Strategy and policy England/Wales

   

Housing and related strategies

• 22 June 2009

  Understanding attitudes to tackling economic inequality Joseph Rowntree research on public attitudes to inequality has tended to focus more on revealing attitudes than exploring what motivates them. This study aims to fill some of the gaps in existing research to provide useful insights for practitioners and policy-makers

   

• 18 June 2009

  Decent Homes - the next steps? Network briefing by Sheila Camp looks at the aims of the report; 'Towards a successor standard to Decent Homes', the key areas for a new standard, areas to be excluded/tackled locally and the next steps

   

• 11 June 2009

  Living Working Countryside: The Government Response to The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing Network briefing paper by Vanessa Morton analyses the government’s recent response to the findings of the Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing, Living Working Countryside, published last July

   

• 9 June 2009

  House Price Index - April 2009 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 4 June 2009

  Recession in Wales: nearly half the unemployed are under twenty five New poverty calculations for Wales show that, as of the latest figures, 45% of unemployed people in Wales are under twenty five. Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales 2009, by the New Policy Institute for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, identifies trends in poverty statistics over the last ten years

   

• 22 May 2009

  House Building: March Quarter 2009, England The latest national statistics on house building

   

• 14 May 2009

  HCA guidance published to help partners with Single Conversation The HCA has published guidance to help its partners deliver the aims of the agency’s new business process – the Single Conversation - to create affordable, well served, enjoyable and attractive places where people want to live

   

• 12 May 2009

  Social Lettings Tables - adjusted for missing local authority landlord data - 2007/08 These CLG tables give information about the characteristics of households receiving general needs social lettings in 2007-08

   

• 12 May 2009

  House Price Index - March 2009 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 29 April 2009

  Hazel Blears backs 'revolution to recycle' buildings Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled a series of measures to back a people's revolution to recycle buildings by putting real power in the hands of locals to support communities during the downturn and beyond

   

• 29 April 2009

  Call on councils to help more young people into work A £1 billion fund to stimulate councils' efforts to help people into work was hailed today as Ministers called on organisations to submit innovative bids for jobs that will make Britain a better place and improve their local community

   

• 20 April 2009

  Rural Affordable Housing project launched A new initiative to provide support and advice to local authorities and their partners on the delivery of rural affordable housing has now been launched

   

• 25 March 2009

  HCA announces new HomeBuy Agents for 2009-11 Following a competitive tendering exercise to ensure continued high levels of service and value for money, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has now published the list of organisations which will act as Local HomeBuy Agents across England for the period 2009-11

   

• 25 March 2009

  Government response to Matthew Taylor review of Rural Affordable Housing and Economy In 2007, Matthew Taylor MP was asked by the Prime Minister to undertake a review of the countryside, and to make recommendations about how to nurture a healthy rural economy and ensure an adequate supply of affordable rural housing. The Review 'Living Working Countryside' was published in July 2008. This report provides the government response to this review

   

• 25 March 2009

  Government sets out plans to safeguard future of rural communities The government has set out its proposals for helping rural communities to thrive in the 21st Century by providing more affordable housing and greater freedom to develop strong local economies

   

• 23 March 2009

  Strong and prosperous communities - The Local Government White Paper: Final implementation plan This final implementation plan gives further information on how the government is playing its part in implementing key proposals in Strong and Prosperous Communities - the Local Government White Paper

   

• 19 March 2009

  House Price Index - January 2009 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 16 March 2009

  Funding for Aylesham approved The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has confirmed that it has approved a £6m investment for the employment and training requirements of Aylesham in Kent, in recognition of the needs of the former coalfield community

   

• 12 March 2009

  Household Projections to 2031, England The latest national statistics on household projections to 2031 for England released under the auspices of the UK Statistics Authority

   

• 5 March 2009

  The role of Housing Associations in responding to the economic downturn Speech by The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and Planning

   

• 3 March 2009

  The ‘new’ Local Area Agreements (LAAs) and housing Network briefing by Charlie Hughes gives an overview of what is meant to be different about this round of LAAs, some strengths and weaknesses of the new form and how housing issues seem to have fared

   

• 3 March 2009

  Transferring housing stock from council ownership to housing associations, a continuing success Despite facing major challenges, housing associations inheriting former council housing since 1997 have been highly successful in delivering improvements promised to tenants. This is according to ‘The impacts of housing stock transfers in urban Britain’

   

• 3 March 2009

  Managing resources in later life This Joseph Rowntree report explores the changing lives of older people and shows how resources are used to manage change and maintain stability

   

• 3 March 2009

  Net supply of housing: 2007-08, England The latest England net supply of housing statistics produced by Communities and Local Government have now been released

   

• 3 March 2009

  Tackling Worklessness: A Review of the contribution and role of local authorities and partnerships - Final report The final report of Stephen Houghton's Tackling Worklessness Review contains the review team's recommendations on how successful multi-agency and cross-sector local partnerships can best tackle worklessness in their communities

   

• 3 March 2009

  Helping jobless must be council priority during downturn Ministers have welcomed a new report setting out practical measures to support councils' efforts to boost employment in their areas. In his report Cllr Stephen Houghton, Leader of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, calls for an increase in the number of council apprenticeships and 'work taster' programmes, streamlining and pooling of financial support from both local and central government, and immediate efforts by councils to assess how the downturn is affecting their areas, and to develop plans to tackle it

   

• 24 February 2009

  £100m boost to council coffers as they help communities through the credit crunch Local Government Minister John Healey has confirmed that 360 councils will receive their share of £100m within the next few days, to be used as they see fit to help meet local needs and priorities - particularly helpful in this difficult economic climate

   

• 19 February 2009

  House Building December Quarter 2008, England

   

• 17 February 2009

  Strategy to tackle environmental impact of homes welcomed by the HCA The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has welcomed the publication of the government’s draft Heat and Energy Savings Strategy, which sets out a plan for environmental improvements to be made available to householders in every home, in every street by 2030, to significantly reduce carbon emissions

   

• 17 February 2009

  House price index – December 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 17 February 2009

  Real help now, reflections for the future Speech by The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and Planning

   

• 9 February 2009

  Housing and planning key facts This CLG quick reference leaflet is published quarterly and contains a snapshot of the main housing and planning data

   

• 6 February 2009

  The Working Neighbourhoods Fund 2009-2011: Revising the Third Criterion consultation - Government response On 4 November 2008, the government published a consultation paper seeking views on proposals for revising the third criterion used to determine eligibility for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) for 2009 to 2011. This document sets out the key points raised by the local authorities and individuals who submitted their opinions on the proposals, and the government's response to those key points

