Policy developments in other parts of the UK
Westminster: Queen’s speech
The 2012 legislative programme set out in the Queen’s speech focuses on economic growth, justice and constitutional reform. It did not include any Bills specific to housing, but did include a range of Bills that may impact on the work of housing organisations, eg. Care and Support, Children and Families and Energy Bills.
More information about the Queen’s speech is online at number10.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Scotland: consultation on a strategy for the private rented sector
A draft strategy for the private rented sector has been produced by the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group. The vision that underpins the strategy is:
‘A thriving and professional private rented sector that offers good quality homes and high management standards; inspires consumer confidence; and encourages growth and investment to further develop and improve the sector’.
The consultation paper sets out three strategic aims for the next decade:
1. For growth and Investment: to increase overall housing supply, and for
more investment to develop and improve the existing sector
2. For better quality: of property management, condition and energy efficiency; to be enabled by smarter, more targeted regulation
3. For more informed choices: to support and encourage consumer driven
improvement of the sector
The paper also sets out seven strategic challenges:
1. How to bring in more investment to increase the supply of housing and to improve quality, against a backdrop of challenging and uncertain economic times
2. How to create a regulatory framework which is effective and proportionate, sets standards to ensure quality but is affordable and does not constrain growth
3. How to tackle the minority of landlords who act unlawfully and have a
disproportionate impact on the reputation of the sector overall
4. How to take account of and support the needs of vulnerable tenants
5. How to ensure that the sector meets the new and growing demand for rented housing, and provides an affordable housing option
6. How to respond to the need for better energy efficiency and property condition
7. How to empower tenants as consumers to drive improvement in the sector
The consultation paper is online at www.scotland.gov.uk
Publications
10 to look out for
1 – The Housing Report 2 – assesses the Government’s performance against its stated objectives
CIH, NHF and Shelter, May 2012 – www.cih.org
2 – Inequality, debt and growth
Resolution Foundation, May 2012 – www.resolutionfoundation.org
3 – Housing Pact Cymru – a Housing Pact for Local Government
Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru – www.cih.org
4 – UK housing migrants and the private rented sector
Joseph Rowntree Foundation/HACT Housing and Migration Network, February 2012 – www.jrf.org.uk
5 – Homes fit for families? The case for stable private renting
Shelter policy briefing, March 2012 – england.shelter.org.uk
6 – Mental health and homelessness – Planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people
Mental Health Network, NHS Confederation, April 2012 – www.nhsconfed.org
7 – The way we live now: what people need and expect from their homes
RIBA/Ipsos Mori, May 2012 – www.architecture.com
8 – Accommodation for ex-offenders: third sector housing advice and provision
Third Sector Research Centre, March 2012 – www.tsrc.ac.uk
9 – Multiple Exclusion Homelessness in the UK – series of briefings and other outputs from research
Heriot Watt University/ESRC – www.sbe.hw.ac.uk
10 – Market assessment of housing options for older people
New Policy Institute, April 2012 – www.npi.org.uk
Useful blogs
Alex Marsh – blog from Professor of Public Policy at the University of Bristol – www.alexsarchives.org
Julian Dobson – Living with rats – livingwithrats.blogspot.co.uk
Red Brick – edited by Tony Clements and Steve Hilditch – redbrickblog.wordpress.com
This is my Truth – Bevan Foundation blog – thisismytruth.org
Top 10 blogs this week – continually updated list from the LSE blogs.lse.ac.uk
Welsh Government
Climate change strategy for Wales – first annual report
The Welsh Government made a clear commitment to play a lead role in tackling climate change in the Climate Change Strategy and associated Delivery Plans, published in 2010. Key actions were identified in Welsh Government’s 2011 Programme for Government. The first annual report looking at progress was published in March 2012. One of the chapters of the report focuses on the residential sector, setting out action taken through the Arbed and NEST programmes and through community energy generation initiatives. The report notes that with around 71% of housing association properties and 68% of local authority homes achieve a SAP rating of 65 or higher in 2010/11.
The report is available online at new.wales.gov.uk
Consultation papers
A number of Welsh Government consultation papers will be of interest to WHQ readers:
- Proposals for a Sustainable Development Bill – consultation responses are required by 18 July 2012
- Together for Mental Health – a cross-government strategy for mental health and well-being – consultation responses are required by 31 July 2012
- Promoting Local Democracy – a Welsh Government White Paper – consultation responses are required by 3 August 2012
- Social Tenancy Fraud – consultation responses are required by 17 August 2012
Welsh Government consultation papers are online at new.wales.gov.uk
Affordable housing Committee report
The National Assembly Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee have published the report of their inquiry into the provision of affordable housing in Wales. The terms of reference for the inquiry were to examine:
- the effectiveness of public subsidy in delivering affordable housing, in particular Social Housing Grant
- whether alternatives to public subsidy are being fully exploited
- whether the Welsh Government, local authorities and RSLs are effectively utilising their powers to increase both the supply of, and access to, affordable housing
- whether there is sufficient collaborative working between local authorities, RSLs, financial institutions and homebuilders, and
- whether innovative methods of delivering affordable housing such as Community Land Trusts or co-operatives could be promoted more effectively by the Welsh Government
The report contains 14 recommendations on strategic direction and collaboration, land, planning and empty properties, finance and subsidy and welfare reform.
The report is online at www.senedd.assemblywales.org
Regulation
At the time of writing, six housing association regulatory assessment reports have now been published. They are available on the dedicated regulation web pages on the Welsh Government website wales.gov.uk
Also available on the housing web pages is the latest in the series of Regulation Updates. Update No. 5 published in May 2012 includes information on a number of issues including the risk based and proportionate approach to regulation being used by the regulation team and ‘busting myths about regulatory assessments’.
