The Northern Ireland Executive published a review of the effectiveness of the Northern Ireland housing programme. The report concluded that, so far as could be measured, the public resources used for support to housing in Northern Ireland had been used economically and efficiently.
Source: Review of the Effectiveness of the Northern Ireland Housing Programme: Final report, Department of Social Development/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9056 9216)
Links: Report (Word file) | NIE press release
Date: 2003-Dec
A report examined the role housing associations play in providing housing and support to people experiencing domestic violence.
Source: Katherine Cowan, Domestic Violence and Housing Associations, Sector study 28, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
The government announced proposals (for consultation) to alter the system for allocating funds for managing and maintaining council homes from 2004-05. The proposals changed the way resources were allocated, aimed at ensuring better account was taken of authorities' relative needs. From 2004-05 rent rebates would no longer be subsidised through the housing revenue account: central responsibility would be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions, alongside subsidy for rent allowances and council tax benefit.
Source: Draft Housing Revenue Account Subsidy and Item 8 Determinations for 2004-2005, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | Draft General Determination of Administration of Housing Revenue Account Subsidy 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 18 November 2003, columns 27-28WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Hansard | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A research report reviewed black and minority ethnic housing associations. It concluded that their needs were served well within the current regulatory framework, and specific changes were not needed. Where such associations failed, there were no specific black and minority ethnic reasons for failure, only reasons rooted in the skill and behaviour of the board.
Source: Black and Minority Ethnic Housing Associations: The challenge of growth and viability, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Nov
A government task force evaluated existing low-cost home ownership programmes, and recommended a reform strategy designed to make schemes simpler and more cost effective. It called for discounts for council tenants buying their homes to be phased out, and the suspension of sales in areas such as London where low-cost homes were in short supply.
Source: A Home of My Own: Report of the government's home ownership task force, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | CML press release | NHF press release (pdf) | Shelter press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Nov
The Housing Corporation set out a new approach to its investment programme for social housing, to reflect the government's 'sustainable communities' strategy. Investment would be planned over a two-year period instead of one, and would take account the housing strategies adopted by the new regional housing boards. Investment would be focused on a smaller number of housing associations carrying out larger-scale programmes, in an effort to boost supply. Responding, housing associations said that extra investment intended to tackle the housing crisis should generate viable communities, and not simply be used to build more homes.
Source: Reinventing Investment, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000) | Press release 27 October 2003, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Report (pdf) | Annexes (link) | NHF press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
The government began consultation on proposals designed to facilitate further transfers of social/council housing in England to the private sector. The changes were designed to enable new landlords to access the full range of private funding opportunities in the market. The government said the proposals would develop incentives to help ensure the benefits of transfer offered to tenants were realised; improve the decision-making process when considering the financing of transfers, by removing barriers in the process; encourage financial innovation; and assist new transfers by ensuring the necessary advice, information, guidance and best practice were available.
Source: Housing Transfer: Removing barriers in the transfer process to facilitate innovative private finance and deliver successful transfers, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Oct
Researchers analysed and assessed the likely maintenance and repair costs of a series of archetypal properties owned by registered social landlords, in order to provide a benchmark against which to assess whole-life cost performance.
Source: BCIS Limited, Whole Life Cost of Social Housing, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
A study examined the characteristics of pre-1999 stock transfer housing associations to see if they constituted a distinct new class of social landlord. It was found that the transfer process had tended to have a 'liberating' effect on housing staff, with a move to a more inclusive culture in which individual initiative was encouraged. Transfers had generally fostered staff ownership of corporate objectives to a degree far greater than in predecessor landlords. Transfer landlords were much less likely to evict their tenants than traditional associations.
Source: Hal Pawson and Cathie Fancy, Maturing Assets: The evolution of stock transfer housing associations, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: JRF Findings 953
Date: 2003-Sep
An article explored the issues involved in determining social housing rents, and the government's rent restructuring policy. It assessed whether the policy was likely to fulfil its explicit objectives, concluding that only some were likely to be met.
Source: Bruce Walker and Alex Marsh, 'Setting the rents of social housing: the impact and implications of rent restructuring in England', Volume 40, Number 10/September 2003, Urban Studies
Links: Abstract
Date: 2003-Sep
The government announced an 'end-to-end' review of the Housing Corporation's working relationships with registered social landlords and other organisations. (End-to-end reviews replace the centrally run quinquennial reviews of government agencies.)
Source: Press release 16 September 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Sep
A report examined the potential role of social landlords in helping to tackle financial exclusion among their tenants.
Source: Roland Lovatt, Richard Newcombe and Christine Whitehead, Financial Awareness and the Role of Social Landlords: Research report, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: Research report (pdf) | CIH policy briefing (pdf) | CIH press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A paper examined the contribution of the social landlord function to the objectives of community cohesion.