   

• 29 January 2009

  TSA’s corporate plan puts tenants first and outlines financial viability twin-track plan Economic and housing market conditions will pose a significant challenge to providers of social housing in the coming months, and they will need to 'be viable and well governed and improve constantly', according to the Tenant Services Authority

   

• 29 January 2009

  Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill: Policy Document on Regional Strategies The purpose of this document is to explain Part 5 (regional strategy) of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill and how it would be applied, and to indicate what will be covered by regulations and guidance

   

• 27 January 2009

  Blears - real help for communities in Barnsley Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has begun a series of visits across the country to see first hand how local leaders are making use of devolved powers in responding to pressures facing their communities, explain what government is doing to provide real and practical support and find out how they can further help authorities to get on with the job

   

• 23 January 2009

  Local Authority Housing Statistics, England: 2007/08: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) The latest statistics provided by local authorities in England on their Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) and Business Plan Statistical Appendix (BPSA) for 2007/08

   

• 14 January 2009

  Decent Homes in the Social Sector - Statistics Reconciliation Project 2008 This CLG report summarises the results of a project to explore the discrepancies in non-decent social sector dwelling estimates reported in a national survey and local statistical returns

   

• 14 January 2009

  House price index – November 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 12 January 2009

  New council economic unions to boost local skills and jobs Merseyside, Leicestershire and the Pennines will be devolved more local autonomy to deliver home-grown economic resilience, jobs and skills plans, following the signing of three historic council partnership contracts (MAA’s) by the Prime Minister and council leaders

   

• 5 January 2009

  Supporting local information and research: Understanding demand and improving capacity CLG in partnership with the Audit Commission and the Local Government Association, commissioned this external review to better understand how to strengthen support to local partners in using local information and research in decision-making

   

• 19 December 2008

  Options for the Future of the Household Projection Model: A final report The Communities and Local Government 'household projection model' is used to generate household projections using the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) sub-national population projections, with the outputs used as a key element of the evidence base for housing and planning. The national household projections are the government's official long-term view of the future if demographic trends were to continue, and are particularly important in supporting policy development and enabling regional and local bodies to plan their housing and other services

   

• 16 December 2008

  How the social housing sector can help to tackle worklessness Network briefing paper by Sheila Spencer focuses on the work that has been done by housing associations, arm’s-length management organisations (ALMOs), and local authorities, individually and in partnership with other housing organisations to tackle worklessness

   

• 16 December 2008

  LEGI update report This report reviews the initial development phase of the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) programme in terms of delivery and progress towards key objectives

   

• 11 December 2008

  Housing Statistics 2008 The latest annual volume of Housing Statistics for 2008 have now been released

   

• 11 December 2008

  Programmes to promote employment for disabled people: Lessons from the United States This DWP report reviews evaluation findings from the US experience in providing return-to-work supports for people with disabilities and discusses the implications for similar efforts in the UK. The report provides lessons for developing and evaluating future UK employment initiatives, especially for people with severe psychiatric conditions and long-term disability claimants

   

• 10 December 2008

  House price index - October 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics have been produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 5 December 2008

  Pre-Budget (PBR) report The Housing Quality Networks Pre-Budget (PBR) report, from 24 November 2008, which covers the implications for the housing sector

   

• 4 December 2008

  Tackling worklessness in NDC areas - a policy and practice update This paper draws out lessons from four NDC programmes' efforts to tackle worklessness, giving examples of progress made, the problems faced and projects used to address them and provides a guide to some of the issues relevant to neighbourhood level interventions to tackle worklessness

   

• 2 December 2008

  Strategy healthcheck: are you going in the right direction? We are all constantly managing change and responding to the many challenges we continually face at national, regional and local level through our existing policies, plans and strategies we already have in place. However we cannot forget that so much has happened in 2008 in the forever changing economic climate which is upon us. We therefore now need to ensure that we are ahead of the game and prepare ourselves as ‘strategic thinkers and doers’ for 2009 and beyond

   

• 28 November 2008

  Overall Employment rate (working age population) at neighbourhood level (in deprived areas), England, April 2007/March 2008 The baseline data measuring Departmental Strategic Objective 3.7: Overall Employment rate (working age population) at neighbourhood level (in deprived areas). The release covers the baseline data for the most deprived areas in Working Neighbourhood Fund (WNF) areas and the rest of England, for April 2007-March 2008

   

• 28 November 2008

  Tackling Worklessness: A Review of the contribution and role of local authorities and partnerships - Interim Report The Interim Report of Stephen Houghton's Tackling Worklessness Review contains the Review team's current thinking on how successful multi-agency and cross-sector local partnerships can best tackle worklessness in their communities

   

• 27 November 2008

  Are you going in the right direction? Get your bearings with a housing strategy health check

   

• 26 November 2008

  Addressing worklessness with social housing tenants through targeted outreach Complimentary SUNnet briefing paper describes why it is such an important issue for social landlords, and shows how Unity Housing Association has addressed it by developing the Tenants Into Work (TIW) model of partnership working and outreach

   

• 26 November 2008

  In brief: Housing and economic development - moving forward together This report aims to assist the Housing Corporation and its successor bodies in the development of policy and strategy, with an emphasis on how future housing investment can maximise its contribution to economic development and how housing and physical regeneration interventions can be integrated with, and complementary to, economic development strategies

   

• 26 November 2008

  Preparing for our ageing society – a discussion paper This DWP discussion paper, and a series of associated public discussion events, are part of the first stage of a review of the government’s strategy for meeting the challenges of our ageing society

   

• 21 November 2008

  The British 'welfare market': Lessons from contracting out welfare to work programmes in Australia and the Netherlands Jospeh Rowntree report which looks in detail at the development and impact of the Australian and Dutch welfare markets

   

• 21 November 2008

  More councils to offer homes and jobs advice Sixty councils will benefit from increased funding to boost their housing and employment advice options for local residents, announced Communities Minister Iain Wright

   

• 18 November 2008

  Housing choices and issues for young people in the UK Young people are experiencing increased risk and uncertainty as they move into independent housing. This Joseph Rowntree review considers their options and highlights some of the most pressing housing-related issues facing young people in the UK today

   

• 24 October 2008

  The Neighbourhood Audit The NHF audit revealed that housing associations deliver more than 6,800 identifiable projects, many with a plethora of different activities, and hundreds of neighbourhood facilties like community centres, sports facilities and others, which contribute to the economic, environmental and social stability of our neighbourhoods

   