Wales
All change!!
As well as the Welsh Tenants Federation rebranding as Welsh Tenants (see their sponsorship feature):
- the Community Housing Cymru Group has moved offices – their address is now 2 Ocean Way, Cardiff CF24 5TG and telephone number 029 2067 4800
- Coastal Housing Group has moved offices to 3rd Floor, 220 High Street, Swansea, SA1 1NW
2012 local election results
May’s local elections saw Labour make gains, with overall control of ten authorities – Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, and Torfaen. Independents held control of Powys and Pembrokeshire councils, while no party holds over control in the remaining local authorities.
Horticulture to tackle social isolation in Cardiff
Gofal – one of Wales’ leading mental health charities – has secured Big Lottery funding to run the innovative new ‘GreengAge’ project, which aims to use horticulture and befriending to reduce social isolation and improve older people’s wellbeing. GreengAge is currently looking for volunteers who are aged 50+ with an interest in horticulture, as well as older people who would benefit from this kind of befriending scheme.
For more information, or to get involved with the project, please contact the GreengAge project coordinator Gwyneth Thomas on 02920 440197 or gwyneththomas@gofal.org.uk or visit www.gofal.org.uk
Catching up on events
Many organisations put presentations from past events on their websites; some examples are:
- Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru Tai 2012 conference – www.cih.org
- Community Housing Cymru conferences and seminars – www.chcymru.org.uk
- Construction Excellence Wales events – www.cewales.org.uk
If your organisation would like to promote presentations from past events to WHQ readers, get in touch at editor@176.32.230.6
WHQS update
March saw the announcement that tenants in Flintshire voted against the transfer of council homes to Dee Housing. 71% of tenants eligible to vote did so, with 88% of these voting against transfer and 12% for transfer.
In its first year as a stock transfer registered social landlord, NPT Homes has employed 88 new members of staff, while retaining 400 members of staff who had housing roles in the council prior to transfer. The four main contractors appointed to undertake improvements to homes all have a local base and together have employed a further 39 local people including three apprentices.
The National Assembly for Wales Public Accounts Committee is currently gathering evidence on progress in delivering WHQS and will be publishing a report in the coming months. Information about the inquiry is online here tinyurl.com/77wzvym
Housing innovation in Cardiff
The Ely Bridge Development Company, a not-for-profit company, set up in a deal by the Welsh Government and Principality Building Society, is looking to develop the 53 acre Ely Bridge site in Cardiff. The development will include affordable homes, offered at rents at or below local housing allowance rates. Some homes may also be offered for assisted home ownership to help younger families to get on to the housing ladder.
The company has secured a £6 million loan from Welsh Government to progress the development as well as a conditional land purchase agreement to secure the site.
Work could start on the site by October, subject to planning permission from Cardiff Council. House building is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2013 with the entire development being complete by 2017. The affordable housing will be managed by a community-based housing association.
The newly refurbished Greenfarm Hostel was officially opened in March 2012. It provides 25 bed spaces for homeless families; all rooms are ensuite, have cooking facilities and are designed to be energy efficient. Sustainable credentials include a bio-mass boiler, high insulation levels and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system. All rooms are suitable for those with a disability and the hostel provides a safe environment for children to play in the secure gardens. Other facilities include activity rooms, an IT suite and an Enterprise Workshop. Alongside the hostel, ten houses have been built that will be owned and managed by Cadwyn Housing Association.
Housing association news
Mid Wales extends presence in Aberystwyth
Mid Wales Housing Association has been chosen as the preferred partner to take over the housing stock of Wales & West Housing Association in Aberystwyth. The acquisition will mean the Association will increase the amount of rented housing it has in the town by 50 homes, as well as taking over the management of two leasehold schemes for older people.
Pictured are residents of a Cymdeithas Tai Cantref newly completed development of 25 new affordable homes in Llechryd marking moving in to their homes by planting bulbs on the site. The homes are built to level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Visibly Better
Tenant Mrs Megan Rees aged 92 and Assistant Service Manager Sheena Yellen celebrating Linc – Cymru\’s Triple Platinum \’ Visibly Better \’ Award at Llys Enfys
Linc-Cymru has become the first organisation in the UK to achieve simultaneous RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) Platinum ‘Visibly Better’ Awards for three of its Independent Living Schemes in south Wales – Llys Enfys Independent Living Scheme in Llanishen, Llys Glyncoed in Ebbw Vale and Plas Bryn in Fairwater.
RCT Homes has also achieved the Platinum standard for its Llys Gwernifor sheltered housing complex in Mountain Ash and the Gold accreditation for its Springfield sheltered housing complex in Ynyshir, near Porth in the Rhondda.
New developments in Flintshire
Pennaf Housing Group have started new housing developments in Gwernaffield near Mold and Rhuddlan, using both Welsh Government and its own funds.
Cadwyn and Cleanstream carpets
Since December 2011, Cadwyn Housing Association has had over 50 of its temporary accommodation homes fitted with re-used carpet tiles that would otherwise have gone to landfill. The homes are provided for people who have been made homeless and are now awaiting their permanent home. The tenants living in these homes would not wish to spend money on flooring as they are not going to be living in the homes for long. Cleanstream Carpets, a unique social enterprise in South Wales that recycles and supplies re-used/reclaimed carpet tiles were able to help.
Cleanstream Carpets CIC operates from a warehouse on the Rheola Industrial Estate in Porth, Rhondda. It stocks more than 5,000 square meters of good quality, reused and end of line carpet tiles sourced from companies that wish to change their floor tiles. The project provides employment and training opportunities for long-term unemployed people as well as an affordable flooring option.
Pictured are the Jones family, one of two winners of United Welsh’s Green House competition in front of Larch House, Ebbw Vale, a zero carbon passivehaus.