Archives for January 2010
Social housing association praised for repairs
A social housing association has been praised for its efficient repair system.
The Audit Commission hailed Stadium Housing Association for its "helpful service" when it comes to those in social housing jobs making amends and renovations to faulty areas of tenants” homes through annual check-up visits.
Residents are "very happy" with this, the report said.
Also praised was the helpfulness and efficiency of Stadium’’s staff’’s telephone manner and the fact that residents were able to impart their views and have an effect on repairs services.
In accordance with this, the Audit Commission is recommending that Stadium carry out a gas safety check-up at all tenants” homes, as well as continuing to take their views into account when it came to making changes to the repair service.
The report also acknowledged that the housing association was set to improve areas the Commission felt it could work on, including ensuring customer calls are dealt with at the first point of contact.
The Audit Commission earlier praised the Wandle Housing Association for its social housing scheme.
Professionals in planning jobs ”facing heavier workloads”
People in planning jobs could be overwhelmed by work when new regulations relating to the private rented sector come into force, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).
Housing minister John Healy recently announced that landlords will have to apply for planning permission before converting a family home into a property for use as shared accommodation.
The measure is part of new regulations, scheduled to be introduced in April 2010, which are designed to give local authorities the tools needed to effectively manage the growth in the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO).
NLA chairman David Salusbury said the regulations ignored the role shared accommodation plays in coping with the shortage of affordable housing in many areas.
With demand for such properties set to remain high, he warned that making it necessary for landlords to obtain planning permission for conversions is likely to have a major impact on those in planning jobs.
"We can expect local authority planning departments to be swamped under increasing workloads owing to these new measures," said Mr Salusbury.
Councils which try to restrict the number of HMOs in the area are also likely to see demand for social housing rise, he added.
Hughes seeking changes to town planning policy
The role of people in town planning jobs could change if Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes gets his way.
Mr Hughes has proposed an amendment to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which would allow local authorities greater freedom to choose how money from building developments is spent.
The MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey wants to give councils the option of spending the money on new social housing or improving the condition of existing housing stock.
At present council officials are required to allocate money received from building developments to infrastructure projects, but Mr Hughes does not think that is an effective use of the funds.
"The current planning system is outdated. It is ludicrous that councils are forced to use money from local developments to improve flowerbeds when there is a real need to improve local housing," he said.
Mr Hughes believes his private members bill, which will be debated on Friday, would benefit both local people who need social housing and developers.
Those working in planning jobs already face the prospect of adapting to new regulations, as housing minister John Healy recently announced that from April 2010 landlords will need to apply for planning permission when converting a property for use as shared accommodation.
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HCA issues record £27m grant to social housing project
A £1 billion social housing scheme is set to get underway after a record cash injection from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
Woodberry Down in Hackney will be home to a giant regeneration project which is designed to produce 167 social houses, with an additional 60 for shared occupation, in a scheme which could potentially create socially housing jobs.
This is just the first stage of the project, which is hoped to produce 4,500 affordable homes eventually.
It has been made possible after a £27 million grant from the HCA.
This, drawn from the National Affordable Housing Programme, is the biggest grant ever issued by the body for housing and regeneration.
The work – which is set to be completed by 2013 – will be carried out by Berkley Homes, under the social landlordship of the Genesis Housing Group.
Earlier this week the HCA provided £533,000 in funding to kickstart a stalled housing project in King’’s Lynn in Norfolk.
Councils to work with social housing jobs to tackle over-occupation
Local authorities have today been granted more powers to work alongside those in social housing jobs to enable a more even distribution of tenants across rented homes.
Housing minister John Healey announced that councils would be given more support to tackle the problem of houses in multiple occupation which has been said to be a problem in recent years.
The initiative is aimed at challenging unscrupulous landlords who pack too many people into homes.
"Private landlords play a big part in meeting the housing needs of millions so I want to raise the standards and stamp out the worst landlords that drag down the reputation of the rest," he added.