• 22 October 2008

  Lifting the Burdens Task Force: a review of Economic Development and Regeneration This is the penultimate review from the Task Force and has taken place in the context of the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) and the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR)

   

• 21 October 2008

  Tackling the green agenda Network briefing by Richard Lupo outlines the main initiatives taken in the UK and what they mean for building practice with a particular reference to social housing providers

   

• 16 October 2008

  House price index – August 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics have now been produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 9 October 2008

  New proposals to tackle rural housing shortages New powers to help keep homes affordable for communities in rural areas have been set out by Housing Minister Iain Wright

   

• 9 October 2008

  Shared Ownership and Leasehold Enfranchisement and Designation of 'Protected Areas' - A consultation paper This consultation paper sets out, and seeks view on, the initial proposals for designation in rural areas. It also asks for views on the types of location which could be considered for designation and the terms and conditions for non-housing association shared ownership leases granted for houses. Consultation closes 31.12.08

   

• 1 October 2008

  New sustainable framework for homes and jobs in the North West A new regional strategy that directs long-term housing and economic growth and environmental protection in the North West was announced by Communities Minister Baroness Andrews

   

• 29 September 2008

  Housing support for service personnel Frequently asked questions about housing commitments arising from the Service Personnel Command Paper

   

• 22 September 2008

  The Strategic Housing Role of Local Authorities: Powers and Duties This document, which is part of a suite of guidance about the local authority strategic housing role, lists some of the powers and guidance that authorities can draw upon in delivering their strategic housing role

   

• 18 September 2008

  Housing in England 2006/07: A report based on the 2006/07 Survey of English Housing This report is based on information from the 17,849 households interviewed for the Survey of English Housing (SEH) in the year beginning April 2006

   

• 18 September 2008

  Achieving Building for life This Housing Corporation publication offers guidance for affordable housing providers on how to achieve the Building for Life standards

   

• 11 September 2008

  Charity begins at home - new action to get homeless into work A major new initiative to help give the chance of a job to more people who have experienced homelessness has been announced by Housing Minister Caroline Flint

   

• 10 September 2008

  Ensuring a fair housing market for all - Latest housing market package Network briefing by Gwyneth Taylor, gives an overview of the latest housing market package, recently announced by CLG

   

• 7 August 2008

  Last ever Housing Corporation corporate plan published The last ever Housing Corporation corporate plan has now been published. In 2008-09 the Housing Corporation has committed itself to facilitating the smooth and effective transition of its responsibilities to the new agencies, working in close partnership with the teams tasked with setting up the Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority

   

• 31 July 2008

  Government guidance on housing provision to inform regional strategy revisions Caroline Flint, Minister for Housing and Planning, has written to the Chairs of the eight Regional Assemblies and the Mayor of London offering guidance on housing provision to inform regional strategy revisions

   

• 31 July 2008

  Bidders shortlisted in £200m transport scheme for new housing Schemes shortlisted for a share of a £200m transport infrastructure fund for new housing developments have been announced by Housing Minister Caroline Flint and Transport Minister Rosie Winterton

   

• 29 July 2008

  New deal for communities: lessons learnt Network briefing by Sheila Spencer summarises the key messages coming from the evaluations so far, and draws some conclusions which may be of help to housing authorities and other housing agencies in developing their approach to tackling deprivation

   

• 23 July 2008

  Government welcomes Matthew Taylor report The Government has welcomed Matthew Taylor MP's report into rural economies and affordable housing saying that his core proposals support and extend the commitments they have already made to boost affordable housing and ensure that every rural community can share in the nation's prosperity

   

• 22 July 2008

  Further consultation on vital South West development vision A 12 week consultation on the South West's vision to tackle climate change, address housing shortages and strengthen the region's economy has been launched by the Government

   

• 22 July 2008

  Further consultation on vital East Midlands regional plan A 12 week consultation on the East Midland's vision to tackle climate change, address housing shortages and strengthen the region's economy has been launched by the Government Office for the East Midlands. Consultation closes 17 October 2008

   

• 21 July 2008

  Consultation on the future of the Local Area Agreement reward scheme (July 2008) This consultation document sets out the Government's proposals for a new method of calculating Performance Reward Grant entitlement. Consultation closes 26 September 2008

   

• 17 July 2008

  London – a new Mayor. A new approach. A new strategy for housing? Network briefing by Genevieve Macklin explores the changes and new ideas being introduced by the new Mayor of London

   

• 17 July 2008

  Second round growth points: Partnerships for growth This document provides a list of successful second round NGPs along with agreed housing numbers, local ambitions, and a location map

   

• 17 July 2008

  Facing the housing challenge: Action today, innovation for tomorrow As a result of the credit crunch, we have seen falls in house prices, people find it harder to get a mortgage and house-builders are experiencing difficult business conditions

   

• 11 July 2008

  Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities Statutory Guidance: Summary of Responses to Consultation This document provides a summary of responses received as part of the consultation process for the draft statutory guidance Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities

   

• 11 July 2008

  Sustainable Communities Act 2007 Response to Consultation on Regulations and Statutory Guidance The Sustainable Communities Act received Royal Assent on 23 October 2007. Its aim is to promote the sustainability of local communities. This paper comprises the formal response to consultation on draft Regulations and Statutory Guidance

   

• 9 July 2008

  Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities: Statutory Guidance This document provides statutory guidance to local authorities and their partners on creating strong, safe and prosperous communities. It covers the duty to involve and duties around Local Area Agreements in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007

   

• 30 June 2008

  Local initiatives to help workless people find and keep paid work Joseph Rowntree report into Worklessness

   

• 11 June 2008

  Tackling overcrowding in England This note summarises the lessons learned so far from five Communities and Local Government-funded pilot schemes in London and work to strengthen capacity to address overcrowding in each of the five London sub-regions

   

• 11 June 2008

  House Price Index - April 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 9 June 2008

  Reaching Out - working with ethnic communities in housing Complimentary SUNnet briefing for Network members on addressing the issues surrounding worklessness

   

• 6 June 2008

  Two housing associations appointed to manage distribution of the Corporation's £50,000 IGP Grant to tackle overcrowding Bradford Community Housing Trust and Peabody Trust have been appointed by the Housing Corporation to manage distribution of its £50k Innovation and Good Practice (IGP) Grant to tackle overcrowding, it has been announced

   

• 4 June 2008

  Rural housing in Wales The paper presents the findings and recommendations of the independent JRF Commission on Rural Housing in Wales

   

• 29 May 2008

  New drive to get long term unemployed back to work Local Government Minister John Healey has announced details of a new review team to advise how steps to improve our most disadvantaged communities can make a real difference

