A report examined the clearance of residential property and the relocation of displaced occupiers as a means of improving the health of occupiers and the overall quality of the housing stock. It said that the government's focus on building new housing, while reducing the amount of money made available for the renewal of older stock in some parts of the country, was 'unsustainable' and a threat to public health.
Source: Commission on Housing Renewal and Public Health: Final Report, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (020 7928 6006)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
The government published a Housing and Regeneration Bill, and the Bill was given a second reading. The aim of the Bill was to create the Homes and Communities Agency, which would support the delivery of social and affordable housing. This would allow the government to implement its pledge of 3 million new homes by 2020 as stated in the housing Green Paper. The Bill would also reform social housing and social housing regulation to promote better services for tenants. It would also provide the opportunity to modernize powers on establishing new settlements like eco-towns.
Source: Housing and Regeneration Bill, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO | House of Commons Hansard, Debate 27 November 2007, columns 145-252, TSO
Links: Text of Bill | Explanatory notes | HOC research brief | Hansard (second reading) | DCLG press release | LGA press release | NHF press release | Housing Corporation press release | English Partnerships press release | CIH press release | Shelter press release | DCH press release | CPRE press release | TUC press release | Countryside Alliance press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Nov
An audit report examined the pathfinders housing market renewal programme. Low demand for housing was less severe in pathfinder areas, and the gap between these areas and surrounding regions had started to close. However, it was not possible to identify a causal link between pathfinder activity and these changes in housing markets, as any other factors were involved. While the programme had improved conditions for some neighbourhoods, for others it had led to heightened stress in the short term.
Source: Housing Market Renewal, HC 20 (Session 2006-07), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release | NHF press release | FT report | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Nov
An article examined the rationale for setting up the housing market renewal pathfinders, and their progress since 2003. Positive signs of change were apparent throughout pathfinder areas, although whether this could be ascribed to programme activity was unclear. The programme might appear incongruous in the light of the new focus on housing supply: but there was insufficient evidence that lasting change in low-demand markets had yet been brought about, and the premature scaling back of the programme would be ill-advised.
Source: Ed Ferrari, 'Housing market renewal in an era of new housing supply', People, Place & Policy, Volume 1 Issue 3
Links: Article
Date: 2007-Nov
A paper examined progress in the housing market renewal programme, and set out emerging issues. There had been significant house price growth in the pathfinder areas in recent years, which had brought increased private investment and higher values for public and private assets. The rationale for the programme remained as strong as ever, and its strategy was consistent with the policy direction set out in the housing Green Paper.
Source: Brendan Nevin and Philip Leather, Transition to Transformation: One Year On, Nevin Leather Associates (brendan.nevin@nevinleather.co.uk)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
The Scottish Government began consultation on proposals designed to increase housing supply and choice in Scotland. Local authorities, developers, and builders would be challenged to increase the rate of new housing supply to at least 35,000 per year by the middle of the following decade. The 'right to buy' would be ended in respect of new social housing built by councils and housing associations.
Source: Firm Foundations: The future of housing in Scotland – A discussion document, Scottish Government, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | SG press release | CML press release | BBC report | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Oct
The government announced that it planned to introduce a Housing and Regeneration Bill. The Bill would be designed to merge the Housing Corporation (responsible for distributing funds to housing associations to build new social housing) and English Partnerships (responsible for planning housing projects in new growth areas). It would also implement the recommendations of the Cave Review of social housing regulation.
Source: The Governance of Britain: The Government?s Draft Legislative Programme, Cm 7175, Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Statement | Hansard | BPF press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Jul
The government published a Green Paper on housing policy. It sought views on proposals to increase the supply of housing; to provide well designed, 'greener' homes; and to provide more affordable homes to buy or rent. It set out a programme, including new investment and targets, designed to meet the pledge (made earlier in the same month) of 3 million more homes by 2020. There was a commitment to build at least 70,000 affordable houses a year by 2010-11, including 45,000 new social homes – more than doubling the amount built each year compared to 2004, This was backed by £8 billion investment from the comprehensive spending review for the period 2008-2011 – a £3 billion increase over the previous spending period.
Source: Homes for the Future: More affordable, more sustainable, Cm 7191, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Green Paper | DCLG press release | LGA press release | Housing Corporation press release | NHF press release | Audit Commission press release | CABE press release | DCH press release | BPF press release | TCPA press release | CIH press release | Shelter press release | Crisis press release | CRC press release | CPRE press release | Friends of the Earth press release | TUC press release | Help the Aged press release | ERoSH press release | Conservative Party press release | FT report | BBC report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Jul
The government announced plans for 3 million new homes to be built by 2020 – over a quarter of a million more than previously planned. The annual housebuilding target would be increased from 200,000 to 240,000 homes from 2016. The expansion would take place in environmentally-friendly ways, using principally brownfield land and building 'eco-towns' and villages. There would be measures to encourage local councils to build affordable homes on surplus public land.
