A think-tank paper said that the next Labour government should compel all local authorities to transfer their housing stock to 'third sector' landlords. Rather than disenfranchising tenants, such a policy could give them real control over the management of their homes and restore a degree of democratic accountability that no longer applied to local authorities.
Source: Jeff Zitron, Transfer of Affections: Housing policy in Labour s third term, Fabian Society (020 7227 4900)
Links: Paper | Fabian Society press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report said that Britain was becoming more socially polarized, and that housing policy was achieving the opposite of mixed inclusiveness. Affordable housing rather than social housing had become the priority - these were very different things that catered for totally different sections of society.
Source: Anna Minton, Mind the Gap: Tackling social polarisation through balanced communities, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (020 7695 1535)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
A report said that the lack of homes for those unable to meet their needs through the market was at the heart of the housing crisis, not an overall shortage of new housing. A massive boost was needed in the provision of subsidized housing which people on low incomes could afford, if housing needs were to be met while protecting the countryside.
Source: Housing the Nation: Meeting the need for affordable housing, Campaign to Protect Rural England (020 7981 2800)
Links: Report (pdf) | CPRE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The government announced funding of more than 2.5 billion (over the period 2005-2007) for Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) engaged in social housing programmes. There would also be further opportunities for councils to bid for places on the ALMO, private finance initiative or transfer programmes. The funding for ALMOs included 453 million allocated for those councils previously awarded places on Round 4 of the ALMO programme, and 450 million given as the second allocation of funds for Round 2 ALMOs. The government reportedly reiterated its policy (despite a vote against it at the Labour Party Conference) of excluding direct investment by councils in housing.
Source: Press release 6 October 2004, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | The Guardian, 6 October 2004
Links: ODPM press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2004-Oct
A report by a committee of MPs said that urgent action on a number of fronts was required to redress an imbalance in supply and demand for social housing in Northern Ireland.
Source: Social Housing Provision in Northern Ireland, Sixth Report (Session 2003-04), HC 493, House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Oct
The opposition Conservative Party proposed to extend the right to buy to over a million housing association tenants. Housing associations expressed 'major concerns'.
Source: John Hayes MP and Scott Kelly, Right to Own: Action on Housing, Conservative Party (020 7222 9000) | Press release 27 October 2004, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Report (pdf) | NHF press release
Date: 2004-Oct
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the Housing Corporation.
Source: Government Response to the ODPM Select Committee s Report on the Role and Effectiveness of the Housing Corporation, Cm 6351, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
Date: 2004-Oct
Housing associations published a policy manifesto, aimed at making affordable housing in sustainable neighbourhoods a national priority. It called for a range of measures, including: planning policies and design codes that produced genuinely mixed developments, catering for a range of incomes, tenures and household types; and fiscal incentives to encourage more housing associations to support the development of social enterprises.
Source: Manifesto for Neighbourhoods: How the next Government can deliver sustainable communities, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Manifesto (pdf) | NHF press release
Date: 2004-Sep
A research report gauged the potential of the community housing mutual model as a tenant management option, and a mechanism to promote community regeneration, through a review of similar housing ownership models. (The CHMM involves the transfer of housing to not-for-profit organizations, called community mutuals, whose management boards have significant community representation.)
Source: Housing, Mutuality and Community Renewal: A review of the evidence and its relevance to stock transfer in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
A review found that the Housing Corporation had an 'excellent track record' in delivering the affordable housing programme, and as regulator of the registered social landlord sector. But the Corporation should focus more on the efficiency of housing associations, and use its regulation and investment roles to promote greater efficiency in both new construction and the management of the existing stock. Closer working was needed with regional bodies in planning for affordable housing. The government responded by publishing a statement designed to clarify the roles of regional housing boards, the Housing Corporation and central government in the delivery of affordable housing.
Source: An End to End Review of the Housing Corporation, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | Statement of the Role of Key Agencies in the Delivery of
Affordable Housing, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: Review report (pdf) | Statement (pdf) | ODPM press release | NHF press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
An interim review found that the restructuring of social rents in England had led to a fairer and more coherent system. But housebuilders warned that rent restructuring could obstruct progress on the government's decent homes target. (Over a ten-year period from April 2002, councils and housing associations were encouraged to set their rents within plus or minus 5 per cent of the levels given by a national formula that reflected property size, location and condition.)
Source: Three-year Review of Rent Restructuring, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 7 July 2004, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Report (pdf) | ODPM press release | NHF press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
Two linked reports examined the current and forecast level of diversification within the housing association sector. The first considered the scale, distribution and profitability of non-social housing activity by housing associations. The second summarised information collected from a selected sample of housing associations relating to the extent of their diversification to date and future plans.
Source: Diversification: Non-social housing activities by housing associations, Sector study 30a, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000) | Diversification: Assessing the effects of the Housing Corporation's policy in regulating a diverse sector, Sector study 30b, Housing Corporation
Links: Report 30a (pdf) | 30a appendices (pdf) | Report 30b (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A think-tank report called for more choice for council tenants and their local authorities over the regeneration and building of social housing. It argued that government policy restricted the choice available to them, by offering funding only for the three options of transferring council homes to non-local authority registered social landlords, arm's-length management organisations, or the private finance initiative.
Source: Janet Sillett, The Right to Choose, Local Government Information Unit, available from Central Books (0845 458 9910)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A document summarised the policy of the Housing Corporation on regeneration and market renewal to help achieve sustainable communities. It set out the definition of regeneration used as it applied to urban, rural and other areas; the outcomes of regeneration; the role of the Corporation in investment and regulation; the need for partnership working; and the role that housing associations could play.