   

• 8 May 2008

  £50,000 available to housing associations to help tackle overcrowding The Housing Corporation is seeking expressions of interest from eligible housing associations to manage a £50,000 IGP grant to help tackle overcrowding. The grant supports the December 2007 launch of the Governments National Overcrowding Action Plan that announced 38 local authority led overcrowding pathfinder areas covering London, Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester and Liverpool

   

• 2 May 2008

  Participatory Budgeting Participatory budgeting is one of the key practices that can successfully empower large numbers of local people. It engages with local people to take decisions on the spending priorities for a part of a public budget in their local area, for example for activities such as local environmental issues, community facilities, road safety measures or local crime initiatives

   

• 2 May 2008

  Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 Regulatory Impact Assessment This revised Regulatory Impact Assessment assesses the likely impact of the policy proposals outlined in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. It takes into account minor policy amendments made before the Act received Royal Assent in October 2007

   

• 1 May 2008

  Good Practice Note 16: Working with local authorities Housing Corporation Good Practice Note aims to promote more effective joint working between housing associations and local authorities, to encourage wider thinking and to generate improved practice

   

• 25 April 2008

  Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A national strategy for housing in an ageing society Network briefing by Hazel Summers outlines the key elements and implications of the national strategy for housing in an ageing society

   

• 16 April 2008

  House Price Index Statistical Release - February 2008 The latest monthly house price index statistical release has just been published by CLG. The link below provides the latest release and an archive of previous releases

   

• 9 April 2008

  Housing and planning: the crucial role of the new local performance framework Central and local government are both aware that housing delivery is a key issue. Local Area Agreements (LAAs) will form part of a range of measures through which local authorities and their partners can achieve their objectives on housing growth. This publication describes how the local performance framework (including LAAs and the national indicator set) allows local authorities and partners to prioritise and address housing delivery through targets that are tailored to a three-year timescale

   

• 8 April 2008

  Modernising Housing Advice Housing advice has always played a key role in preventing homelessness but could housing advice offer more? CIH believes a more expanded role should be considered, a role that focuses on helping more individuals realise their long-term housing aspirations – whether in the private sector or in affordable housing. It published its report in March 2008

   

• 2 April 2008

  Investing in lifetimes Plans to address the housing needs of an ageing population outlined in new Housing Corporation Strategy

   

• 20 March 2008

  Expanding Choice, Addressing Need CLG document which outlines a new vision for the provision of housing advice in England

   

• 20 March 2008

  Flint announces next steps to link housing advice and opportunities Housing Minister Caroline Flint has announced a package of measures to step-up action to tackle worklessness, promote opportunity and strengthen the link between access to housing services, training and jobs

   

• 20 March 2008

  The public value of social housing: a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between housing and life chances This research study looks at the life chances of people living in social housing from the Second World War up to the current day

   

• 12 March 2008

  House Price Index - January 2008 CLG statistical release

   

• 6 March 2008

  Supporting Evidence for Local Delivery The SELD pilot programme was introduced in 2005 to promote better use of data, research and evidence in neighbourhood renewal through the provision of technical assistance to Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) and neighbourhood renewal partnerships. This research is a national evaluation of the quality, impact, fitness for purpose, benefits, and cost effectiveness of the Supporting Evidence for Local Delivery (SELD) programme

   

• 6 March 2008

  Lifetime homes, lifetime neighbourhoods Speech by Baroness Kay Andrews OBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 4 March 2008

  Risk management strategy Housing Corporation

   

• 27 February 2008

  Working Neighbourhoods Fund allocations CLG Good practice and guidance, Reports and summaries

   

• 26 February 2008

  The Big Picture Network briefing by Chloe Fletcher highlights the main policy changes over the past year and outlines what it will mean for housing providers in the coming few years

   

• 25 February 2008

  Housing Choices and Aspirations of Older People: Research from the New Horizon's Programme This report was commissioned by Communities and Local Government as part of a larger project to support the development of the National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society

   

• 25 February 2008

  Impact Assessment of National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society: Advice and Information, Rapid Repairs Service The national strategy for housing in an ageing society (the Strategy) includes a number of key initiatives and recommendations, two of which are subject to, and included in, this impact assessment: (i) new advice and information services, and (ii) a rapid repairs service

   

• 25 February 2008

  Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: Housing in an Ageing Society – Blears Hazel Blears and Housing Minister Caroline Flint announce a range of measures to bring about a fundamental change in the way we build future communities alongside an expansion in existing support available to older people that will help them to live safely and, where they choose, independently in their own homes

   

• 25 February 2008

  Lifetime Homes, lifetime neighbourhoods: A national strategy for housing in an ageing society The ageing of the population will be one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century for housing. This strategy sets CLG’s response to this challenge and their plan to create Lifetime Homes in Lifetime Neighbourhoods

   

• 6 February 2008

  Minister confirms funding to combat worklessness Councils in the most deprived areas of the country are to receive additional funding to tackle the acute problems their communities face, Local Government Minister John Healey confirmed.

   

• 6 February 2008

  CLG speech The Rt Hon Caroline Flint MP - Minister for Housing

   

• 1 February 2008

  Statistical release - English House Condition Survey 2006 The 2006 English House Condition Survey headline report

   

• 23 January 2008

  A New Deal for Local Devolution? CLG speech by the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

   

• 28 December 2007

  Overcoming worklessness Network briefing by Janis Bright explores the role that social housing can play in addressing worklessness within the sector

   

• 17 December 2007

  The 2008 Housing Transfer Programme The 2008 Housing Transfer Programme Letter and Programme for Disposals (Applications) Direction 2008 provide formal notification to stock owning Local Authorities of the existence and criteria for applying for a place on the 2008 Housing Transfer Programme. Applications must be submitted by Monday 31 March 2008

   

• 17 December 2007

  ‘People not just houses’ - Yvette Cooper announces next steps for social housing Councils and landlords should ensure social housing services focus on people, not just the homes they live in, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said in a speech to the Housing Corporation and Chartered Institute of housing

   

• 13 December 2007

  FRS Circular 55/2007 - Key consultations on new local performance framework This circular provides details of consultations and other material related to the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, implementing the new Local Area Agreement (LAA) framework set out in the Local Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities published in October 2006

   

• 6 December 2007

  National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society Speech by Baroness Kay Andrews OBE - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 6 December 2007

  Green light for five flagship Unitary Councils Local Government Minister John Healey announced final decisions on re-structuring today taking forward five successful proposals put forward by councils for unitary status, alongside a timetable for first elections and a package of measures to ensure that they are all up and running effectively on 1 April 2009

