HA new house starts up by seven per cent

The number of new homes started by housing associations rose in the second quarter to 10,511 new homes, according to figures released by the National Housing Federation. Nearly half the new homes (4,476 properties) were being delivered via Section 106... View Article

Housing squeeze leaves 1.7M families sharing in the PRS

England has just 825 homes for every 1,000 families, following 20 years of its housing stock not keeping pace with demographic changes, according to new analysis published by the Resolution Foundation. In 1991 when records began there were 845 homes... View Article

U-turns on Universal Credit welcomed

A softening of the Government’s welfare programme to alleviate its impact on low-income families has been welcomed by campaigners, but further changes are being demanded. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd revealed plans to scrap extending a benefits cap on... View Article

Grenfell Tower inquiry goes into year-long hibernation

The public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower disaster will rarely sit this year, with campaigners worried that the momentum for radical reforms to housing safety, building regulations and tenants’ protection could fade and disappear as time passes. The first stage... View Article

Ban on sale of fire doors lifted

A ban on the sale of composite fire doors has been lifted after talks between the Government and industry representatives resulted in agreement over a new set of compliance standards. The ban was originally imposed after it emerged that fire... View Article

Housing association mergers continue apace

The trend for social landlords to grow through mergers has continued as the pressures to reduce operating costs and to increase the building of more affordable homes persists. In the west midlands Bromford has completed a merger with Severn Vale... View Article

Councils charged £1 billion for temporary accommodation

Local authorities are being “ripped off” by private landlords taking advantage of a housing shortage, by charging almost £1 billion for temporary accommodation provided for homeless households. Research by The Guardian newspaper and the housing charity Shelter found that English... View Article

Right to Buy ends in Wales

The legal right for Welsh council tenants to buy their homes at a substantial discount has come to an end. The Right to Buy was first introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s government almost 40 years ago and since then more than... View Article

Mears snaps up its former R&M business rival

Mitie has sold its social housing business which provides repairs and maintenance work to more than 30 landlords, to Mears in a deal believed to be worth up to £35m. It is understood that Mears will pay an initial £22.5m... View Article

Homeless deaths ‘shocking and shameful’ says CIH

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics revealed there were an estimated 597 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales in 2017, a figure that has increased by 24 per cent over the last five years. Chartered Institute... View Article

One in 10 rentals in England being advertised unlawfully

Research by the National Housing Federation and Shelter shows at least one in 10 rental properties in England is being advertised unlawfully by discriminating against people who rely on housing benefit to pay their rent. Analysis of around 86,000 letting adverts... View Article

Tenants get far less Government subsidy than homeowners

Homeowners get a much bigger slice of Government help than renters, whether they are social or private tenants, according to a report published by the Chartered Institute of Housing. Contrary to widespread beliefs, an analysis of Whitehall spending, taxation and... View Article

Student rents jump as accommodation goes upmarket

The average price of student accommodation in the UK has jumped by nearly a third in the last six years, with campaigners warning of an affordability problem. The increase has been driven by the standard of accommodation shifting steadily upmarket,... View Article