Posted 13.03.17
Places for People: Article link
Places for People has announced the launch of its new fund management business - PfP Capital. It is the first time an organisation of its kind has established a distinct fund management capability.
Its first fund will be targeted at the UK private rented sector (PRS) and will acquire 1,379 residential units from Places for People valued at around £150 million.
The PfP Capital PRS Fund is aiming to invest a further £150 million in acquiring similar properties to grow the portfolio of PRS assets to more than £300 million in the short to medium term.
Places for People will retain a substantial investment in the fund and, as a not-for-dividend organisation, intends to recycle the secondary capital into the Group's business activities to accelerate the delivery of new homes and other social impact projects.
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Posted 09.03.17
Greg Campbell and Maggie Rafalowicz of Campbell Tickell: Blog link
As the Government works through its housing policy, some of its original polices are being reshaped.
The commitment to increase home ownership is dissipating.
When introducing four years of rent reductions for English registered housing providers from 2016, Government initially claimed that there would be a return to CPI +1% annual rent rises after the four years. Nobody now expects this to happen.
Housing associations have been modelling different scenarios for the post-2020 rent settlement. Greg Campbell and Maggie Rafalowicz of Campbell Tickell discuss the possible implications for general needs rents from 2020.
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Posted 06.03.17
Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH): Article link
The Government's ambition to solve the housing crisis will not be possible if an imbalance in housing funding continues, CIH has said, as new figures reveal just £8 billion of the £51 billion earmarked for housing up to 2021 will directly fund affordable homes.
The figures, compiled by the CIH as part of its UK Housing Review, reveal that despite a renewed commitment from the Government to solve the housing crisis, just 16% of the total funding it has earmarked for housing over that period will directly support the building of new affordable homes.
CIH said the Government should urgently look at what it described as a 'serious discrepancy' between its commitment to solve the housing crisis and the balance of funding