   

• 28 November 2007

  The Callcutt Review of Housebuilding Ministers asked John Callcutt (former Chief Executive of English Partnerships and prior to that Chief Executive of Crest Nicholson) to undertake an independent review of the house building industry structure and business model, including land holding, and the capability of the industry to deliver increased housing supply in a low/zero carbon environment. The purpose of the review was to examine how the supply of new homes is influenced by the nature and structure of the housebuilding industry, the business models and its supply chain, including land, material and skills

   

• 7 November 2007

  Queen's Speech 2007 - Building better homes and empowering communities Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Housing Minister Yvette Cooper welcomed the publication of the government's Queen's Speech, with legislation to help build the homes future generations need and create places where people want to live and work

   

• 5 November 2007

  Strong and prosperous communities The Local Government White Paper Implementation Plan: One Year On

   

• 11 October 2007

  Stock rationalisation pilot projects launched in Croydon and Havering Housing Corporation News Release

   

• 10 October 2007

  Strategic housing - Green Paper response and housing headlines from the pre-budget report and CSR Complimentary SEN briefings by Gill Leng are intended to highlight the kind of areas where you may feel it appropriate to focus your responses and has been made under headings that will be more relevant to local authorities rather than Green Paper headings Additional files: Document

   

• 3 October 2007

  Housing in England 2005/06: A report principally from the 2005/06 Survey of English Housing This report is mostly based on information from the 18,386 households interviewed for the Survey of English Housing (SEH) in the year beginning April 2005. The SEH is a continuous survey which started in April 1993. It provides key housing data on tenure, owner occupation and the social rented sector, and is the principal source of information about the private rented sector

   

• 3 October 2007

  Housing in the regions Speech by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper

   

• 20 September 2007

  LAA Dry-run negotiations: Final Report: Headline Messages - September 2007 This report outlines the headline findings of the LAA dry-run negotiation process which was undertaken between April and July 2007. This exercise was undertaken in preparation for the introduction of new LAAs as set out in the Strong and Prosperous Communities: Local Government White Paper

   

• 20 September 2007

  Blears: Time to deliver on devolution Hazel Blears unveiled the first phase of guidance for new Local Area Agreements (LAAs) today marking a radical letting go of Whitehall controls to give councils and communities more power to decide their own local priorities.

   

• 20 September 2007

  Negotiating new local area agreements This is the first part of two-stage guidance on the negotiation process for negotiating a new LAA. This first part tells the 'narrative' of each level of government with respect to the LAA process. It also incorporates the lessons learnt from feasibility testing, helps to 'de-mystify' the negotiation process and helps to set expectations that each can have of each other.

   

• 10 September 2007

  Housing market assessments Network briefing by Stacey Sleeman offers an overview on how local authorities and regions can work together to identify sub-regional housing markets

   

• 3 August 2007

  Gypsies and Travellers: the housing agenda – an update Network briefing by Vanessa Morton seeks to provide an update on developments since the Networks earlier briefings and to clarify further, how and why housing organisations should be involved

   

• 26 July 2007

  A quick summary of the new housing Green Paper Network summary by Andy Selman of the housing Green Paper published on 23 July

   

• 25 July 2007

  Statement about housing supply By Yvette Cooper MP, Minister for Housing

   

 

Regional and sub-regional policy

• 11 June 2009

  Living Working Countryside: The Government Response to The Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing Network briefing paper by Vanessa Morton analyses the government’s recent response to the findings of the Taylor Review of Rural Economy and Affordable Housing, Living Working Countryside, published last July

   

• 14 May 2009

  Housing pathfinders face testing time as recession bites Places in the North and Midlands, where the government has spent billions attempting to revive the housing market, are being hit hard by the recession and may struggle to recover

   

• 21 April 2009

  Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) Report finds that LSPs have 'important lessons to learn from one another'

   

• 2 April 2009

  Homes and Communities Agency organises for local delivery The Homes and Communities Agency has now published a new staff structure that focuses the whole organisation on regional and local delivery

   

• 17 February 2009

  Local Area Agreements reward guidance: 2009 This document sets out guidance on the new model to be used for calculating Performance Reward Grant

   

• 4 December 2008

  Local Area Agreements Research publications about Local Area Agreements (LAAs)

   

• 26 November 2008

  Government response to Prosperous Places: Taking forward the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration This document sets out how the government will take forward the reforms proposed in the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (the SNR), following public consultation

   

• 4 November 2008

  Multi-Area Agreements Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) show local authorities coming together, pooling resources and recognising that the best way to crack some of the problems that matter most is through partnership. This is the view of Hazel Blears, Communities and Local Government Secretary, in announcing how Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) are starting to reshape local economies - driving economic growth and prosperity in our communities and reducing financial inequalities between them

   

• 31 October 2008

  Local Area Agreements Conference 2008 Speech by The Rt Hon John Healey MP, Minister for Local Government

   

• 25 September 2008

  LAA Annual Review 2008/09 On 30 June the government signed 150 Local Area Agreements (LAAs) with local councils and their partners - 150 unique pledges to local people to improve public services and the quality of life for people living and working in the area concerned

   

• 25 September 2008

  LAA negotiations in 2008: Lessons Learnt This document summarises the key lessons learnt from LAA negotiations in 2008 obtained from stakeholders across central, regional and local government plus local partners over the summer

   

• 18 September 2008

  Working with Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements: Some lessons from the New Deal for Communities Programme This study explores the relationship between four New Deal for Community (NDC) partnerships and their Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), and what impact if any this has on the Local Area Agreement (LAA)

   

• 19 August 2008

  More power transferred to new unitary authorities Further regulations to facilitate the smooth progress of transition to new unitary authorities in seven areas across England have been laid before Parliament by Communities Minister Parmjit Dhanda

   

• 13 August 2008

  “Another step forward” for new Unitary Authorities Local Government Minister John Healey has laid new regulations to smooth the progress of arrangements for new unitary authorities in seven areas across England. The regulations remove many of the practical barriers to the creation of the nine new councils, helping to support and maintain momentum during the transition process

   

• 11 August 2008

  Principles of Representation: A framework for effective third sector participation in Local Strategic Partnerships This document provides advice to the third sector on how best to organise themselves to maximise their input on Local Strategic Partnership boards (LSPs); help LSPs decide how best to involve the sector; and assist all LSP partners to agree an inclusive approach involving the sector more and, through them, empower their communities to exert more influence over local decision-making

   

