Domestic violence
On 17 February 2017 Communities Secretary Sajid Javid confirmed that 76 projects across the country will receive a share of £20 million to support victims of domestic abuse, creating more than 2,200 new bed spaces in refuges and other specialist accommodation. For the announcement,
click here For the full list of projects to which funds have been allocated,
click here
Supported housing and funding changes
On 21 February 2017 the Work and Pensions and Communities and Local Government Committees were due to hear from various witnesses on the risks and benefits of the Government's proposed changes to funding for supported housing as part of their joint inquiry into the future of the sector. The session was to focus on whether the funding changes are likely to affect the sector's ability to meet future demand and how they will affect different users of supported housing, as well as the possible alternative funding systems for short-term accommodation, such as hostels and refuges, and whether there should be different arrangements for other categories of users, such as the elderly. To view the session,
click here
Private housing rental prices
On 14 February 2017 the Office for National Statistics published its Index of Private Housing Rental Prices for January 2017. The latest figures show that: private rental prices paid by tenants in Great Britain rose by 2.2% in the 12 months to January 2017 (this is down from 2.3% in December 2016); in England, private rental prices grew by 2.3%, Wales saw growth of 0.4% while Scotland saw growth of 0.1% in the same period; and London private rental prices grew by 2.1% in that period, which is 0.1 percentage points below the Great Britain 12-month growth rate. To access the statistics,
click here
Regulation of letting and managing agents – England
On 16 February 2017 the House of Commons Library published a briefing paper describing the current regulatory regime (in the absence of overarching statutory regulation) for private sector letting or managing agents in England, and considering early reactions to the Government’s intention to introduce a ban on fees for tenants. Comparisons are drawn with policy in the devolved nations. To read the briefing,
click here
Universal credit and rented housing
On 17 February 2017 the Department for Work and Pensions published a new version of the Social Landlord Support Pack. The Support Pack has useful information for local authorities and social landlords considering undertaking some preparation for direct payment of housing costs under Universal Credit. For the latest version,
click here
Housing Benefit
On 17 February 2017 the DWP published HB Bulletin G2/2017 for local authority Housing Benefit staff. It contains information about: Optional Real Time Information; new policy to limit benefit payable to two children; Personal Details Verification Report; cases with the Upper Tribunal; and statutory instruments. To read the issue,
click here
Housing Benefit caseload statistics
On 15 February 2017 the DWP published statistics on numbers of Housing Benefit claimants and average weekly spare room subsidy amount withdrawal organised by: region and local authority; region and local authority by tenure and passported status; region and local authority by spare room subsidy; by tenure; average weekly award by tenure; passported status; average weekly award by passported status; average weekly award by age group; age group and family type; and average weekly award by age group and family type. To access the statistics,
click here
Social tenants – Scotland
On 14 February 2017 the Scottish Government published statistics on social housing and social tenants in Scotland. This new publication presents an overview of social tenants and social rented housing in Scotland for the year, covering topic areas such as stock, household characteristics, housing flows, and rents and income levels. It includes trend data for earlier years and comparisons with other housing tenures and with other parts of the UK. To read the statistics,
click here
Homelessness
On 13 February 2017 Channel 4’s
Dispatches programme was devoted to an undercover investigation into the impact of councils struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing on homeless women. To view the programme online,
click here
Housing associations
On 17 February 2017 the Homes and Communities Agency published the 2016 Global Accounts of private registered providers. The publication shows that ‘the social housing sector has had a solid year of investment underpinned by strong in-year financial performance’. The Global Accounts document gives an annual overview of the financial status of the social housing sector and is based on analysis of the regulatory financial returns and statements that are submitted by private registered providers managing or owning 1,000 or more homes. Group turnover increased in the year by 8% – despite increases in sale and other non-social housing activity. Three-quarters of total turnover continues to come from social housing lettings. To read the document,
click here For the associated press release,
click here
Private renting – implications of landlord tax changes
On 15 February 2017 the Residential Landlords Association reported that David Miles, Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College London, had produced an analysis of the government’s landlord tax changes which argues that they will make rented properties even less favourable in the tax system than owner-occupied properties. For more details,
click here
Housing improvements – Scotland
On 17 February 2017 the Scottish Government announced that housing in south Glasgow is set to benefit from a funding package that could total over £34m. Within that sum £20m has been pledged towards a four-year programme that aims to acquire up to 350 homes in the area and bring them into the social rented sector, so that repairs and improvements can be made. For more details,
click here
Homes and Communities Agency – board appointments
On 21 February 2017 four new appointments to the Homes and Communities Agency’s Board were confirmed by the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid. They are Stephen Bell, Richard Blakeway, Councillor Simon Dudley and Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE. For the announcement of the appointments and brief biographical details of the new board members,
click here
