Posted 31.05.13
Warrington to Benefit from £30m Housing Investment
A multi-million pound investment in housing by Warrington Council will result in affordable housing and create jobs in the town.
The Council is supporting housing investment by providing a commercial loan of £30 million to Muir Group Housing Association.
Since 2010 the Council has been providing loans to registered providers to stimulate housing development, following the withdrawal of long term finance by banks after the 2008 banking crisis.
The housing investment will provide for at least 138 affordable homes to be built, which will support construction jobs and related trades and suppliers.
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Regeneration Partnership's Proposals Approved by Liverpool Council
A proposal from Regeneration Liverpool, which has been approved by Liverpool Council's Cabinet, will open the way for a private equity fund to help deliver an additional 1,000 new homes for private rent over the next three years.
The Council is looking to allocate more development sites to Regeneration Liverpool, which is a partnership between the Council and regeneration specialist Sigma Inpartnership.
Sigma Inpartnership is seeking to set up a private equity fund to provide development finance to both build new homes and provide a management function to manage the completed units.
It is hoped the fund will be available for investment in August or September this year.
Regeneration Liverpool already has a target of 500 new homes for private rent. The addition of this new build for private rent model is expected to quickly increase the forecast to 1,500.
Posted 10.05.13
New HMO Licence Fee Scheme to Recognise Good Landlords in Birmingham
Birmingham landlords who flout the laws on shared housing face tougher penalties after the City Council agreed a new scheme to recognise good landlords.
Working with the National Landlord's Association and the local Landlord Forum Steering Group, Birmingham City Council has increased the discounts available on fees to licence Houses in Multiple Occupation.
The City Council is required, by law, to operate a licensing scheme for high-risk shared housing, and the fee was increased in April 2012 to reflect the cost of delivering the service, including the investigation of properties which have not been licensed.
After listening to concerns raised by reputable landlords, the City Council has now revised the fee structure to encourage good landlords and penalise those who do not comply with the law.
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Tenants of Salford's ALMO Support Proposals for Stock Transfer
Residents of Salix Homes, the arms' length management organisation (ALMO) set up by Salford Council, have supported proposals to hold a ballot on transferring their homes to a housing association.
Salix Homes manages the 10,500 properties owned by the Council and nearly 2,500 residents responded to a 'test of opinion' survey. Of those, 48.1% said they supported a stock transfer, whilst only 27.6% were opposed to it.
The homes need around £700 million invested over the next 30 years, which includes bringing 8,500 properties up to decent homes standards. That level of investment will only be possible through transferring to a registered provider.