• 31 July 2008

  Growth Fund: Programme of Development Guidance 2008 The consultation on the Growth Fund closed on the 7 July 2008, and a government response has now been published. This guidance note has been prepared in line with the government response, and seeks to assist the existing Growth Points and Growth Areas to revise their Programmes of Development in order to confirm indicative allocations from the Growth Fund for 2009/10 and 2010/11, and to bid for additional funding made available from the Growth Fund for the same period

   

• 31 July 2008

  The Growth Fund 2008-2011: Consultation Response In line with the principles of the Local Government White Paper, during 2007/08 Communities and Local Government reviewed how funding support for Growth Areas and Growth Points was delivered, in order to better align it with the development of Local Area Agreements and the Local Performance Framework

   

• 1 April 2008

  Prosperous Places: Taking forward the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration Consultation document which sets out and seeks views on the proposals contained in the Sub-National Economic Development Regeneration (SNR) for putting in place reforms

   

• 1 April 2008

  Prosperous Places: Taking forward the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration Consultation document which sets out and seeks views on the proposals contained in the Sub-National Economic Development Regeneration (SNR) for putting in place reforms

   

• 1 April 2008

  Why Place Matters and Implications for the Role of Central, Regional and Local Government This paper highlights some of the underpinning Communities and Local Government analysis which fed into - and supported a number of recommendations of - the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (SNR) July 2007

   

• 27 February 2008

  Parliament gives green light for five flagship unitaries New unitary councils in Cornwall, County Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire have now received Parliamentary approval. The new-style unitary councils will pioneer new ways to empower local communities, to radically improve services, and to promote prosperity across these five counties

   

• 7 February 2008

  New partnership to help deliver london homes A new partnership to help speed up the delivery of the Capital's £3 billion house building programme has been announced by Housing Minister Caroline Flint and the London Mayor Ken Livingstone

   

• 29 January 2008

  The Mayor’s Housing Strategy for London Network briefing by Sheila Camp which outlines the draft strategy as it stands January 2008

   

• 15 January 2008

  National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy CLG Strategy which sets out how central and local government will provide the support that local partnerships will need to deliver excellent Local Area Agreements.

   

• 23 November 2007

  Development of the new LAA framework - Operational Guidance 2007 This is the second part of two-stage guidance on the negotiation process for negotiating a new Local Area Agreement (LAA). This stage clarifies the operational process for negotiating LAAs that flow from the Comprehensive Spending Review

   

• 23 November 2007

  Principles of representation: A framework for effective third sector representation in Local Strategic Partnerships The Local Government White Paper, Strong and Proposerous Communities set out the Government's intention to "work with national third sector umbrella bodies to establish a standard by which local third sector bodies should organise themselves to be effectively represented on LSPs". This document has been drafted by a third sector stakeholder group, facilitated by Communities and Local Government and is sector owned and led. The document provides a set of guiding principles intended to assist the local third sector to organise itself and maximise the impact of its voice on LSPs. Consultation closes 12 February 2008

   

• 8 November 2007

  Blears gives green light to sub-regional jobs boost Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has unveiled thirteen sub-regions that are drawing up proposals to boost jobs, transport, investment and housing through greater co-operation.The areas which span the country from the North East to South West will potentially receive new powers to collaborate in promoting prosperity and development as part of the Government's drive to ensure that every region benefits from rising national prosperity

   

• 30 October 2007

  Foundations for 'New Era of Devolution' set Councils and communities have received confirmation of a new era of greater power and influence to tackle the issues they care about, with less Whitehall control, as the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act received Royal Assent

   

• 26 October 2007

  Review on rural economy and affordable housing The Prime Minister has asked Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, to conduct a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing

   

• 24 October 2007

  The Greater London Authority - the government's final plans for additional powers and responsibilities for the mayor and assembly: includes plans to publish a London wide housing strategy

   

• 10 September 2007

  Housing market assessments Network briefing by Stacey Sleeman offers an overview on how local authorities and regions can work together to identify sub-regional housing markets

   

• 18 July 2007

  Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration The review of Sub-national economic development and regeneration will give councils and regions new powers and incentives to drive local prosperity, economic growth and regeneration. The review forms part of Gordon Brown’s drive to promote greater devolution in line with the Constitutional Green Paper published last week to ensure regions and local areas can play a greater strategic role in tackle the challenges they face

   

 

Europe

• 8 July 2008

  Learning the lessons from abroad Network briefing by Tim Brown explores the UK’s track record of transferring policy ideas from other countries to Britain

   

 

Homelessness

• 12 June 2009

  Number of households accepted as homeless down by more than a quarter New national figures released today show the number of people accepted as homeless by local authorities is down 26% from the same time last year

   

• 12 June 2009

  Statutory Homelessness: 1st Quarter (January to March) 2009, England The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for the first quarter (January to March) 2009

   

• 10 June 2009

  State of the nation: homelessness Network briefing by Sheila Spencer which provides organisations with a round-up of the key issues for local authorities and housing providers when planning how best to prevent and respond to homelessness Additional files: Elected member summary

   

• 12 March 2009

  Forty per cent fewer homeless young people in bed and breakfast National figures released today show that the number of vulnerable young 16 and 17 year olds being housed in bed and breakfast accommodation has fallen by 40% over the last year

   

• 12 March 2009

  Statutory Homelessness: 4th Quarter (October to December) 2008, England The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for the fourth quarter (October to December) 2008

   

• 5 March 2009

  Homelessness Legislation: Commencement of Section 314 of, and Schedule 15 to, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 This letter informs local housing authorities in England that the government intends to commence section 314 of, and Schedule 15 to, the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 on 2 March 2009. This will remedy the incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights of section 185(4) of the Housing Act 1996, (a provision of the homelessness legislation)

   

• 22 December 2008

  The government’s new rough sleeping strategy: No One Left Out – a new goal to end rough sleeping Network briefing by Sheila Spencer looks at what's new in this strategy, what is planned and the role of local authorities and their partners

   

• 16 December 2008

  Rough sleeping in London Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 11 December 2008

  Homelessness numbers down by 60% National statistics released, show that the number of households accepted as homeless has been cut by 60% since 2003

   

• 11 December 2008

  Statutory Homelessness: 3rd Quarter (July to September) 2008, England The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for the third quarter (July to September) 2008 have now been released under arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority

   

• 26 November 2008

  Allocations policies: effective practice to prevent homelessness Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 21 November 2008

