Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils’ Post

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed that the spending review this autumn will bring forward details of government investment in social and affordable housing. It is critical that this includes further details on the government's plan for the Decent Homes Standard. The standard has been under review since 2020 and the sector urgently needs clarity on the new requirements that will be introduced, the length of time landlords will have to prepare, and the funding arrangements that will support social landlords to continue investing in existing homes alongside all of their other vitally important priorities. The National Housing Federation, with support from the Chartered Institute of Housing, National Federation of ALMOs, Association of Retained Council Housing, the Councils With ALMOs Group and Tpas England, has developed a set of sector-wide key principles to help the government revise the Decent Homes Standard so that it will improve the condition of homes for all residents, in a way that is practical and financially viable for social landlords. We are all keen, collectively, to support the government in progressing the review of the Decent Homes Standard as part of their #longtermplan for housing. See my blog for further details: https://lnkd.in/ew6kahRp

📣 Social housing supply inquiry report launched John Griffiths MS, chair of the Senedd's Local Government and Housing Committee, is launching the report resulting from the social housing inquiry supply at our Annual Conference this morning. Among its recommendations, the committee says that Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government should aim for social housing stock to comprise a critical mass of 20% of the housing stock, and up to a third in the long term. It also says that Welsh Government should improve its understanding of housing by reviewing its approach to data; increases allocation for the Social Housing Grant at the earliest opportunity; and provides social landlords with greater multi-year funding certainty. Commenting on the report, our head of policy and external affairs Hayley Macnamara said: “The inquiry process, and this report, have been an important moment for us to emphasise the importance of social homes in addressing the housing crisis. "Now, we must take some crucial steps forward from this to supercharge affordable housing delivery by tackling the issues that are slowing down development. “Housing associations want to continue delivering the quality homes Wales needs at pace. So we now need a long-term, joined-up strategic approach for housing - and a funding environment that reflects these strategic priorities. “We are facing a big challenge here, which can’t be dealt with by one simple change. That’s why housing associations are poised to share their expertise, and play an important role in pulling Wales out of the crisis.” 🔗 Links in the comments to: Senedd announcement of report; CHC blog looking inside our response to the supply inquiry #CHCAnnual24

The day after the LUHC repeated its call for the Government to invest in building social homes across the country, this article highlights the need for more than just money. A real joined-up government response is required. The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee has repeated its call for the Government to invest further “to build the social homes the country needs”, warning that the sector is under “serious financial pressure, although it remains resilient for the time being”. In a report, ‘The Finances and Sustainability of the Social Housing Sector’, the committee said: “The sector has been presented with massive bills for decarbonisation, fire safety and regenerating old homes. At the same time, the government has unexpectedly capped the maximum rent social housing providers can charge. “To deal with the financial headwinds, social housing providers have cut the amount they plan to spend on building new social homes. This reduction in new buildings has been necessary for social housing providers to remain financially secure. “However, this comes when the country needs to build significantly more social housing. If this continues, it will present a major problem for individuals that need social housing. Moreover, all stakeholders are clear that England has been facing a chronic shortage of social housing, which must be addressed.” While I can't disagree with the committee's findings, we need to see reform to the planning rules; we need more investment in attracting people into the sector, upskilling those already within the sector to be able to build new types of houses that can meet the carbon reduction targets and a concerted effort to build up the awareness and attractiveness of modular builds. These reforms have the potential to not only address the current crisis but also pave the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future. Individual actions will have limited benefits. What have I missed? What do you think is needed? #socialhousing #transformation

Commenting on the report, ICSH CEO Donal McManus said, “As the membership body for approved housing bodies (AHBs), the Housing Commission’s proposals for a strategy for the AHB sector that responds to the capacity of both our larger and smaller members is essential. The recommendations further support our sector’s mandate to increase and safeguard our affordable rental housing stock. It also references the need for AHBs to access alternative and off-balance financing to scale-up and accelerate our public housing delivery. The report highlights that for a well-functioning housing system, the state must ensure that 20% of overall housing stock is social and cost rental homes that remain public in perpetuity. This is a radical departure from existing policy and practice where there has been a long tradition of selling public housing with large discounts. In addition, one of the significant proposals is that new social housing in future would be financed and provided on a cost recovery basis to ensure the management and maintenance of social housing is kept to a high standard over its lifetime.” https://shorturl.at/UC5ka