Source: David Robinson, Delivering Housing Services to Support Community Cohesion, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: Paper (pdf) | People for Action press release
Date: 2003-Aug
Researchers examined the effect on staff of large-scale voluntary transfers of local authority housing. Taking their employment package as a whole, a third of the employees surveyed regarded their current terms and conditions as better, a third as the same, and a quarter not as good as their former local authority ones.
Source: MORI, IRIS Consulting, and Aldbourne Associates, Large Scale Voluntary Transfers: Staff impacts and implications, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
The House of Commons Library produced a background research paper on the government's objective of ensuring that all social housing meets set standards of decency by 2010. The paper outlined the standards of decency required, the options open to authorities for achieving the necessary investment in their stock, and progress in achieving the target.
Source: Delivering the Decent Homes Standard: Social landlords options and progress, Research Paper 03/65, House of Commons Library (web publication only)
Links: HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A committee of MPs said that the additional cost of renovating social housing through a transfer policy was 1,300 per home spread over 30 years (or 1.3 billion for the transfer of a million homes over five years): this additional cost was justified by the government on the grounds of non-quantifiable benefits such as earlier renovation, greater tenant participation, and risk transfer from the public to the private sector. The committee recommended the removal of barriers to alternative options to transfer; and said that all available options should be considered in order to determine which delivered the best overall value for money. It said that transfers had largely delivered the expected benefits of improving homes: but that the achievement of aims such as greater tenant choice, participation and increased tenant satisfaction was less clear.
Source: Improving Social Housing through Transfer, Fortieth Report (Session 2002-03), HC 590, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-Jul
The government began consultation on proposals to 'improve the fairness and effectiveness' of funding for managing and maintaining council homes. It said that existing allowances (based partly on past patterns of council spending as an indicator of relative need to spend) no longer adequately reflected the circumstances facing councils - including a greater emphasis on tackling deprivation and anti-social behaviour, dealing with low demand, and ensuring that decent homes remained decent.
Source: The Allocation of Management and Maintenance Allowances within Housing Revenue Account Subsidy, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Consultation paper (pdf) | Consultation paper | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Jul
Public services campaigners published a report which examined the prospects for meeting the government's 'decent homes' pledge (to raise all social housing to a decent standard by 2010). The report concluded that large-scale voluntary transfers would not on their own deliver the necessary improvements, and went on to consider how other options might fill the gap.
Source: The Future for Social Housing in the UK: Exploring the options, Association of Public Service Excellence (fax: 0161 772 1811)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jun
A literature review examined how social housing clearance programmes had been implemented in Wales, focusing on the impact on tenants and on their involvement in the process.
Source: The Implementation of Social Housing Clearance Programmes and their Social Impact, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 3353)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
Research concluded that the cost of properly managing and maintaining council houses during 2001-02 could have been as much as 5.5 billion, compared with actual spending by local authorities of nearly 4 billion.
Source: Estimation of the Need to Spend on Maintenance and Management in Local Authority Housing Stock, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers evaluated the role of private finance in local authority housing investment. They concluded that a decision to use private finance should be based on a thorough appraisal of the various investment options, and should be taken only where the alternative methods of getting investment were not viable economically and/or not acceptable to tenants.
Source: Jim Knox, Rod Glover and Andrew West, PFI for HRA: Initial process lessons from the baseline evaluation, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jun
The Welsh Assembly Government commissioned a literature review which examined the processes and effects of housing stock transfers in England and Scotland. Tenant knowledge at transfer was often surprisingly scant, despite the strong emphasis given to the provision of information and independent advice to tenants. After transfer, tenants tended to be satisfied with their new landlord: there was evidence that sceptics were often won over by better performance and by the delivery of ballot pledges on rents, improvements to homes, and quality of service.
Source: The Process and Effects of Stock Transfer Programmes: Literature Review, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 3353)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers investigated how social landlords resourced and regulated tenants /residents organisations in their area. They concluded that landlords could promote trust by devising and operating rules and regulations (including those relating to resources) independently of either party, along the lines of a new system developed in Scotland.
Source: Joan Beckford, Alethea Dougal, Liz Millward and Barbara Reid, Encouraging Participation: Toolkit for tenants and social landlords, Chartered Institute of Housing (020 7833 9712) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: JRF Findings 643
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers developed an evidence base on rent-setting policy among social landlords in Scotland. Most council rent schemes had been in place, largely unchanged, for many years. Registered social landlord rent schemes were newer and reviewed more regularly. Nearly half of all social landlords reported that they were changing their rent-setting systems or planned to do so, because of anomalies in rent charges.