  Rough Sleeping 10 Years On: From the streets to independent living and opportunity: Analysis of responses to discussion paper - Executive Summary In April 2008 Communities and Local Government published the discussion paper Rough Sleeping 10 years on: From the streets to independent living and opportunity, to inform development of an updated government strategy. These documents report on the responses CLG received to this discussion paper

   

• 20 November 2008

  No-one left out: Ending Rough Sleeping by 2012 Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 18 November 2008

  No One Left Out – Communities ending rough sleeping Rough sleeping numbers have been driven down over the last decade and have stayed down due to concerted efforts across government, the voluntary sector and community action. This strategy seeks to go even further and help end rough sleeping for good

   

• 18 November 2008

  New goal to end rough sleeping A major new drive to end rough sleeping by 2012 has been announced by the government. Rough sleeping numbers have been driven down over the last decade and have stayed down due to concerted efforts across government, the voluntary sector and community action, but the government is calling on everyone to go even further and help end rough sleeping for good

   

• 14 November 2008

  Ten year plan to tackle homelessness in Wales announced The Welsh Assembly Government has unveiled its ten-year plan to reduce homelessness in Wales. The plan aims to prevent people from becoming homeless and to improve the accommodation and services provided for people who lose their homes

   

• 11 September 2008

  Statutory Homelessness: second quarter (April - June) 2008, England The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for the second quarter (April to June) 2008 have now been released

   

• 26 August 2008

  Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics Ministry of Justice updated national and regional figures up to second quarter of 2008

   

• 12 August 2008

  The Socially Excluded Adults Public Service Agreement Network briefing by Bill Hewlett explores how the government is taking action through the Socially Excluded Adults Public Service Agreement

   

• 13 June 2008

  Temporary accommodation numbers continue to fall as new figures revealed Homelessness Minister Iain Wright today praised the achievements of local authorities as new figures revealed that the numbers of households in temporary accommodation fell by 11% in comparison to the same period last year

   

• 13 June 2008

  From homelessness to business success - winners announced of national competition Getting back to nature on the farm, increased pedal power and catering for hundreds of people were just some of the winning ideas from homeless organisations that won part of a £500,000 prize to make their business ideas a reality, as announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright

   

• 13 June 2008

  Statutory Homelessness: 1st Quarter (January - March) 2008, England The latest national statistics on Statutory Homelessness for the first quarter (January to March) 2008

   

• 11 June 2008

  £9.6m more to change homeless hostels into places of opportunity An extra £9.6m to help rough sleepers make a permanent move away from the streets has been announced by Housing Minister Caroline Flint

   

• 12 May 2008

  Joint working between Housing and Children’s Services: Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people The purpose of this guide is to help the managers of Children's Services and Housing Authorities in both single tier and two tier authorities to plan and deliver changes for children, young people and families. It is aimed at senior managers in housing and children's services

   

• 12 May 2008

  Youth homelessness in the UK: A decade of progress? A Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust evaluation of the progress being made to address youth homelessness in the UK

   

• 12 May 2008

  More ‘buddy’ mentors to reduce youth homelessness A new drive to 'buddy up' young people with positive role models to help prevent youth homelessness has been announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright

   

• 9 April 2008

  Rough sleeping 10 years on: From the streets to independent living and opportunity Discussion paper to set out initial thinking and to gain views to help inform the development of a new strategy for tackling rough sleeping

   

• 9 April 2008

  New action plan to tackle persistent rough sleeping A new ambition for all hostels to provide access to support, training and employment within the next three years to help end persistent rough sleeping is announced by Housing Minister Iain Wright

   

• 8 April 2008

  Homelessness Action Team extended for another year The Housing Corporation announces that the Homelessness Action Team, the joint project between the Housing Corporation and Communities and Local Government, has been extended for another 12 months to the end of March 2009 due to the success of its first year's work The team's main aim is to reduce homelessness and the number of households in temporary accommodation, contributing to the Government target to halve this figure by 2010, and to disseminate best practice

   

• 28 March 2008

  Statutory Homelessness in England: The Experience of Families and 16-17 Year Olds - Homelessness Research Summary Number 7, 2008 The summary presents the key findings of a major survey of homeless families and 16-17 year olds. The survey investigated the characteristics of homeless households and the causes of their homelessness. It also investigated their experience of living in temporary accommodation, and the impacts of statutory homelessness and living in temporary accommodation on their health, welfare and well-being

   

• 11 March 2008

  Statistical Release: Statutory Homelessness: 4th Quarter 2007, England CLG release which provides summary information, collected through the quarterly P1E returns, on local housing authorities' activities under homelessness legislation. This includes the number of households accepted as owed the main homelessness duty (referred to as acceptances) during the quarter, and the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter

   

• 11 March 2008

  Fifteen homelessness charities and social enterprises selected to compete for £500,000 prize fund A bicycle recycling project and a flat pack furniture workshop that provide employment to homeless people are among the fifteen organisations that have been chosen to compete in the Spark social enterprise competition, Junior Housing Minister Iain Wright announced

   

• 10 March 2008

  The Housing Quality Network revised performance indicator handbook for councils 2008 Part 2 Homelessness PI’s – based on performance during 2007/08

   

• 19 December 2007

  From the street to the boardroom Government and business leaders give homeless organisations a chance to become entrepreneurs. Junior Housing Minister Iain Wright unveiled a major refocusing of Government's homelessness strategy today, challenging hostels and charities to promote greater entrepreneurial spirit and create more training and employment opportunities for homeless people

   

• 10 December 2007

  Statutory Homelessness: 3rd Quarter 2007, England This release provides summary information, collected through the quarterly P1E returns, on local housing authorities' activities under homelessness legislation. This includes the number of households accepted as owed the main homelessness duty (referred to as acceptances) during the quarter, and the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter

   

• 6 December 2007

  Record funding to tackle homelessness People sleeping on the streets or staying in bed and breakfast accommodation will benefit from the biggest ever cash injection for homeless services, Junior Housing Minister Iain Wright has announced. Councils will receive at least £150 million over three years to help them prevent and tackle homelessness in their areas and will receive almost £50 million in homelessness grants next year - a £3 million increase on last year and a rise of 6 per cent

   

• 4 December 2007

  An International Review of Homelessness and Social Housing Policy CLG report which presents the findings of an international comparative survey of homelessness and social housing

   

• 4 December 2007

  Evaluating homelessness prevention CLG report which presents the findings of an evaluation of homelessness prevention initiatives across ten local authorities in England. It covers a range of schemes, including landlord liaison, rent deposit, tenancy support and family mediation services. It also includes schemes set up to help prevent homelessness for people leaving prison

   