Tomorrow is the NSW State Budget. I wrote in today's The Daily Telegraph about the opportunity for this budget to leave a lasting affordable and social housing legacy. Just last week, Australia was declared the least affordable housing market in the English-speaking world in the latest International Housing Affordability Report. Sydney was the second most unaffordable city beaten only by Hong Kong. The housing affordability crisis affects every part of our communities and economy, and particularly impacts the state’s essential and key workers. We can’t have firefighters flying in from cheaper Queensland towns every week because they can’t afford the rent. Or hospital workers driving from Newcastle to Westmead Hospital. Our society is built on the hard work and dedication of our police officers, health workers, teachers, childcare workers, retail staff, and hospital employees. The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a stark reminder of how crucial these key workers are to our communities. While some new policies have been released, the government must continue to develop substantial and tangible measures to tackle the crisis. This is why we are calling on the government to introduce bold policies that include inclusionary zoning for affordable housing. The Housing Now! Alliance, a coalition of businesses, unions, universities, peak bodies and community representatives, proposes that providing development meets a feasibility test the NSW Government introduce regulations mandating that 1 in 5 homes built in the government's priority precincts for housing be affordable for essential workers. These up-zoned areas should contribute 20% of their housing stock as affordable housing managed by community housing providers in perpetuity. These proposals include rezoning land for higher-density housing near transport hubs, implementing a design pattern book to streamline housing development, and incentivising councils that meet or exceed housing targets. These steps are commendable, but more must be done. The Premier needs to build on these policies; they are just the foundation for long-term, sustainable housing development. Importantly, the government cannot provide all the social and affordable housing NSW needs. I am constantly hearing Community Housing Providers (CHPs) crying out for more support as they are ready to do their part. The government can certainly do more to partner with CHPs so that affordable housing can grow exponentially, and more homes could be delivered quicker. This is a chance for our politicians to build a legacy that ensures our cities remain vibrant, inclusive, and accessible to all. Chris Minns Paul Scully Mark Speakman Scott Farlow Business NSW Business Western Sydney Daniel Hunter David Harding

I was pleased to join with colleagues from Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, CIH Scotland and Shelter Scotland this morning to highlight the open letter (together with the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers and Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)) we have sent to the First Minister calling on the Scottish Government to change course if it really wants to effectively tackle the housing emergency. It also includes a plan of action to support this. The coalition makes clear that we have no desire for new groups or strategies and draws upon our knowledge and expert understanding across the whole sector to set out the priority areas that must be addressed: building more homes, prioritising government-subsidised social homes and investing in helping people keep the homes they have. In light of the Minister's statement on the Housing Emergency in Parliament this afternoon, whilst welcoming Housing as a National Outcome and the potential of the Housing Investment Taskforce, we remain highly concerned at the pace for effecting the change Scotland’s population needs. This is against the backdrop of a quarter of Scotland’s population facing some kind of housing need, a 24% drop in new starts and completions of homes across tenures in 2023 2023 and challenges across the regulatory environment impacting the delivery of homes. It also follows worrying evidence collected from Homes for Scotland members showing that 1000s of homes across tenures are stalled across the country due to budget restrictions. Given the scale of the issue and the strong interdependencies across the whole housing sector, it is imperative that we move forward together, challenging the status quo to find new ways of doing things in order to avoid the same outcomes, or indeed no outcomes at all. This afternoon's Ministerial statement will underwhelm those who are leading in the supply of our social, affordable and private homes, and who were expecting a tone of urgency reflective of Scotland's current housing situation.  https://lnkd.in/eA_xSwXd

