Archives for May 2009
Droitwich Spa housing development ”nears completion”
Work on an affordable housing development in Worcestershire is nearing completion.
Carried out by the Festival Housing Group, Droitwich Spa is set to benefit from a number of two-bedroom houses and a bungalow.
Located on Rose Avenue and Stalls Farm Road, the homes are available on an affordable rent basis, those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear.
Built to level three of the code for sustainable homes, the properties incorporate condensing boilers and solar panels.
Clare Huyton, executive director for Spa Housing Association, which forms part of the Festival Housing Group, tells the Droitwich Spa Advertiser: "We are very proud to be building these new properties in Droitwich Spa. Festival are doing all they can to meet the needs of local residents and aim to create successful communities which thrive in these difficult times."
Meanwhile, it was revealed that Lovell is set to start work next month on a £5 million affordable housing project in Merthyr Tydfil.
For the latest housing jobs – http://www.myhousingcareer.com/vacancies/search
Shelter: Affordable housing needs to be crux of elections
The issue of affordable housing needs to be a key consideration in the upcoming local election, Shelter suggests.
With the election taking place on June 4th, the charity is calling for candidates to ensure housing forms an integral part of their manifesto, while voters are being encouraged to elect those politicians which will promise to tackle this issue.
This is of particular relevance in Oxfordshire, those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear, as Shelter points out that work on a total of 300 social homes were started in 2007-08.
However, just under 14,000 households are currently on the council’’s housing waiting list.
Karen Stalbow, regional campaigns officer for Shelter, states: "We know that voters in Oxfordshire are struggling with high housing costs and their families” lives are affected by the lack of affordable housing in their area."
She adds that in a time where housebuilding is in a severe state of decline, there is a pressing need for councils to make increasing the provision of affordable homes and restarting work on stalled projects a high priority.
Earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians called for the establishment of a large-scale social home scheme to help return confidence to the housebuilding sector.
Register to save your searches – https://www.myhousingcareer.com/account/register
Scottish affordable housing construction highest since 2001
A record number of affordable homes were completed in Scotland over the course of last year, those looking for jobs in housing may be interested to hear.
Data released by Scotland’’s Chief Statistician reveal that a total of 6,221 properties available on a low-cost home ownership or rental basis were completed in 2008-09, the highest annual figure recorded for some eight years.
It was also revealed that the government completed 336 council homes last year, in comparison to the six built during the previous administration’’s time in office.
Alex Neil, minister for housing and communities, states: "At a time when private housing completions are declining, it is encouraging to see that new affordable housing provision is at its highest level since 2001."
He adds that the government is looking to build a record 8,100 affordable homes over the course of this year, a plan which is being backed by some £644 million in funding made available from the Scottish Government’’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme.
Such news could be particularly welcomed by Shelter as the charity recently called on the government to bring forward expenditure on the construction of affordable housing in order to reserve the overall decline seen in the housebuilding sector.
For the latest housing jobs – http://www.myhousingcareer.com/vacancies/search
Affordable home plans submitted in Scotland
Plans to build a number of affordable homes in Aberdeen have been submitted.
Langstane Housing Association has put forward proposals to construct some 35 flats on the site of the Copper Beech pub which was destroyed by fire in 2008.
The proposals incorporate a mixture of one and two-bedroom flats in addition to parking space for tenants, those with housing jobs may be interested to hear.
"We intend to develop the site for rented housing. There is a great need in the city for this kind of social housing and the Copper Beech is an ideal site," Alan Grant, chief executive for the housing association, tells the Press and Journal.
He adds that if Langstane is given the green light for the project, funding would have to be secured, which could take several months.
The news comes as the Scottish Government unveiled earlier this month that it plans to reduce the Housing Association Grant benchmark by £1,000 per unit, a move the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations claims could create problems when starting work on new housing developments.
Register to save your searches – https://www.myhousingcareer.com/account/register
Shelter calls for more affordable homes to be built
The government is being called upon to do more to provide affordable housing.
Speaking in response to government figures revealing that construction on a total of 133,710 homes was started in the 12-month period ending March 31st – just over half of its annual 240,000 target – Shelter is demanding that more investment in affordable homes is required.
Krista Blair, regional campaign officer for the charity, states that just 1,510 affordable properties have been built in the east Midlands over the past 12 months.
However, with more than 136,500 households on council housing waiting lists in the area – in addition to rising repossession and unemployment rates – Shelter claims that some 8,000 affordable homes needed to be provided in the region each year.
And although those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear that the government has promised to plough more than £8 billion into the delivery of 185,000 affordable properties, Ms Blair claims quicker action is needed.
"The money is already there, but we now need ministers to accelerate spending immediately and begin reversing the damaging decline in housebuilding," she states.
