Housing and the law is the central theme of the July issue of WHQ, which is out this week.
For the lead feature, we asked readers what they would change if they were legal supremo for a day. The answers reflect the fundamental importance of the law to housing and span not just legislation but also regulations and implementation.
Changes proposed include some big ones such as scrapping the bedroom tax and no-fault evictions as well as less obvious ideas to implement existing legislation better and make life easier for housing associations.
A series of other articles within the feature look in more depth at big legal issues: health and safety in the wake of the Grenfell fire and new legislation; how social landlords treat possession hearings; the alternative to leasehold; the deregulation of housing associations; and recent case law on homelessness, vulnerability and temporary housing.
Crisis recently launched an ambitious plan to end homelessness in Britain. We look in detail at the legislative changes that would be needed to make this a reality in Wales.
Elsewhere in the issue, we have a piece by Lynn Pamment, chair of the independent review of affordable housing supply, giving us some clues about what is on her agenda.
We have the final recommendations from a major study of housing for people on low incomes in the Valleys – Ian Wilson outlines some practical suggestions for some improvements.
With more features to follow on housing and poverty and the housing system in Scandinavia plus all our regular features and updates, now is the time to reserve your copy of WHQ.
All articles will be going online here in the next few days, some freely available but some for subscribers only. Full details of how to subscribe can be found here – or email sharon.dean@cih.org.