Housing


Council chiefs call for devolution process to be ‘reignited’ 20/09/2019 The Government must 'reignite the devolution process' to give all parts of England more powers and funding, council leaders have demanded.
Processes for allocating social housing excluding ‘vulnerable’, think tank warns 18/09/2019 The rules and processes designed to decide who gets access to social housing could be failing people in greatest need, housing experts warn.
Casey calls for support to tackle homelessness 16/09/2019 Homelessness expert Dame Louise Casey has issued a call to arms to tackle the rising tide of homelessness around the world.
Government to reintroduce Domestic Abuse Bill 13/09/2019 The prime minister has confirmed that his Government will reintroduce a Bill to help tackle the ‘horrific crime’ of domestic abuse.
£150m housing scheme to go ahead on former Toys R Us site 12/09/2019 Housing and new offices are set to go ahead on a former Toys R Us site in Southampton.
APSE to launch Local Government Commission 10/09/2019 A new commission to develop a practical vision for local government in 2030 will be launched by APSE later this month.
Council to help deliver over 80 ‘cutting-edge’ properties 10/09/2019 A district council in Cambridgeshire has welcomed the Government’s decision to build what they describe as ‘cutting-edge, designer council homes’ in Northstowe.
Burnham announces £6m for homelessness scheme 09/09/2019 Mayor Andy Burnham has announced a £6m funding package for the second phase of Greater Manchester’s A Bed Every Night scheme.
Review into sprinklers in high-rise homes 06/09/2019 The Government has announced plans to reduce the height of tower blocks where sprinklers must be installed.
Who’s planning for more? 04/09/2019 One year on from the launch of the new National Planning Policy Framework planning, Sophie Innes has concerns about its progress.
Council pension fund calls on housebuilders to improve transparency 04/09/2019 One of the biggest local government pension funds has called on housebuilding companies to improve the way they report environmental, social and governance issues.
Union ballots over strike action at Greenwich Council 03/09/2019 Housing employees at Greenwich Council in London are being balloted for strike action over the ending of a productivity agreement.
Office for Veterans’ Affairs given £5m funding boost 03/09/2019 The Government has announced a £5m fund boost to help support military veterans.
Hackney to take developer to court 02/09/2019 A London borough is preparing to take legal action against a developer over fire safety fears in a block of flats.
New rules to increase housing deal transparency 02/09/2019 Councils will be legally required to publish deals with housing developers after new rules were introduced.
Council’s housing-with-care scheme saves NHS over £300,000 per year 30/08/2019 Housing-with-care schemes in Southampton are responsible for saving the NHS £330,000 per year, the council says.
Council apologises for leaving family in ‘overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years 29/08/2019 Lancashire CC has apologised after a woman and her family were left living in what the LGO described as ‘significantly overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years.
Repair and maintenance of public housing hits 20-year low 28/08/2019 The amount of money spent on repairing public housing fell to an all-time low in 2018, new research has revealed.
Council leaders call for Right to Buy reforms 27/08/2019 Councils have urged the Government to reform the Right to Buy scheme in next month's Spending Round.
Universal Credit driving tenants into rent arrears, study says 23/08/2019 Universal Credit is causing tenants to fall behind in their rent, new research from a group representing landlords has revealed.
Housing crisis forcing 1.3 million children to live in ‘overcrowded’ conditions 22/08/2019 A new study has revealed that more than one in 10 children in England are living in overcrowded homes because of a lack of suitable housing.
Children growing up in ‘B&Bs and shipping containers’, commissioner warns 21/08/2019 Thousands of children are growing up in unsuitable temporary accommodation, commissioner warns – a state of affairs council chiefs blame on a lack of funding.
Council services ‘declining’ due to £5bn funding gap, MPs say 21/08/2019 MPs have accused the Government of being ‘derelict in its duty’ by failing to set out a funding settlement that would ease the pressure on frontline services.
Javid announces £600m housing infrastructure winners 19/08/2019 Five councils will share £600m of Government funding to support the delivery of up to 50,000 new homes in high demand areas.
New partnership to help Welsh councils build affordable housing 16/08/2019 The Welsh government has partnered with a membership body for housing professionals in an effort to help councils build more affordable housing in Wales.
Sutton completes first council housing in 30 years 15/08/2019 The London Borough of Sutton has completed its first programme of new council house building in three decades with the delivery of nearly 100 homes.