Meanwhile, former Shelter chief executive claimed in April that the Conservatives have rightly recognised that the current housing crisis has come from a "systemic failure" to build enough homes.
For the latest housing jobs – http://www.myhousingcareer.com/vacancies/search
Banks ”prejudiced against shared-ownership home purchasers”
Banks” prejudice is proving to be of detriment to the social housing sector, a leading organisation claims.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) states that many banks are refusing to lend money to first-time buyers and key workers looking to purchase shared ownership homes as they believe these are likely to result in sub-prime deals.
Consequently, an estimated £500 million of what the NHF claims is valid business on shared ownership properties was turned down, those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear, meaning that some 9,000 low-cost homes were left vacant.
"Lenders are now reluctant to provide mortgages for shared ownership, because of a prejudiced assumption that its buyers – people on low and moderate incomes – are more likely to default on their mortgages," David Orr, NHF chief executive, claims.
As such, he claims thousands of low-income households are being denied the chance to part-purchase a home despite the fact that they have a good credit rating.
Meanwhile, the federation claimed that although the government announced in last month’’s Budget that £1 billion will be invested into kick-starting the housing market, greater investment is required as it called for 100,000 new social homes to be built over the next two years.
Register to save your searches – https://www.myhousingcareer.com/account/register
Merthyr Tydfil affordable housing project due for June start
Work on a new affordable housing development in Wales is set to get underway next month, it has been reported.
Lovells will begin construction on the multimillion pound housing project in Merthyr Tydfil from June which will see a mixture of properties available on a shared ownership and rental basis built.
Worth a total of £5 million, the scheme – which is being carried out in partnership with Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association – will see 35 houses and two bungalows for people with special needs constructed, those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear.
"The scheme will provide 37 units of much needed affordable housing for the local area. We are committed to the regeneration of communities and are very much looking forward to this exciting development," commented Karen Dusgate, chief executive of Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association.
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Dacorum borough council’’s development control committee has given the go-ahead for a number of garages in Hemel Hempstead to be demolished to make way for affordable housing.
For the latest housing jobs – http://www.myhousingcareer.com/vacancies/search
Affordable housing given green light in Hemel Hempstead
Work on a new affordable housing development is set to get underway in Hertfordshire, it has been revealed.
Dacorum borough council’’s development control committee has given the green light for a block of garages in Hemel Hempstead to be transformed into a number of new residential properties, those with jobs in housing may be interested to hear.
With work set to be carried out by Hightown Praetorian and Churches Housing Association, some 39 garages on Mimas Road will be demolished with six new homes going up in their place, the Hemel Gazette reports.
Speaking in support of the plans, councillor Derek Townsend states: "I am very happy for this to go ahead. It’’s making good use of the space."
Earlier this month, it was revealed that Notting Hill Housing had purchased a £7.6 million plot of land which it plans to offer a mixture of shared ownership and affordable rented homes.
Register to save your searches – https://www.myhousingcareer.com/account/register
Grant changes ”could impact on new builds in Scotland”
Funding changes by the Scottish Government could cause work on new-build residential projects to be delayed.
In news that could interest those with jobs in housing, the government has unveiled plans to reduce the Housing Association Grant (HAG) benchmark by £1,000 per unit, just months after HAG levels were raised by an average of six per cent.
Such a move, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) claims, could help to exacerbate problems starting work on new developments, particularly when the current economic climate is taken into account.
"The SFHA recognises that we need to get the most from the public pound, but these changes will delay many projects, put some back to the drawing board and create extra red tape," claims Jacqui Watt, chief executive of the federation, adding that projects to build new homes in rural areas could particularly suffer.
Last month, however, the government reported it is to double investment in the construction of social housing in the country to £50 million
For the latest housing jobs – http://www.myhousingcareer.com/vacancies/search
HCA publishes cavity wall guidance
New guidance for those with jobs in housing has been released with regards to cavity wall insulation, it has emerged.
Published by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), social landlords are being advised on how to bid for a part of the £84 million Social Housing Energy Saving Programme (SHESP) funding package unveiled in the Budget to help insulate homes.
The agency points out that bidders wanting to apply for funding must look to insulate a minimum of 1,000 homes and that such properties must meet at least category 3 insulation (hard to fill).
Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, points out: "This funding is in addition to our existing Decent Homes programme and will empower social landlords to continue improving existing social homes and meet the needs of their communities."
Delivering over a two-year period, SHESP will work on at least 130,000 difficult-to-insulate properties.
In a June 2007 report the English House Condition Survey revealed that more than three-quarters of social housing have cavity insulated walls, in comparison to two-thirds of private homes.
Register to save your searches – https://www.myhousingcareer.com/account/register