Archives for November 2008
Notting Hill Housing to discuss CPHA merger
Notting Hill Housing is set to begin formal merger discussions with Croydon Peoples Housing Association (CPHA), it has been revealed.
Should the talks be successful, CPHA – a community-based organisation that mainly provides housing to black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in south London – will become a part of the Notting Hill group from April 1st 2009.
Kate Davies, chief executive for Notting Hill Housing, said: "This is a welcome decision and is part of Notting Hill’’s growth strategy to build a strong community-based south London subsidiary to deliver new homes and communities that work."
Meanwhile, Akin Adepoju, chair of CPHA, claimed that should the merger go ahead, the BME housing association will have the opportunity to expand upon its delivery of new properties and take steps to improve its services, in news which could be of interest to those who are seeking jobs in housing.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Homes for Islington recently won a prize at the 2008 UK Housing Awards ceremony for its work with Islington council, Sports Activities for Everyone and Arsenal Positive Futures in providing services for young people.
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Housing associations ”concerned about finances”
The Housing Corporation has published the results of its fourth market survey of those working for housing associations, it has been revealed.
Measuring the opinions of people with housing jobs, it was shown that the main area of concern was in relation to problems being caused by the continuing slowdown in the country’’s residential property sector and the difficulties being experienced in the wider credit markets.
As such, it was reported that with concerns about generating finance increasing, only a small number of bodies are looking to raise new debt over the coming year.
Indeed, of the total £5.5 billion that associations are set to drawdown from loan facilities in the next 12 months, some five per cent of it is to be new debt that is yet to be arranged.
Furthermore, housing associations were revealed to have voiced their concerns about the availability of mortgage finances for home purchasers and its impact upon low-cost home ownership sales.
However, the Housing Corporation revealed, that while the short-term outlook for financial markets is turbulent, the longer term picture when raising private funds to build affordable homes "remains positive".
Earlier this week, Alistair Darling, chancellor of the Exchequer, unveiled a £775 million investment into social housing, in a move that is set to thousands of new homes being built.
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Housing Corp signs social housing agreement with ALMO
The Housing Corporation has signed a social housing funding agreement with an arms length management organisation (ALMO) based in the north-west of England, it has been revealed.
Stockport Homes has received some £1.02 million from the corporation to fund the construction of 17 new properties – consisting of a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom bungalows and houses.
It is the first time that the Housing Corporation has made a social housing funding agreement with an ALMO and follows the institutions” decision in 2007 to allow such organisations to bid for funds from its £8.4 billion 2008-11 investment programme.
Steve Douglas, chief executive for the Housing Corporation, said: "The decision to add new players to the corporation’’s investment programme means that we can deliver even more homes."
Work on the homes is expected to be completed in November 2009.
Meanwhile, Helen McHale, chief executive for Stockport Homes, pointed out there is currently a shortage of affordable housing in the Greater Manchester town, in news that might interest those looking for jobs in housing.
Last month, Mr Douglas reported that the corporation is keeping a "close eye" on a number of housing associations that may be beginning to develop problems managing through the credit crunch.
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Darling announces social housing investment
Alistair Darling, chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a multimillion pound investment into social housing.
In yesterday’’s (November 24th) pre-Budget report, Mr Darling reported that some £775 million is to be brought forward to "invest in thousands of new and modernised social homes as well as regeneration projects".
Of such a figure, £150 million is to be invested into the construction of new social housing developments, with £175 million to be ploughed into major repairs.
It was also reported that £250 million is to be placed into the decent homes initiative, in news that might interest those with housing jobs.
However, David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, reported that the government must make sure that such money is used to increase grant rates for housing associations, which could see such organisations being able to build between 35,000 and 40,000 new homes in 2009.
Mr Orr claimed that if this does not happen "associations simply won”t be able to build new social homes next year".
Earlier this month, Steve Douglas, chief executive of the Housing Corporation, told the forthcoming Tenant Services Authority and Homes and Communities Agency that the "need for affordable homes has never been greater".
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Contribution of Welsh housing associations revealed
Housing associations in Wales make a significant contribution to the region’’s overall economy, it has been revealed.
In research conducted on behalf of Community Housing Cymru by the Welsh Economy Research Unit at Cardiff Business School, it was reported that those with such housing jobs contributed some £400 million in 2007-08.
The figures also showed that 1,533 new homes were provided over the course of the year by registered social landlords (RSLs), with more than half of those constructed through social housing grants.
Overall, construction was revealed to be the highest area of expenditure for housing associations in the region, taking up 36.2 per cent of total spending.
Some £89 million – a fifth of overall expenditure – was put towards maintenance and repair work.
Meanwhile, Welsh housing associations were shown to have some 3,000 full-time employees, with a further 8,747 jobs said to be indirectly supported by the housing profession.