Plans outlined for UK’s first plastic free homes 14/08/2019 A housing association has pledged to build 12 new homes that are virtually free of plastic.
280,000 approved homes not completed 09/08/2019 The number of planning permissions granted far outweighs the number of completions, according to new research.
Khan announces 200 new homes for rough sleepers and victims of domestic abuse 09/08/2019 Up to 200 new homes will be built in London to help former rough sleeps and victims of domestic abuse to leave hostels and refuges.
Welsh Government sets out development vision for next 20 years 07/08/2019 A new planning framework for Wales will aim to produce more council housing and increase the use of renewable energy.
Whitehall urged to develop £10bn ‘regeneration strategy’ 02/08/2019 The Government should develop a £10bn ‘national regeneration strategy’ to help boost towns and cities across the North and Midlands, a new study says.
Brentwood Council signs £1bn joint venture 02/08/2019 A £1bn joint venture to deliver new homes, public spaces and local facilities has been agreed between Brentwood Borough Council and Morgan Sindall Investments.
London boroughs urge Whitehall to ‘turbocharge’ council housebuilding 31/07/2019 Local authorities in London have called on the Government to ‘turbocharge’ council housebuilding by lifting restrictions on the use of Right to Buy receipts.
Liverpool submits £230m ‘Green City Deal’ 30/07/2019 The mayor of Liverpool has submitted a proposal to the new prime minister for a £230m Green City Deal to tackle climate change and boost the economy.
New Office of Veterans’ Affairs needs ‘teeth’, council chiefs say 30/07/2019 Local authority leaders have welcomed the creation of a new position within the cabinet dedicated to veterans’ affairs, but warned it should be ‘given teeth’.
Council tenant fined £100,000 for illegal sublet 30/07/2019 A council tenant has been fined £100,000 and evicted from his property by Westminster City Council after he illegally sublet his flat through Airbnb.
Learning from Leeds 26/07/2019 Joanne Volpe the best of giving people the information they need to find a home right for them.
Government should ‘prioritise’ accessible house building, charity says 25/07/2019 Better advice and support is needed to help people move into a more suitable home in later life, according to housing experts.
Whitehall ‘failing’ to meet target for land sales 24/07/2019 MPs have accused the Government of failing to meet its target for selling land to make way for new homes.
Three projects secure funding to increase flood resilience 23/07/2019 Three projects will receive up to £700,000 each to research and test ways to make homes more flood resilient.
Consultation on opening up ‘rogue landlord’ database to public launched 22/07/2019 The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to open up its rogue landlord database to the public.
Brokenshire tells house builders to ‘protect wildlife’ 22/07/2019 The communities secretary James Brokenshire has published new guidance to help developers do more to protect wildlife.
Move to ban 'poor doors' in new housing developments 22/07/2019 The segregation of social housing residents in mixed-tenure developments will be banned under new measures announced by the Government.
‘Primary school’s worth’ of children face homelessness this summer 22/07/2019 Next PM told to make homelessness an 'urgent priority' as research finds hundreds of children face being placed into temporary accommodation this summer.
Campaigners call for new definition of 'affordable' housing 19/07/2019 Many families living in the countryside could have their rents cut in half if the definition of 'affordable' housing were changed, according to campaigners.
Councils urged to bid for housing advisory scheme 18/07/2019 A programme offering expert advice on how local authorities can best tackle housing shortages in their areas has been launched for the third year in a row.
Permitted developments in danger of becoming ‘the new slum housing’ 16/07/2019 Half of local authorities in England think homes created using permitted development rights could threaten people’s health and wellbeing.
Harnessing the power of modular 15/07/2019 Adam Cunnington explains how local authorities can harness the power of modular to become a key player in helping to solve Britain’s housing crisis.
Universal Credit draining council resources 15/07/2019 Universal Credit (UC) is draining resources from councils, a new survey has found.
Council chiefs welcome move to ‘modernise’ housing inspection system 12/07/2019 Local government leaders have welcomed a move to review the system for inspecting private sector housing.
Say ‘no to ugliness’, commission tells planners 10/07/2019 Councils should 'say no to ugliness' in their planning decisions, according to a report commissioned by the Government.
