Beever and Struthers’ Post

The Centre for Ageing Better has recently released a research report that can be used as a helpful guide for local authorities interested in expanding their financial support for home improvements. Ageing Better commissioned Foundations to investigate how local authorities provide financial assistance to individuals who want to change their homes, despite the difficult public budget situation. See further report details by following the link: https://lnkd.in/dPiXfGcx #UK #News #Research #LocalGovernment #Finance #Housing #HomeAdaptations

Market Failure! HA Finances Constrained: "The accounts for 2023/24 show a sector that is facing constrained finances, with many seeing reduced financial capacity and declining interest cover. The Regulator of Social Housing has been issuing repeated warnings about the situation. Just last week it said the sector’s weakening financial position “continues to intensify” with “very little margin for error.”" I am keen to understand the impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 and proposed additional measures in the CSR on HA confidence and ability to fully engage with the need to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes.

For housing associations preparing for the possibility of financial crisis "...being as transparent as you can be with your funders, with your regulator, with your advisors is really key," Lucy Grimwood points out in Inside Housing(£). #SocialHousing #HousingAssociations https://lnkd.in/erJ2qE2T

A new era of consumer regulation has begun, and a small amount of clarity around rents and other policy areas has emerged from government. As a new financial year begins, Social Housing editor Sarah Williams rounds up the month’s key stories. https://lnkd.in/eJptX9sS #UKhousing #HousingFinance #HousingAssociations

This headline from RSH prompted a rewatch of the superb 2011 film Margin Call that accurately portrayed the 2008 #bankingcrash whilst observing the culture, moral conflicts and behaviours. To paraphrase the great acting of Jeremy Irons, we can’t cheat, so who will be first or bank on being smarter? Irons should have won an Oscar. His other great line, “we just can’t help ourselves” gets to the heart of why 2008 is going to happen again. Not the precise same cause as then, but debt bubbles are set to burst with similar impacts on us all. There is more than double the debt in the global finance system this time around and economic growth is weaker with many more geopolitical threats and trade friction. If the music stops again, we need to think about the refrain- ‘strong liquidity’ in the #socialhousing sector. The #bondmarkets keep rising and a Sep CPI +1% rent settlement for #housingassociations adds to the rent cap pressures. There is now much less discretionary spend in the #businessplan to use as mitigation too. With more reinvestment calls to come (#DH2 #AwaabsLaw #StockConditionSurvey catch-ups). It’s never been more important to dynamically stress test, think and rethink plans. What are the break points and (realistically) how can they be mitigated to remain viable in the long run? Remember, no cheating now! https://lnkd.in/eUi_4uXt Be First Be Smarter Or Cheat

Join us at the Social Housing Finance Conference and learn more about Fitch's approach to rating UK Housing Providers. https://ow.ly/TJpz50R7mhc #socialhousing #publicfinance #HousingFinance

Social Housing analysis has found that housing associations reported a surplus of £125.3m in the last full year of financial reports. Chloe Stothart and Keith Cooper report, speaking to Steve Simkins and Katy Taylor of Isio, and Mike Richardson of LCP. https://lnkd.in/ehKUGEvw #UKhousing #HousingFinance #HousingAssociations

The City of Edmonton needs a Financial Task Force, and BOMA Edmonton would like to help make that happen. We appreciate City of Edmonton leaders’ intentions to work towards greater fiscal responsibility and long-term sustainability. The recent 159-page Financial and Corporate Services Fiscal Gap Report presented to Executive on October 9, 2024 assesses the factors contributing to budget shortfalls. See pages 153-54 for the report's eleven recommendations: https://lnkd.in/gYabtEuk BOMA Edmonton is calling on the City of Edmonton to establish a Financial Task Force. Prompted by a downtown tax shift in 2015-2019, the City of Calgary established a Financial Task Force that included external experts with significant experience in public policy, business strategy, and finance to help Calgary tackle the issue head on, and many other challenges related to city finances. The Task Force met regularly from September 2019 to June 2020 and put forward 35 recommendations that were approved by Council in June 2020. Read more about the Financial Task Force and their recommendations here: https://lnkd.in/gids6Jv4 BOMA Edmonton recommends that the City of Edmonton follow suit with a Financial Task Force that has a clear scope and deliverables tailored to our city. Edmonton is facing similar challenges to those Calgary has faced. It makes sense in critical moments to borrow good ideas, such as a Financial Task Force, to have more brain power, new perspectives, and greater collaboration between private and public sector actors—all of whom are at risk with continued financial pressures. In tandem, BOMA Edmonton recommends that the City of Edmonton establish a Business Growth Advisory Council to support economic development efforts by the City of Edmonton and its partners. #edmonton #fiscalgap #bomaedmonton

"Caught in the Middle: Understanding the Vulnerabilities of UK Middle Income Earners" Unlock the realities of the UK middle class as they grapple with financial challenges on incomes reaching £60,000 a year. Dive into the findings of a report by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, shedding light on the impact of insecure jobs and soaring housing costs on maintaining a decent living standard. 🏡💼 Discover the nuances of middle-class struggles and the uncertainties that individuals with middle incomes face, especially in the current cost-of-living crisis. 🔍 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/enVEwKJU #UKMiddleClass #FinancialInsecurity #IncomeStruggles #CostOfLiving #EconomicChallenges #MiddleIncomeIssues #FinancialFairness #WorkInsecurity #HousingCosts #EconomicImpact #FinancialWellbeing #UKEconomy #Inequality #SocialIssues #FinancialVulnerability

Interesting analysis from the RSH on VFM reporting by housing providers. Key takeaways include; - 16% increase in total reinvestment in new and existing homes - metrics reflect the macroeconomic environment with the headline social housing cost per unit increasing to £4,586 (driven by an increase in materials costs and fire safety works) In an ancillary document the RSH also considers the overall quality of VFM reporting and notes the following weaknesses in reporting; - that providers should have appropriate targets in place (as opposed to the VFM metrics themselves) - the need to formally compare performance to peers - the need to have measurable plans in place to address any areas of underperformance #socialhousing #Crowe