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Nationwide Windows hosts informative fire door seminar for social housing professionals

Friday, 25th October 2019

To coincide with the launch of its latest product, Nationwide Windows held informative CPD-accredited seminars on fire doors at the Draycote Hotel in Rugby on 18 and 19 September. ‘The future of fire doors’ was one of a series of... View Article

Report finds direct payments effective in curbing rent arrears

Friday, 25th October 2019

Private landlords are calling for payments of housing benefit to be made directly to them as the best way of preventing rent arrears and evictions. A report from the Smith Institute, commissioned by Southwark Council has found that direct payments... View Article

Wates celebrates extension of its Birmingham housing repairs contract

Friday, 25th October 2019

Housing contractor Wates Living Space is celebrating a multi-million pound extension to its repairs and maintenance work to 31,000 homes for Birmingham City Council. Over the past three years, its work for the council has included 338,578 housing repairs completed,... View Article

CIH Scotland welcomes energy efficiency regulations for the private sector

Friday, 25th October 2019

The Scottish Government is preparing to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately rented homes of EPC band E at change of tenancy from April 2020 and EPC band D at change of tenancy from April 2022. A consultation... View Article

Government consults on reducing sprinkler height threshold for high-rise blocks

Friday, 25th October 2019

Ministers have launched a consultation on proposals to reduce the height of new high-rise blocks of flats where water sprinkler systems need to be installed as a legal requirement. The consultation closes on 28 November. It is also seeking views... View Article

Number of empty homes rises by 11,000 properties nationally

Friday, 25th October 2019

The number of empty homes across the country rose significantly last year, increasing by more than five per cent as nearly 11,000 long-term empty homes were added to the total. The rate of increase was double the rise in 2017.... View Article

A third of claimants left ‘with only £100 a month to live on’

Friday, 25th October 2019

The freeze on welfare benefits has left more than a third of claimants with less than £100 a month to live on after they have paid rent and essential bills for food, gas and electricity, according to the Citizens Advice... View Article

Regulator acts against Kent councils over safety failings

Friday, 25th October 2019

The Regulator of Social Housing has found that four councils in Kent had breached the Home Standard over a number of health and safety issues found throughout their homes. The RSH issued Regulatory Judgements against Thanet, Dover, Canterbury and Folkestone... View Article

Kent council tackles drug dealing at properties as it cracks down on anti-social behaviour

Friday, 25th October 2019

Ashford Borough Council has successfully applied for court orders at three separate properties which have all been associated with persistent drug use and anti-social behaviour. It is the first time that the council has brought three cases in one day... View Article

Grenfell Tower inquiry – first phase report to be published

Friday, 25th October 2019

The outcome of the first phase of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire will be published at the end of October. The report is expected to limit itself to the events that occurred on the night of 14 June... View Article

Stable financial position despite weak sales reported for social housing sector

Friday, 25th October 2019

The latest quarterly survey from the Regulator of Social Housing shows that the sector’s overall strong financial position has been maintained despite weakening sales performance and concerns over increased safety costs. The regulator found the HA sector has access to... View Article

Number of homeless deaths at highest level

Friday, 25th October 2019

A record number of homeless people died last year on the streets or in emergency shelters and hostels according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics. An estimated 726 homeless people died in England and Wales in 2018,... View Article

Big fall in number of vulnerable people sleeping rough is linked to Government initiative

Friday, 25th October 2019

The Government is claiming it’s Rough Sleeping Initiative is having a significant impact on reducing the numbers of vulnerable people sleeping rough on the country’s streets. New analysis (which was independently peer reviewed by Bryson Purdon Social Research, an independent... View Article

RTB sales fall to their lowest level in six years

Friday, 25th October 2019

The number of council homes sold to tenants under the statutory Right to Buy scheme has fallen to its lowest level for six years according to Government statistics. Councils sold 2,313 homes under the scheme in the three months from... View Article

Housing body says poor people are being denied access to social homes

Friday, 25th October 2019

Rules and processes designed to decide who gets access to social housing could be failing people in the greatest need, according to new research from the Chartered Institute of Housing. In ‘Rethinking Allocations’, CIH policy and practice officer Faye Greaves... View Article

Waiting for Universal Credit fuels poverty and food bank use

Friday, 25th October 2019

Ministers have been asked to overhaul the Universal Credit system after fresh claims that the built-in five week wait for payments is causing poverty and increased food bank use. The main food bank charity, the Trussell Trust, are claiming the... View Article

Government launches ‘shared ownership’ right to buy for HA tenants

Friday, 25th October 2019

The Government has revealed it wants to give housing association tenants the right to buy shares in their homes under proposals outlined at the Conservative Party Conference. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced that tenants should have the right to purchase... View Article

Hyde spends £17m on fixing Grenfell-type property faults

Friday, 25th October 2019

One of the country’s largest social landlords, Hyde has reported that it spent almost £17 million in its last full year on fixing faults identified during fire safety checks. The association owns 50,000 homes, many of them in London and... View Article

Senior appointments strengthen HKS’s London hospitality offer

Friday, 25th October 2019

Leading hospitality interior designers Su Doggett and Carl Simmonds have joined the London studio of global architectural practice HKS as Principal and Director – Hospitality Interiors and Design Director Hospitality Interiors respectively. This marks a significant step for HKS, introducing... View Article

Slow progress in removing Grenfell-style ACM cladding revealed

Friday, 25th October 2019

More than 160 residential tower blocks covered in aluminium composite cladding have yet to see any removal work begin on them, despite more than two years having passed since the Grenfell Tower fire. The slow rate of progress is frustrating... View Article