Source: Regeneration and Market Renewal Policy: Adding value to what we have, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A report examined the future potential of black and minority ethnic housing associations. It said that BME associations had a crucial role within housing policy in providing choices for tenants and culturally sensitive services, as well as acting as benchmarks for mainstream associations attempting to make their services more responsive to the needs of BME communities.
Source: Mark Lupton and John Perry, The Future of BME Housing Associations, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: CIH press release | Summary
Date: 2004-Jun
A new (and re-written) edition was published of an introductory text on social housing policy. It reflected all the recent and anticipated changes in housing finance, development, management and the law.
Source: Stephen Harriott and Lesley Matthews, Introducing Social Housing, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Jun
New advice was issued to housing associations on the ways in which they could promote cohesive communities - communities where there was a sense of belonging for all, and where strong relationships were developed between people from different backgrounds in streets and neighbourhoods.
Source: Community Cohesion: iN business for neighbourhoods, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Report (pdf) | NHF press release
Date: 2004-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that the Housing Corporation's relationships with other agencies were not sufficiently defined. Public funds would be better used if the agencies owning the land were brought closer together with public funders to promote mixed-tenure housing schemes. The government needed to clarify the distinct roles played by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation in promoting housing development.
Source: The Role and Effectiveness of the Housing Corporation, Eighth Report (Session 2003-04), HC 401, House of Commons Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Housing Corporation press release
Date: 2004-Jun
A report said that only 18 per cent of local housing authorities studied had developed policies to tackle racial segregation. It said there was evidence that, in a number of northern cities, black and minority ethnic communities had often avoided council housing, even where many of their members were housed in poor-quality privately rented or owner-occupied accommodation.
Source: Harris Beider et al., BME Housing Associations and their involvement in LA stock transfers, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
An all-party group of MPs said that the government's insistence on hiving off public housing to new management bodies was 'undemocratic, unjust and unfair'. It also published a briefing that outlined the economic and political case for direct investment in council housing.
Source: The Case for the Fourth Option' for Council Housing, House of Commons Council Housing Group c/o Austin Mitchell MP (0207 219 4559)
Links: Text of letter (Word file) | Briefing (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
An article examined the evidence concerning the performance of landlords within and between the two social housing sectors (local councils and housing associations) in Great Britain. It considered both the measured performance of landlords in the two sectors and the factors that appeared to influence that performance.
Source: Bruce Walker and Alan Murie, 'The performance of social landlords in Great Britain: What do we know and what does it show?', Housing Studies, Volume 19 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-May
A report evaluated a programme of 27 choice-based lettings pilots. The aim was to examine different approaches to providing choice in different housing market contexts.
Source: Alex Marsh et al., Piloting Choice-Based Lettings: An evaluation, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-May
The government published its response to a Home Ownership Task Force report (published in November 2003). It accepted most of the 45 recommendations. The Task Force looked at ways of helping social tenants and others in housing need into home ownership, while minimising the loss of social housing.
Source: The Government's Response to the Recommendations of the Home Ownership Task Force, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | ODPM press release | Task Force report (pdf) | CML press release
Date: 2004-May
A report said that the Housing Corporation's approach to regulating housing associations was moving in the right direction: but the Corporation needed to focus efforts and challenge more strongly those associations that were failing to improve.
Source: Indepen, Independent Review of Regulation, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Housing Corporation response (pdf) | Housing Corporation press release
Date: 2004-Apr
Researchers reviewed the system for valuing social and council property for the 'right to buy' and examined the reasons for increases in valuation appeals since 1997-98. They concluded that the level of variation in valuations was cause for concern. Although the valuation process appeared straightforward, in practice it was very complex.
Source: Tim Dixon et al., Valuing for Right to Buy, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Apr
An audit report examined the factors that resulted in local authorities significantly improving their housing performance, as judged by inspections.
Source: Improvement Drivers in Local Authority Housing: March 2004, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release
Date: 2004-Mar
Two evaluation reports recorded largely positive results from choice-based letting pilots for social housing: but the weakest part of the pilot activity overall was in the provision of support to vulnerable households.
Source: Piloting Choice-based Lettings: An evaluation, Research Summary 208, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | Applicants Perspectives on Choice-Based Lettings, Research Summary 207, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: Summary 208 (pdf) | Summary 207 (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
An expert working group made proposals for streamlining and improving the stock transfer process in Scotland, and recommended arrangements in two new policy areas: the rules for partial stock transfer, and for access to regeneration funding linked to stock transfer.
Source: Community Ownership Review: Report of the Expert Group, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Feb
The Law Lords ruled that asylum seekers had the right to seek council housing in the area of their choice, once they had been granted the right to settle.
Source: Al-Ameri v Kensington and Chelsea Royal London Borough Council; Osmani v Harrow London Borough Council; Glasgow City Council intervening [2004] UKHL 4, (Session 2003-04), House of Lords Judicial Office (020 7219 3111)
Links: Text of judgement | Law report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
In response to the Audit Commission s strategic plan consultation, the National Housing Federation said that the Commission should have no role in examining the policies, priorities, financial and governance issues that made up the regulatory framework in which housing associations operated. There should be no duplication of roles with the existing regulator, the Housing Corporation.
Source: Press release 12 January 2004, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: NHF press release (pdf) | Audit Commission consultation (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan
A guide set out the key issues that housing authorities needed to consider when deciding whether to retain in-house, or contract out, the delivery of their statutory housing functions following transfer of their stock to other landlords.
Source: Housing Allocation, Homelessness and Stock Transfer: Guide to key issues, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Guidance (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2004-Jan