Benefit freeze ‘fuelling’ homelessness 08/07/2019 The freeze on housing benefits is driving up homelessness in London, the capital’s boroughs have warned.
A licence to let 04/07/2019 With the government’s recent focus on regulating the private rented sector, Neil Merrick explores how councils are using licensing scheme to tackle rogue landlords.
Council chiefs call for devolution to rural communities after Brexit 04/07/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to devolve more powers to rural areas in the event that Britain leaves the European Union.
Councils 'failing' to prosecute rogue letting agents 04/07/2019 The association representing landlords has accused local authorities of failing to prosecute rogue letting agents.
MPs call for modern construction methods to solve housing crisis 03/07/2019 The Government must encourage the use of modern construction methods to solve the housing crisis, MPs have warned.
District councils building more homes thanks to scrapping of HRA borrowing cap 02/07/2019 More homes are being built because of the Government lifting a cap on how much councils can spend, according to a new report.
Young people face ‘renting into retirement’, council chiefs warn 01/07/2019 Young people today are half as likely to get on the housing ladder than they were 20 years ago, local government leaders have revealed.
Whitehall’s 300,000 house building target ‘way off track’ 26/06/2019 The Government's target of delivering 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s is in danger because of a 'lack of decisive action', MPs have warned.
PM calls for new housing design laws 26/06/2019 The Prime Minister yesterday called for new design laws to ensure high-quality homes in a speech dismissed by Labour as a ‘lame duck announcement’.
£146bn building programme needed to end housing crisis, experts say 26/06/2019 A ten-year building programme costing £146bn is needed to end the housing crisis, experts have claimed.
Councils build ‘highest number’ of houses since 1990 25/06/2019 Over 13,000 new houses were delivered by local authorities last year, town planners have calculated – the highest number since 1990.
Government announces £155m of loans to build housing 25/06/2019 Loans worth £155m have been announced to create 660 new homes in Wimbledon and Southampton.
Liverpool gets green light to build council houses 21/06/2019 The city which built the first council houses in Europe 150 years ago is set to construct homes again after the Government lifted its ban on new building.
Whitehall blasted for trying to solve homelessness ‘on a shoestring’ 20/06/2019 An assessment of the state of homelessness prevention has criticised Whitehall for trying to solve the homelessness crisis ‘on a shoestring’.
Grenfell Tower: Hundreds of high-rise buildings still have 'unsafe' cladding 14/06/2019 There are still 'huge challenges ahead' two years after the Grenfell Tower fire, according to the leader of the council where the disaster took place.
Malthouse announces £142m infrastructure investment 11/06/2019 Thousands of new homes will be built in two areas as a result of £142m investment in infrastructure, housing minister Kit Malthouse has announced.
Social housing tenants ‘failed’ by poor regulation 10/06/2019 Social housing tenants are being forced to report the same problem with their home multiple times, a housing charity has warned today.
Ministry considers launch of a new building safety regulator 07/06/2019 A consultation exercise has been launched on reforms of building regulations for high-rise residential blocks after the Grenfell Tower tragedy two years ago which killed 72 people.
One in five households face ‘grave’ housing affordability problems 06/06/2019 A new way of measuring the cost of housing shows one in five households in England are currently in 'unaffordable' accommodation, according to its authors.
Auditors urges planning services to improve capacity and resilience 06/06/2019 Planning services in Wales are struggling against funding cuts and a lack of resources, according to the official auditor.
‘Postcode lottery’ for accessible homes 05/06/2019 Less than a quarter of homes built outside London by 2030 will be suitable for older and disabled people, housing experts have warned.
Councils to publish deals done with developers 05/06/2019 Councils will be required to publish how much funding they are receiving from developers under new rules announced by the Government.
Labour considers abolishing council tax for renters 04/06/2019 Labour Party is considering proposals to replace council tax with a ‘progressive property tax’, which would be payable by property owners rather than tenants.
Inquiry launched into long-term delivery of affordable housing 31/05/2019 An inquiry into the government's ability to deliver social and affordable rented housing has been launched by MPs today.
Nearly 2,000 abuse victims a year struggle to access ‘safe’ council housing 30/05/2019 Around 1,960 people fleeing domestic abuse each year are put at risk of homelessness because they are not eligible for ‘safe, secure housing’, study shows.