Supporting Local Control on Right to Buy: Why It’s Time for Reform I’m pleased to see Sadiq Khan joining the call for a review of Right to Buy (RTB) policies for London councils, echoing Andy Burnham’s stance in Manchester. Both Mayors understand that giving councils the flexibility to adapt RTB policies locally is essential to address each region’s unique housing challenges. This momentum for local control aligns with the cross-party consensus I helped secure within the Local Government Association (LGA) during my tenure as Chair of the Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board in 2023–24. Our message was clear: local authorities across the country should be able to set RTB policies tailored to their communities’ needs. RTB has helped many residents achieve homeownership since its inception in 1980, but in its current form, it hinders councils from maintaining and expanding their social housing stock. Today, with over a million people on council housing waiting lists and local authorities spending £1.74 billion on temporary accommodation, it’s time to give councils the autonomy to adapt RTB to local priorities. The LGA’s latest position paper called for reforms, starting with enabling councils to retain 100% of RTB receipts, allowing them to reinvest directly in building or acquiring much-needed housing. Currently, restrictive rules on RTB receipts and rising discounts are prioritizing individual homeownership over the need for stable, affordable social housing. Last year alone saw a net loss of 7,449 social homes, as only 3,447 were replaced after 10,896 were sold. These reforms don’t mean eliminating RTB; rather, they aim to make it work for everyone. Local councils are uniquely equipped to assess their housing demands, which is why they should have the flexibility to shape RTB policies that balance homeownership goals with preserving affordable housing stock. Recent budget updates suggest the government is beginning to recognise this: by reducing RTB discounts and allowing councils to retain 100% of receipts, the updated policy encourages councils to use RTB in a way that supports their local housing strategies. With additional funding—£500 million for affordable housing and £128 million for targeted projects—this budget reflects a shift toward safeguarding social housing. Together, these changes aim to keep RTB sustainable, ensuring it continues to promote homeownership while maintaining a robust social housing sector.

In an important article, Phineas Harper explains how councils sell off more houses than they build. Thatcher’s legacy, right to buy, is a failure, he points out. Of all the policies imposed on Britain by Conservative governments, few have reshaped the country’s fortunes as enduringly as right to buy. For a lucky few, the policy has meant colossal windfalls and the chance to snap up some of the best properties in the country on the cheap. For the rest, right to buy has meant rising homelessness, spiralling rents and local authorities facing bankruptcy as the social housing stock dwindles, year by year. According to research from UCL, right to buy “remains the major disincentive to local authorities building more social rent homes” as the majority of councils rightly fear the policy will impact any new housing developments they undertake. For example, certain local authorities have had to create subsidiary companies which can be used to rent out homes while remaining exempt from right to buy. Barking and Dagenham, for instance, launched Be First in 2017, a council-owned company that provides hundreds of social homes, but which, unlike the council itself, cannot be forced to sell off properties that it doesn’t want to. Proponents claim right to buy helps renters make the jump to becoming homeowners. This is true in some cases, but millions of the dwellings sold through the scheme are now in the hands of private landlords who rent them out for more than if they’d remained in public ownership. +++ For Thatcherite policy, this appears to have been a double score – shift homes from Council ownership on the one hand, and on the other, ensure that Councils sold them below market value. As such, many of these homes were then resold for massive profit, and many others have ended up in the rental sector, for huge rents. The fact that the homes were sold below market value has contributed to the dilapidation of not only the Commons, but the Councils themselves. Approximately 20% of UK Councils are now approaching bankruptcy. For the private sector this has been a smash and grab raid on the Commons. The price is higher inequality, unaffordable housing, and broken Councils. We now have to petition Labour, assuming they are elected at the next General Election, to reverse this catastrophic policy which they apparently support.

What more can we say?

Attention LinkedIn Community! 🚨📣 The UK's social housing crisis has reached a critical point, and it's time for action. 🏘️🆘 A recent report by JLL reveals the staggering cost of £205 billion to clear England's social housing waiting list. 💰📈 The current government has fallen short of its target to build 300,000 homes per year, resulting in a projected shortfall of 570,000 homes between 2024 and 2028. 🏗️📉 One of the main culprits? The Right to Buy scheme. 🏠➡️🏠 Thousands of social homes are being sold to private owners each year without being replaced, exacerbating the housing crisis. 📉 JLL's recommendation? Scrap the Right to Buy scheme and set realistic housebuilding targets. 🛑🏗️ Without these measures, the housing crisis will only worsen, leaving voters disappointed by the government's inability to deliver on its promises. 😞🗳️ At Honos, we understand the importance of effective communication between landlords, property managers, and tenants. 💬📱 Our app is designed to streamline these interactions, making life easier for all parties involved. 🤝💡 What are your thoughts on the Right to Buy scheme and its impact on the social housing crisis? Share your insights in the comments below! 💭📝 Don't forget to like, comment, and share this post to spread awareness about this critical issue. Together, we can work towards finding solutions! 👍🗣️🔄 #Honos #PropTech #HousingCrisis #RightToBuy #SocialHousing #UKHousing #PropertyManagement #LandlordTenantCommunication