Source: Alison More, Jeanette Findlay, Kenneth Gibb, Diana Kasparova and Carl Mills, Determined Differences: Rent structures in Scottish social housing, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2003-Jun
An audit report said that, between 1997 and 2002, total arrears of rent owed to local authorities in England and Wales rose by 20 per cent, from 335 million to 403 million; that arrears owed by former tenants rose by 42 per cent, from 172 million to 244 million; and that tenants' average debts increased by 41 per cent, from 246 to 348 - double the increase in average council rent levels. A number of causes were identified, including delays in housing benefit payment, higher tenancy turnovers disrupting administration, and an increased likelihood that tenants were on low incomes and dependent on benefits.
Source: Local Authority Housing Rent Income: Rent collection and arrears management in England and Wales, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Audit Commission press release
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers found a 'sharp policy-induced increase' in the number of right-to-buy applications immediately prior to the introduction of lower, regionally related, discount ceilings in February 1999. They found no significant evidence that average right-to-buy discounts had declined as a result, although there was some evidence that they were falling in regions with higher house prices. (In February 1999 the government replaced the national 50,000 discount limit with regional discount ceilings varying from 22,000 in the north east of England to 38,000 in London and the south east.)
Source: Alex Marsh, Patricia Kennett, Ray Forrest and Alan Murie, The Impact of the 1999 Changes to the Right to Buy Discount, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-May
A report explored differences in performance in rent collection between housing associations. It looked at why some tenants pay promptly and some don t, and housing associations' view of housing benefit.
Source: Housing Association Rent Income: Rent collection and arrears management by Housing Associations in England, Audit Commission (0800 502030) and Housing Corporation
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-May
A study found that social landlords were more involved in introducing tenants with a mixture of incomes into existing estates than had been expected.
Source: Graham Martin and Judi Watkinson, Rebalancing Communities: Introducing mixed incomes into existing rented housing estates, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 523
Date: 2003-Apr
The Welsh Assembly Government announced that the maximum discount allowed under the right-to-buy scheme in Wales would be reduced to 16,000 (from 24,000) with effect from 2 April 2003.
Source: Press release 12.3.03, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A report provided a detailed assessment of housing association allocations policies. It examined the way that policies and practices on nominations and lettings were evolving in response to changing housing markets, legal and regulatory developments, and new thinking on social policy.
Source: Hal Pawson and David Mullins, Changing Places: Housing association policy and practice on nominations and lettings, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The National Audit Office evaluated the transfer of social housing from local authorities to registered social landlords. It found that RSLs had largely delivered the expected benefits to tenants. Around 72 per cent of RSL homes had been improved, almost all repairs had been made on time, and promises met on housing services. Most RSLs had kept rent increases within guideline figures, and had met their promises on tenant participation.
Source: Improving Social Housing through Transfer, HC 496 (Session 2002-03), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | NAO press release | NHF press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Mar
The first private finance initiative housing contract was signed. The project in Manchester was designed to ensure that all council houses in the designated area were made 'warm, safe and structurally sound' within three years. The government also introduced an order making it easier for housing authorities to engage in partnerships with the private sector.
Source: Press release 25.3.03, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Regulatory Reform (Housing Management Agreements) Order 2003, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Press release 25.3.03 (Manchester) | Text of order | Press release 28.3.03 (Order)
Date: 2003-Mar
The government announced that 41 local authority areas in London and southern England would have their maximum right-to-buy discounts lowered, in order to help tackle severe housing pressures and reduce homelessness. At the same time it published a report on the exploitation of the right-to-buy scheme by certain companies.
Source: Press release 6.3.03, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Colin Jones, Exploitation of the Right to Buy Scheme by Companies, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Press release | Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The government published research papers on the potential benefits of equity shares in social housing. It said the principal benefits of such schemes would be the opportunity to redress the major wealth disadvantages experienced by social housing tenants; to provide recognition for those tenants who pay their rent on time and do not engage in anti-social behaviour; and to provide an incentive to keep to tenancy agreements.
Source: Equity Shares for Social Housing, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Helen Barnard and Nick Pettigrew, Tenant and Other Stakeholders Attitudes towards Housing Equity Stakes, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | Michael Chapman and Stephen Sinclair, Equity Shares in Social Housing: Literature Review, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister | Incentives and Beyond?: Transferability of the Irwell Valley Gold Service to other social landlords, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Equity shares report | Equity shares summary | Tenant attitudes report | Tenant attitudes summary | Literature review | Literature review summary | IV scheme report | IV scheme summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The government began consultation on proposals to increase the effectiveness of the regulatory regime for registered social landlords in England and Wales.