Earlier this month, findings from the Department of Communities and Local Government showed that RSLs throughout the country built 4,790 properties in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 20 per cent above figures recorded for the same period in 2007.
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Draft housing strategy praised by Shelter
Shelter has welcomed moves by Boris Johnson to increase social housing in London, it has been revealed.
The charity has commended the mayor of London’’s draft housing strategy which will see about £2 billion invested every year into delivering new homes and improving existing properties.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the household income limit to be eligible for low-cost home ownership schemes is to be raised to £72,000.
In addition, Mr Johnson indicated that a larger number of social rented properties – in particular family-sized homes – are to be built, something which was commended by Adam Sampson, chief executive of Shelter.
Mr Sampson reported with over 53,000 homeless families currently living in temporary accommodation, "the need for more social rented housing in the capital is greater than ever".
"To tackle London’’s housing problem, the priority lies in delivering social homes for those at the very sharp end of the housing crisis," he added.
Such news could interest those searching for housing jobs.
In August, Shelter called on the government to invest the total £8 billion it had planned to spend on housing over the next three years immediately.
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RSLs ”outperform wider building sector with construction of properties”
Registered social landlords (RSLs) are building an increasing amount of properties, it has been reported.
In research carried out by the Department of Communities and Local Government, it was indicated that the three months leading up until the end of September saw RSLs construct a total of 4,790 homes, in news that might interest those looking for jobs in housing.
Such a figure represents a 20 per cent increase on data recorded during the same period of time in 2007, however, it is 18 per cent below properties built over the course of the second quarter of this year.
Overall, RSLs were revealed to have outperformed the wider housebuilding sector as a total of 22,200 new homes were built in the third quarter of this year, the lowest figure recorded since the department began its research in 1980.
Margaret Beckett, minister for housing, said: "We have been clear about the scale of the challenge of our house-building targets in the current economic conditions, but now is not the time to row back on our long-term ambitions."
Findings by the department earlier this month revealed that there is a lower than average amount of social housing based in seaside towns.
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TSA and HCA ”must be innovative”
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) have been called upon to provide innovative ways of working, it has been revealed.
Steve Douglas, chief executive of the Housing Corporation, claimed that the organisations – which will take over from the corporation later this year – may face difficulties in ensuring the provision of quality, affordable homes as the economic crisis continues.
However, he expressed his confidence that in spite of the credit crunch, the HCA and TSA will be able to work effectively with both local and national government bodies to "deliver mixed and successful communities".
Mr Douglas said: "To the agencies and the sector, I urge you to be bold, be innovative."
"It will be tough, but meeting the need for affordable homes has never been greater," he added.
Such news could interest those searching for housing jobs.
Earlier this month, the Housing Corporation reported that typical tenant satisfaction with housing associations for this year stood at 80 per cent, the same figure recorded last year.
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Wales set to receive sustainable homes
Hundreds of eco-friendly homes are to be built in Wales, it has been revealed.
The Welsh Assembly government has pledged some £80 million towards the construction of the properties that are to be built with high environmental specifications.
It was reported that the initiative comes in response to the recent Essex Report that investigated the issue of affordable housing in Wales.
Jocelyn Davies, deputy housing minister, said: "Less than five months after the report was published we are taking action to deliver one of its key recommendations."
She added that the review has encouraged those working for housing associations to provide new properties that are more effective in terms of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency.
"This pilot scheme will help us investigate how we can achieve this on a large scale," Ms Davies reported.
Overall, 400 properties across 22 developments are to be constructed.
Meanwhile, environment minister Jane Davidson reported that planning procedure needs to do more to encourage the use of renewable energy technologies by developers.
In other news, it was recently revealed that Cottsway Housing Association has been given approval to build 40 affordable homes in the Oxfordshire village of Eynsham.
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Satisfaction with housing associations ”consistent”
Tenant satisfaction with housing associations has remained consistent, it has been reported.
In its research of key performance indicators by the Housing Corporation, it was revealed that the average resident contentment stood at 80 per cent. Such a figure remains unchanged from that recorded in 2007.
However, it was shown that there is a 20 per cent difference in satisfaction levels between the ten per cent of housing associations performing most effectively and those deemed to be the worst.
Clare Miller, director of regulation for the Housing Corporation, said: "Whilst we might not expect significant changes in the average national results for tenant satisfaction measures, given the three-year cycle for results, the continuing disparity between the best and worst performers is disappointing."
She added that it will be crucial for housing associations to focus on providing a quality service and their residents” perceptions of landlords ahead of the launch of both the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) later this year, in news might interest those with housing jobs.
Meanwhile, Steve Douglas, chief executive of the Housing Corporation, is to discuss the organisation’’s legacy later this week and is to offer suggestions on how the HCA and TSA may be able to manage through the economic crisis.
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