Archives for November 2009
Tenants ‘’struggling to stay afloat”
Many UK households are struggling to keep up with their financial commitments, according to a new report.
A study conducted by Shelter and the Money Advice Trust (MAT) has shown that 1.3 million low-income families in rented accommodation are finding it hard or falling behind with their repayments as a result of the recession, those with housing jobs could be interested to hear.
The results, which were gathered as part of a YouGov survey, also show that four in ten people feel their health and wellbeing has been adversely affected.
Entitled Taking the Strain: The Private Rented Sector and the Recession, the report also shows those in housing jobs are under pressure.
In fact, it demonstrated that 41 per cent of landlords are either struggling sometimes or in constant financial difficulty.
Commenting on the findings, Joanna Elson, chief executive of MAT, said: "It is clearly a matter of concern that so many tenants and landlords are facing financial difficulties and don”t know where to turn."
Earlier this month, Shelter welcomed Council of Mortgage Lenders figures pointing to a stabilisation in repossessions numbers, but said more needs to be done to stop people losing their homes.
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Councils ”need help in making empty homes available”
Local authorities need more assistance in helping to tackle the nation’’s housing crisis.
Such is the assertion of Kay Boycott, director of policy and campaigns for Shelter, who points out that although councils have the necessary legal powers to get properties that have been left vacant for long periods of time back into use, they lack the financial resources to actually go ahead with this.
However, those with jobs in housing may be interested in her point that making empty homes available once more will not be enough in answering the property challenges currently facing Britain.
"There is no substitute for the government building the urgently needed new affordable housing that the country needs," Ms Boycott states.
Comments from the housing charity director follow a recent study by Halifax indicating that there were a total of 303,285 long-term empty homes in England in April 2008, the largest number to have been recorded for five years.
Calls for affordable housing increase
There needs to be an increase in affordable housing in rural areas in order to keep village communities alive.
Such is the assertion of Martin Collett, operations director for the English Rural Housing Association, who points out that house price growth in many village areas has meant local residents are often unable to purchase them.
He states that as people move away from such areas in the search for affordable housing and rural shops and pubs close due to a lack of residents working and supporting such businesses, there is a "very real danger" that traditional country life will disappear.
Mr Collett points out that the social landlord organisation supports the National Housing Federation’’s (NHF) campaign for local authorities to understand more about the needs of rural communities and taking further steps in providing affordable properties, something that could interest those with housing jobs.
Indeed, recent research by the NHF showed 62 per cent of people living in rural communities believe that there is a shortage of affordable housing in their area.
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Affordable housing concerns revealed
People in rural parts of Britain hold concerns about the availability of housing, a new study indicates.
Research carried out by ICM on behalf of the National Housing Federation (NHF) shows that around two-thirds of those living in the countryside believe that there is a shortage of affordable properties in their area.
It was also revealed that there are some 750,000 people currently on the waiting list for affordable homes in rural England.
However, those with jobs in housing could be interested to hear that 66 per cent of those questioned would be in favour of greater construction of such homes where they live.
NHF chief executive David Orr points out that in an effort to prevent traditional village life from disappearing, councils need to "properly assess the true extent of rural housing need – at village level – and draw up action plans to deliver the new homes so desperately needed".
In comments made in September, Richard Diment, director general of the Federation of Master Builders, pointed out that the government needs to overhaul the planning process in order to prioritise the delivery of affordable homes in rural areas.
Housing associations ”to benefit from new crime-fighting measures”
Government proposals to do more in the fight against anti-social behaviour have been praised.
Commenting as it was revealed some £10 million in extra assistance will be used to help councils and landlords to solve problems in their community, the National Housing Federation (NHF) states the investment will prove to be beneficial to those with jobs in housing.
"No one should be forced to live in constant fear of crime and harassment – and we welcome any measures which will effectively help to tackle the scourge of anti-social behaviour," NHF chief executive David Orr claims.
He adds that housing associations are "at the forefront" of combating such crime and have come up with numerous innovate solutions to achieve this.
Under the programme, communities will be given guidance on how to report instances of anti-social behaviour and create projects to engage with young people.
Recipients will also be given extra training for frontline staff such as neighbourhood wardens to tackle problems facing their community.