Mr Healey also announced the creation of a new National Landlords Register, which will allow tenants access to details and information about their potential landlords which could help them make their decisions about where to live.
The announcement comes after a consultation document which closed on August 7th last year and drew over 900 responses from councillors, individuals, housing associations and members of parliament.
Stalled social housing project enabled through grant
Work has begun on a stalled social housing development in Norfolk after a £533,000 grant from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
The funding, part of the HCA’’s Kickstart programme, was given to the Taylor Wimpey site in King’’s Lynn which is expected to deliver 150 homes – 45 of those social rents.
This housing development was taken through to the final stage after planning permission was granted in November 2007 but work had not been begun since then due to the recession.
East of England’’s regional director for the HCA Terry Fuller said the move demonstrated the organisation’’s commitment to working with those in social housing jobs.
"This development is back on track and more people in the region will have the opportunity to live in a new home that they can afford," he added
Kickstart is a £1 billion government-backed programme run by the HCA to inject cash into social and affordable housing projects.
It recently went towards a housing development in Surrey, granting it £4.23 million to create 28 extra homes.
Campaign for help and support extended
Owners struggling with affordable housing may be given a boost today with the announced extension of the government’’s campaign to reduce repossession rates.
Housing minister John Healey said the initiative, which is designed to improve awareness of the advice and support available to those having trouble paying their mortgages and home debts off, would continue in an effort by parliament to lower rates of foreclosure on homes.
Local authorities in high-risk areas would also be given an extra influx of support to help homeowners in their constituencies cope with the situation.
"With the pressure on homeowners set to continue this year, I”m determined that they get the help they need," Mr Healey added.
The government claims that its website for the campaign has been visited by almost 88,000 people since its launch in September – with 17,000 of those having visited in 2010.
The website offers options depending on different situations, including imminent repossessions or court appearances.
Social housing project has benefitted families, report finds
A social housing project backed by the government has "made progress", the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.
Over one million homes have been improved through the Decent Homes programme, the NAO head Amyas Morse has said, adding that "the families living in those properties will be enjoying the benefits".
However, he went on to say that areas the government should focus on included finding a good financial balance within the programme with a "reliable funding mechanism".
It is estimated that 92 per cent of affordable homes would be up to a decent standard by the end of 2010, those in social housing jobs may be interested to note, with an expected 100 per cent success rate by 2018.
This is off the government’’s original estimate, however, meaning that the programme will be delivered later than expected.
Housing minister John Healey announced on Wednesday (January 20th) that councils have been allocated more funding for their housing schemes, allowing tenants more freedom and flexibility when it comes to finding somewhere to live.
Social housing jobs given thumbs-up in Sutton Housing Partnership
One social housing organisation has received a positive report from inspectors.
Sutton Housing Partnership, which is the arms-length housing management organisation for Sutton Council, received two out of three stars from the Audit Commission today (January 21st).
The commission’’s lead house inspector Hugh Boatswain said that although it needed to engage further with its residents, improvements were quickly implemented and the service’’s good points were outweighing its bad.
"Risks are being managed and minimised and the organisation is improving its approach to value for money. Strong leadership and performance management are also driving improvements," he added.
The commission found the partnership particularly good at letting and repairing homes quickly, along with tackling anti-social behaviour.
Areas it will now be focusing on include rent arrears and involving tenants to their satisfaction.
The Audit Commission is a non-government watchdog, charged with increasing accountability of public services.
Social housing jobs ”to tackle anti-social behaviour”
Recruitment has begun for those in social housing jobs to form a team which will work with social landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has formed a partnership with the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) to ensure residents of social homes feel safe in their communities.
Abigail Davies, head of policy at CIH, said handling dangerous situations was unfortunately becoming part of common practice for those in housing jobs – which was why the new initiative had come into play.
"Feeling safe and secure in your home is hugely important for any resident," she added.
"This new initiative will provide new opportunities for the sector to learn and improve professional practice over the next two years."
Those seeking social housing jobs could be in luck in the coming years as the government continues with its drive to build more council homes in the largest planning scheme in nearly two decades.