Source: The Governance of Britain: The Government?s Draft Legislative Programme, Cm 7175, Leader of the House of Commons, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Statement | Hansard | LGA press release | NLGN press release | DCH press release | TCPA press release | CRC press release | NHF press release | CML press release | Help the Aged press release | CPRE press release | Greenpeace press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Jul
An article examined social mixing and design within new urban housing developments, and in particular the concept of 'tenure blind' development.
Source: Marion Roberts, 'Sharing space: urban design and social mixing in mixed income new communities', Planning Theory & Practice, Volume 8 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A blueprint for housing reform in Wales said that the key priorities were a lack of affordable housing to rent and buy, poor-quality housing that failed to meet the required standard, rising levels of homelessness, and better housing support for vulnerable people.
Source: WLGA Housing Policy Statement, Welsh Local Government Association (029 2046 8600)
Links: Statement | WLGA press release
Date: 2007-Jun
A study of neighbourhood housing markets in England in the 1990s and early 2000s described and accounted for patterns of change in housing market performance, with a particular focus on the impact of new investment.
Source: Glen Bramley, Chris Leishman, Noah Kofi Karley, James Morgan and David Watkins, Transforming Places: Housing investment and neighbourhood market change, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The Department for Communities and Local Government published its departmental report for 2006-07, outlining its performance against public service agreement targets.
Source: Community, Opportunity, Prosperity: Annual Report 2007, Cm 7094, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
A report (by an official advisory body) said that efforts to build houses rapidly had led to excessive demolition, lack of resident facilities, and a neglect of economic development. People in new developments were frustrated by the lack of facilities such as pubs, community centres, and police stations.
Source: Building Houses or Creating Communities? A review of government progress on sustainable communities, Sustainable Development Commission (020 7944 4964)
Links: Report | SDC press release | DCLG press release | Regeneration & Renewal report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-May
A report examined recent changes in the English housing market, highlighting key challenges for developing public policies, intervention programmes, and reforms. Certain features of contemporary housing markets threatened to outstrip the ability of public policy to respond effectively - for example, the growth of the buy-to-let sector, the impact of international in-migration in urban and rural areas, the growing escalation of property prices in real terms, and the demographic pressures in some areas of settlement among minority ethnic communities.
Source: Ian Cole, Shaping or Shadowing? Understanding and responding to housing market change, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2007-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that a government programme designed to help council tenants and people on low incomes into property ownership wasted money and did not help enough people.
Source: A Foot on the Ladder: Low cost home ownership assistance, Nineteenth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 134, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BBC report | Regeneration & Renewal report | FT report
Date: 2007-Mar
An assessment of the housing market renewal pathfinder scheme concluded that there was a fall in rates of population reduction within the areas concerned, and a rise in some areas. It also found that house prices had risen, vacancies had fallen, and demand for social housing had risen.
Source: Philip Leather et al., National Evaluation of the HMR Pathfinder Programme - Baseline Report, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | DCLG press release | Regeneration & Renewal report
Date: 2007-Mar
An article outlined the aims and objectives of a major evaluation of English housing policy in the period 1975-2000, and its principal conclusions.
Source: Alan Holmans, Mark Stephens and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, 'Housing policy in England since 1975', Housing Studies, Volume 22 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Mar
A government-commissioned report said that steps should be taken to achieve a better income mix in areas of England dominated by the social housing sector. Local councils and housing associations should provide homes in areas where there were higher earners, and spare land on council estates should be used to build private homes. But ending security of tenure for council house tenants would be 'very unhelpful', and tenants should instead be given incentives to move on. Social housing tenants could benefit from greater choice over renting and ownership options.
Source: John Hills, Ends and Means: The future roles of social housing in England, CASEreport 34, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Report | LSE press release | CRC press release | Housing Justice press release | Guardian report | BBC report | FT report | Regeneration & Renewal report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Feb
A study found that aspects of the government's housing market renewal pathfinder scheme (to renew failing housing markets in the Midlands and North of England) could be improved. There was a need to provide better financial and social support to residents affected by demolition.
Source: Ian Cole and John Flint, Demolition, Relocation and Affordable Rehousing: Lessons from the housing market renewal pathfinders, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2007-Feb