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Shelter ”calls for greater housing investment”
More needs to be done to ensure a sufficient level of homes are built, it has been suggested.
Shelter director of policy and campaigns Kay Boycott points out that "demand is far outstripping supply" as government figures reveal the number of completed properties over the past 12 months has fallen 21 per cent to stand at around 122,000,
Indeed, those with jobs in housing could be interested in her point that over 1.7 million households are currently on council accommodation waiting lists, as some 250,000 new households are formed each year.
And although she praised recent moves by Labour to kickstart work on stalled housing projects, she states that both the present government and any future administrations "must find ways of making investment in housing a top priority to ensure future generations have a decent affordable home".
"Failing to build enough homes means we are storing up social and economic problems for decades," she adds.
Earlier this month, the housing charity urged the East of England Regional Assembly to focus on the number of affordable properties built as the authority drew up plan housing over the next 20 years.
Housing guidance for landlords published
Landlords are to receive new assistance in tackling the issue of overcrowded social housing.
In guidance published by the Homelessness Action Team, those with housing jobs are advised on areas such as making effective use of existing space for overcrowded households and reviewing allocations schemes.
News of the publication comes as it is suggested some 554,000 properties in England are overcrowded, with around half of these in the social housing sector.
Furthermore, the organisation – which is jointly managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) – offers assistance in tackling the issue of under-occupied properties.
Indeed, Tim Gray, project manager for the Homelessness Action Team, stated there are twice as many under-occupied homes in the social housing sector as overcrowded households.
"We”re encouraging social housing landlords to look at their current allocation schemes and identify where tenants who might be under occupying large homes can move into smaller social housing properties," he pointed out.
Meanwhile, National Housing Federation chief executive David Orr recently praised the TSA for taking steps to address a number of key issues facing the social housing sector.
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Aberdeen affordable housing scheme opens
An innovative affordable housing development has been opened in Scotland, it has been revealed.
The 42-property shared ownership scheme, located in the Stoneywood area of Aberdeen, is the first in Scotland to have been constructed without any government funding.
Consisting of 35 two-bedroom flats available for shared ownership and seven two-bedroom flats for midmarket rent, the Grampian Housing Association development was officially opened by Scottish housing minister Alex Neil.
Mr Neil claimed that the government is keen for those with jobs in housing to "develop innovative and sustainable funding models that support the creation of housing developments in local areas across Scotland".
Alan Moat, chief executive of the housing association, added out that the "pioneering project" could prove to be an effective model of meeting the Scottish government’’s target to build 21,500 affordable homes by 2011.
Last month, it was revealed that work on a 26-property affordable housing development in the Craigmillar district of Edinburgh had begun.
Kickstart scheme kicks off
Construction work on the government’’s Kickstart housing project has begun.
With the initiative aimed at getting stalled projects back on track, housing minister John Denham put the first spade into the 281-property Yarn Street development in Leeds yesterday (November 16th).
Mr Healey pointed out that work is starting once more at Yarn Street just five weeks after the green light for funding the project was given, those with housing jobs could be interested to hear.
"Because of our Kickstart programme, there are over a hundred other sites across the country getting ready to start again, beginning work on the homes our country needs," he claimed.
Earlier this month, the minister indicated that with some 150 projects across the country benefiting from Kickstart funding, 5,000 of the homes that are now set to be built over the coming weeks will be made available as affordable housing.
He added that the investment comes as a "rapid response to the recession" and will not only help to increase accommodation supply but also create more jobs.
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Boosting housing supply ”is crucial”
The supply of affordable housing must increase, according to the new chair of the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit.
Peter Williams, who was recently appointed the interim chair of the organisation by the Department for Communities and Local Government, states that ensuring there is an adequate number of social homes and other types of housing is "critical", both on a local and national scale.
Taking over the housing job from outgoing chair Steve Nickell, Mr Williams claims that all decisions on building residential property needs to be "informed by clear and impartial evidence".
"We need more homes and although some might disagree, current and future generations will not thank us if we step back from that task," he points out.
Those on the search for housing jobs could be interested to hear the Homes and Communities Agency recently revealed it is to fund the construction of 117,125 homes by the end of March 2011.