‘Permitted development’ undermines local planning, council chiefs say 28/05/2019 Local authority leaders have criticised the Government’s decision to allow homeowners and businesses to extend their properties without going through local planning departments.
Consumer standards obligations on housing stock-owning councils 24/05/2019 Fiona MacGregor, the chief executive of the Regulator of Social Housing, considers the consumer standards obligations on councils that own housing stock.
Fire safety in high-rise buildings to be reformed in Wales 21/05/2019 The Welsh Government has announced it will reform the system regulating fire safety in high-rise buildings.
Firefighters blast Government for ‘complacency’ after the Grenfell fire 21/05/2019 The Government has done nothing to ‘adequately prepare’ fire and rescue services for another Grenfell-type fire, a firefighter union has warned.
Greater Exeter to build 20,000 new homes in garden scheme 16/05/2019 The Government has announced its support for a garden scheme which will see tens of thousands of new homes built in Devon.
Substandard wall insulation found in Northern Ireland's social housing 16/05/2019 Nearly two-thirds of cavity wall insulation in Northern Ireland’s social housing stock fails to comply with current standards, new research has revealed.
Councils sell more than 200 sites to community led housing groups 16/05/2019 A third of councils in England are supporting community led housing development in a bid to tackle the housing shortage, new research has revealed.
Most councils warn benefit freeze will make more people homeless 15/05/2019 Nine out of 10 councils believe the housing benefit freeze will push more people into homelessness, a new survey has revealed.
Housing policy putting young women at risk, study warns 14/05/2019 Young women are being forced into unsafe housing due to the government’s housing benefit policy, a new study has concluded.
How councils can improve support for independent living 14/05/2019 Paul Smith outlines his five top tips on how councils can improve the outcomes for disabled people living in their area.
Pledge to end 'postcode lottery' for domestic abuse victims 13/05/2019 Councils will be legally required to provide safe housing for survivors of domestic abuse under new measures announced today.
London council budgets slashed 17% over last decade 13/05/2019 London’s local authority budgets have dropped by nearly a fifth – or 17% – per head over the last eight years, a new study has revealed.
Malthouse launches £8.5m to support neighbourhood plans 13/05/2019 Minister of state for housing Kit Malthouse launched a multi-million pound fund at the weekend to help voluntary groups deliver thousands of discounted homes.
Deal signed to deliver 3,000 new homes in Nottinghamshire 09/05/2019 Rushcliffe Borough Council has welcomed a new deal that will see thousands of new homes delivered in Nottinghamshire.
UK needs £1bn a year to combat flood threat 09/05/2019 A long-term strategy to ensure infrastructure is resilient to flooding and coastal change by 2050 has been unveiled today by the Environment Agency.
Housing benefits should be ‘at least’ 30% of market rates, London Councils says 09/05/2019 London boroughs have called on Whitehall to lift the Local Housing Allowance to at least 30% of local market rates for private sector accommodation to help ease the pressure on councils.
Council accreditation scheme ‘discriminatory’, landlords say 09/05/2019 A landlord accreditation scheme in Oxford is ‘discriminatory and unlawful’, a landlord association has claimed.
Whitehall launches £200m fund to replace unsafe cladding 09/05/2019 The Government has launched a £200m fund to help remove and replace unsafe cladding on privately owned high-rise buildings after campaigners raise awareness of the issue.
Burnham urges Whitehall to declare ‘homelessness emergency’ 08/05/2019 The Mayor of Greater Manchester has called on the Government to declare a ‘homelessness emergency’.
New housing should meet 10 safety principles, planners say 03/05/2019 Planners have called for new legislation that would help tackle concerns over poor-quality housing.
Councils should ‘invest to save’ by supporting local regeneration schemes 02/05/2019 Local authorities should support community-based neighbourhood regeneration approaches to help bring empty homes back into use.
Research finds 'legal aid deserts' across the country 29/04/2019 More than half of councils in England and Wales have no housing legal aid providers in their area, research has revealed.
Council to push ahead with £2m scheme to renovate ‘dilapidated’ flats 25/04/2019 Great Yarmouth council is to go ahead with a scheme to buy up dilapidated flats and bed sits and renovate them for sale or rent.
Unjust enrichment? 23/04/2019 Housing authorities should take care when relying upon valuations that will feed into section 125 notices, says Amy Rogers, of the disputes team at Cripps.

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