Source: Increasing the Effectiveness of Powers to Regulate Registered Social Landlords: Consultation paper, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Consultation paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Mar
The government published a review of the measures needed to achieve its pledge to raise all social housing to a decent standard by 2010. (This followed earlier suggestions that the target had become unachievable.)
Source: Review of the Delivery of the Decent Homes Target for Social Housing (PSA Plus Review), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Report | ODPM press release
Date: 2003-Mar
The Scottish Executive began consultation on plans to 'modernise' social housing, including setting national minimum quality standards for tenants of all social landlords; streamlining the whole-stock transfer programme; and improving the links between housing and regeneration investment.
Source: Modernising Scotland's Social Housing: Consultation paper, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Consultation document
Date: 2003-Mar
Local authorities and housing associations called on the government to rethink its decision to do away with the local authority social housing grant by 1 April 2003. (The grant is a mechanism by which local authorities can choose to contribute their own capital towards the development of housing association schemes that meet local priorities.)
Source: Press release 24.2.03, Local Government Association (020 7664 3000)
Links: Press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Feb
The sale of council homes is riddled with abuse by companies exploiting the right-to-buy system, according to government research published accidentally on a website. In the most serious practice uncovered, thousands of homes were sold in London under a fraudulent scheme that the study warned could spread to the rest of Britain. The report suggested the government's decision to cut right-to-buy discounts in 42 areas in the south-east will not be enough to curb abuse.
Source: Research by Heriot-Watt University for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, reported in The Guardian, 14.2.03
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2003-Feb
Two reports highlighted the problem of tens of thousands of council and housing association tenants being threatened with homelessness by landlords who resorted to court action too readily and failed to deal with rent arrears effectively. Citizens Advice said it was particularly alarmed by cases where social landlords used the threat of court action as a way of tackling delays in paying housing benefit.
Source: House Keeping: Preventing homelessness through tackling rent arrears in social housing, Shelter (020 7505 4699) | Liz Phelps and Mary Carter, Possession Action - The Last Resort?: CAB evidence on court action by social landlords to recover rent arrears, Citizens Advice (formerly NACAB) (020 7833 2181)
Links: Shelter press release | Citizens Advice report (Word file) | Citizens Advice press release
Date: 2003-Feb
Local housing authorities would be able to build new social housing using the private finance initiative, under proposals issued for consultation. Proposed changes to legislation would give councils financial freedom to build new social housing through housing revenue account PFI schemes. (Under current regulations, HRA land is excluded from the definition of a private finance transaction.)
Source: A Proposal to give Local Authorities Financial Freedom to build new Social Housing in HRA PFI Schemes: A Consultation Paper, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Consultation paper
Date: 2003-Jan
The government announced measures to restrict the 'right to buy', with the aim of easing local housing market pressures, reducing homelessness and preventing exploitation of the scheme. Maximum discounts available to council tenants purchasing their homes will be reduced to 16,000 (from 22,000-38,000). Forty-two local authorities in parts of London and the south east will be included in the scheme, unless they can demonstrate that reduced discounts would not be justified in local housing market conditions. The government also said it would widen the scope of restrictions on the resale of 'right to buy' houses in rural areas. Campaigners and housing associations said that the new restrictions did not go far enough.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 22.1.03, columns 14-16WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 22.1.03, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 3.1.03, Shelter (020 7505 4699) | Press release 29.1.03, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Hansard | ODPM press release | Shelter press release | NHF press release (Word file)
Date: 2003-Jan
A report examined how a 'community gateway model' could be implemented in council stock options appraisals to give tenants and communities a range of options for empowerment, including housing co-operatives, in their local communities.
Source: HACAS Chapman Hendy, Empowering Communities: The Community Gateway Model, Chartered Institute of Housing (02476 851752), Confederation of Co-operative Housing, and Co-operative Union
Links: Summary (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan
A briefing paper called for a continuing commitment to large-scale voluntary stock transfer (reformed and improved) as one of the primary options for local authorities; clarity as to what powers local authorities will have to borrow from the private sector for housing purposes; and the introduction of a private finance option for arms-length management organisations.
Source: Funding Opportunities for All: Private finance and the new social housing agenda, Council of Mortgage Lenders (020 7437 0075)
Links: Briefing Paper (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Jan
A report charted the development and initial implementation of the first district-wide choice-based lettings system in the United Kingdom based on a common housing register. It was found that 80 per cent of users who could make comparisons with the old points-based service said that they preferred the new system.
Source: Tim Brown, Alan Dearling, Ros Hunt, Jo Richardson and Nicola Yates, Allocate or Let? Your choice: Lessons from Harborough Home Search, Chartered Institute of Housing (020 7833 9712) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: JRF Findings 123
Date: 2003-Jan
