Discuss Joint Action
Representatives of the National Federation of Tenant Management Organisations (NFTMO) met with their counterparts from Tenants and Residents of England (TAROE) and Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) to explore how the three national tenants' organisations might work together to represent tenants on issues of common concern.
The NFTMO, TAROE and CCH are the only national tenants' organisations recognised by the Government. The NFTMO is firmly committed to remaining independent and its focus on tenant control, but it is clear there are some big issues on which tenants' interests will be best served if the three national organisations join forces.
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TMOs Awarded Good Governance Kite Mark
Three tenant management organisations (TMOs) become the first in the country to be awarded the NFTMO Good Governance Kite Mark.
Belle Isle TMO from Leeds, Friday Hill TMO from East London, and Burrowes Street TMO from Walsall have gained the Kite Mark following a process of self evaluation, action planning and external assessment.
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Stock Transfer Can Go Ahead
The Court of Appeal ruled that the transfer of homes on the Parkside Estate in Tower Hamlets can go ahead. The ruling ended a long-running battle to stop the transfer.
The case was based on claims of 'irregularities'. It was lost in the High Court in April but an appeal was granted.
Following the appeal decision, the homes were finally transferred to Old Ford Housing Association. Tenants can expect improvement programmes totalling £42.8 million.
Riot Reaction: Evicting Looters a Step Too Far?
The recent riots and looting have stimulated considerable debate in social housing sectors, with social networks led by Twitter and Linkedin providing fodder for thought from many quarters.
The key issue addressed appears to centre on whether or not social landlords have a role in responding to the troubles and, if so, what it should be.
Many views have been expressed and it may be an over-simplification of the debate - but there seems to be two camps. In one corner are those who believe social landlords have a duty to respond and, in many cases, argue that the right to a tenancy could be forfeited by those guilty of taking part in the disturbances. In the opposite corner are those who do not believe that the role of social landlords is to supplement the judgments of the courts and that to do so could damage society further.
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Shapps Announces Plans to Speed Up Evictions
Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced plans to make it easier and quicker for landlords to evict their most antisocial tenants.
The mandatory power of possession for antisocial behaviour would allow both private and social landlords to apply for possession where criminality or antisocial behaviour has already been proven by another court.
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Riots Prompt Eviction Amendments
Grant Shapps has confirmed that, in light of the recent riots, he wants to increase the scope of his recently-announced plans to fast-track evictions.
Current legislation means that tenants can be evicted if they have been involved in criminal activity in the 'locality' of their home. Shapps would like to give councils the right to evict for offences committed outside the local area. He writes:
"As things currently stand, whilst thuggish behaviour against neighbours or in the immediate vicinity of their home provides a ground for evicting a tenant, looting or other criminal activity by tenants further from their homes cannot usually be taken into account.
"This cannot be right. People who commit antisocial behaviour should feel the consequences regardless of whether their actions are taken within the immediate vicinity of their home or further a field.
"That's why I want to add a question to my recently-started consultation, on whether criminality and antisocial behaviour that tenants or members of their family commit outside the immediate neighbourhood should provide a ground for seeking eviction."
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Funding Secured for Projects to Support HB Changes
Ten successful projects have secured a share of a £4 million fund to provide innovative support for the introduction of the proposed new Housing Benefit measures.
They will work with voluntary organisations, providing free advice to landlords and tenants, creating a digital service to match landlords with tenants, and providing digital support to hundreds of local authorities.
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Green Energy Schemes Complicated by Legal Issues
Legal, tax, ownership and feasibility issues are just four of the many challenges facing social housing providers considering green energy schemes, such as solar PV panel installations. This is according to Croftons Solicitors LLP, who hosted the first forum for key players in the sector.
At the recent discussion forum full to capacity, social housing providers, sector advisers and leading contractors weighed up the pros and cons of even embarking on a green energy scheme in the light of the many complexities which add time and cost to any scheme
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Poverty-hit Pensioners Sell Their Homes
Older people are increasingly selling their homes and moving into rented properties to boost their income, new research says.
The latest research by tenant referencing specialist, HomeLet, reports that there has been a 16% increase in the number of people aged between 66 and 70 who have sold their home and become tenants over the past 12 months.
Data gathered from over 3,000 letting agents also reveals that 43% of new tenants aged over 66 were previously living in a home they owned, compared to 37% in July 2010
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Homelessness Transition Fund Opens for Business
A new £20 million grants scheme has been opened up by Homeless Link for voluntary sector organisations working to tackle rough sleeping in England, with £8 million being given out in the first funding round.
The Homeless Transition Fund will award grants of up to £250,000 to protect and enhance essential services for single homeless people.
Grants will also be awarded to support the introduction of No Second Night Out and other new ways to end rough sleeping.
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Taxman Drops £108 million VAT Plans
The National Housing Federation has successfully persuaded HM Revenue and Customs to drop its proposal to seek to include VAT on professional services in design and build contracts.
The Federation estimates that the plans to introduce VAT on design and build deals with contractors would have cost housing associations £108 million over the course of the current development programme.
As associations had already submitted their development funding bids to the Homes and Communities Agency without factoring in the proposed VAT costs, the withdrawal of the proposal will come as a welcome reprieve.
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Housing Charities Suffer as Local Authorities Slash Funding
A report into how local authority cuts are affecting charities reveals a £7 million drop in support for housing charities.
The False Economy campaign has published initial results from 265 freedom of information requests issued to councils across England asking about the scale of cuts to charities.
The report shows that over 2 000 organisations are facing budget cuts as local authorities reduce their funding by at least £110 million. Among those suffering are 116 housing and homelessness organisations which have lost £7.4 million. The campaign warns that figures are likely to be much higher once all the figures are finalised.