• 3 December 2007

  Reducing numbers in temporary accommodation Network briefing by Chris Holmes explores the practical steps that can be taken to reduce the numbers in temporary accommodation

   

• 23 November 2007

  Major research reports into homelessness launched by the Housing Corporation Two major pieces of research from the Housing Corporation have shed new light on homelessness issues

   

• 15 November 2007

  Housing Corporation funds new national initiative to help homeless young people on the path to success A National Centre of Excellence to help housing associations prevent and tackle youth homelessness is to be funded by the Housing Corporation

   

• 13 November 2007

  £70 million expansion to help more people get back on their feet Housing Minister Yvette Cooper has today announced a new £70 million expansion of the Government's drive to help rough sleepers make a permanent move away from the streets. The investment will fund more than 100 new or upgraded hostels with training facilities to help some of the most vulnerable people in society move on to independence

   

• 18 October 2007

  New knowledge base on preventing and tackling youth homelessness Communities and Local Government has commissioned the National Youth Homelessness Scheme to help deliver the measures announced by Government in November 2006 to further prevent and tackle youth homelessness through workstreams addressing early intervention and prevention, and addressing accommodation and wider non-accommodation needs

   

• 3 October 2007

  Tackling homelessness CLG information on policy briefings, guidance for local authorities and statistics on homelessness

   

• 10 September 2007

  Statutory Homelessness: 2nd Quarter 2007, England This release provides summary information, collected through the quarterly P1E returns, on local housing authorities' activities under homelessness legislation. This includes the number of households accepted as owed the main homelessness duty (referred to as acceptances) during the quarter, and the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter

   

• 8 August 2007

  Communities and Local Government news release Cohesion Minister outlines priorities on race equality, including reducing homelessness in BME communities

   

 

Private rented sector

• 12 June 2009

  Appetite for new investment opportunity confirmed by expressions of interest A new initiative which could see hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new investment into the private rented housing sector has received 64 expressions of interest, the Homes and Communities Agency have announced

   

• 4 June 2009

  Impact Assessment of regulation of letting and management agents by an independent body This Impact Assessment covers the key regulatory proposal in the government's response to the Rugg Review, for the regulation of letting and managment agents by an independent body

   

• 4 June 2009

  Impact Assessment of a national register for landlords This Impact Assessment covers the key regulatory proposal in the government's response to the Rugg Review, for a national register of private sector landlords

   

• 14 May 2009

  The private rented sector: professionalism and quality - The government response to the Rugg Review Consultation In January 2008, the government commissioned the Rugg review to carry out an independent review of the private rented sector. The Review's findings, set out six 'policy directions of travel' of how to raise standards and professionalism in the sector. This paper sets out the government's response and also takes into account the related recommendations made by the Law Commission

   

• 14 May 2009

  Houses in multiple occupation and possible planning responses: Consultation A consultation document seeking views on three options for addressing the impact of high concentrations of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Consultation closes 7 August 2009

   

• 14 May 2009

  Real help for tenants - Margaret Beckett A major new package of measures to strengthen consumer protections for tenants living in private rented accommodation has been announced by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett

   

• 5 March 2009

  Government Response to the Killian Pretty Review This document sets out the government's response to the Killian Pretty Review Final Report

   

• 4 December 2008

  National Landlords' Association Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 25 November 2008

  The Private Rented Sector – its contribution and potential (The Rugg Review) Network briefing by Kirsten Firth looks in detail at the Rugg review and examines the implications for Housing Quality Network members

   

• 18 November 2008

  Bringing private sector empty homes back into use Network briefing by Kirsten Firth, looks at how private sector empty homes can be brought back into use – including failed private rented properties, abandoned properties, and surplus buy-to-let flats

   

• 24 October 2008

  Creating a less risky rental market for Landlords and Tenants Major recommendations to improve the Private Rented Sector for both tenants and landlords have been published today in an independent review into the Private Rented Sector (PRS), headed by Julie Rugg of the University of York

   

• 29 September 2008

  New report tackles neighbourhood studentification problem A new CLG report that identifies ways to help councils manage high concentrations of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) has been published by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint

   

• 22 September 2008

  Government Response to the Communities and Local Government Committee's report: The Supply of Rented Housing This CLG report contains the government responses to 66 recommendations made by the CLG Select Committee in areas of housing

   

• 3 September 2008

  Law Commission: Housing – Encouraging responsible letting This report completes the Law Commission’s major programme of work on the reform and modernisation of housing law and practice

   

• 22 August 2008

  Housing: Encouraging Responsible Letting Law Commission project, around work previously carried out on housing law reform and tribunals, which aims to identify and address regulatory challenges in the private rented sector

   

• 25 July 2008

  Making better use of the private rented sector Network briefing by Chris Bowen explores how the PRS can provide a much greater role in meeting housing need and demand across the UK

   

• 17 July 2008

  The Pomeroy Review of Prospects for Private Sector Shared Equity: Summary of Conclusions A review into the future of the private shared equity market was commissioned by Communities and Local Government in July 2007 in order to follow up the conclusions of the Shared Equity Task Force (SETF) which reported to the Department in December 2006

   

• 30 June 2008

  Energy performance certificates for dwellings in the social and private rented sectors: A guide for landlords This publication provides guidance to landlords in the social and private rented sectors understand their responsilbity for making Energy Performance Certificates available when renting a property

   

• 1 May 2008

  In brief: Raising the stakes – promoting extra care housing Housing Corporation report on a project which aimed to clarify what comprises ‘extra care’ for older people and to establish shared standards for provision

   

• 9 April 2008

  New review to help people living in Houses in Multiple Occupation A new review aimed at improving the management and conditions of people living in Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) has been launched by Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint

   

• 9 April 2008

  English House Condition Survey 2006:Private Landlords Survey Key information on the private rented sector derived from the Private Landlords Survey (PLS), updating previous 2003 findings to 2006

   

• 2 April 2008

  £885m of tenants' cash safeguarded Nearly £900m of tenants' deposits has been safeguarded under the Government's tenancy deposit protection scheme in its first year, new figures show.

   

• 15 January 2008

  Working in partnership with the private rented sector Network briefing by Claire McMullen explores how housing providers can successfully engage and work with the private rented sector

   

• 10 December 2007

  Private sector strategy: the government’s housing agenda Network briefing by Vanessa Morton focuses on key points for housing organisations’ work with the private sector

   

• 5 October 2007

  Tenant deposits now safer According to CLG, one in four tenants living in privately rented houses and flats now have their deposits safeguarded under the Government's tenancy deposit protection scheme

   

• 3 October 2007

  Housing in England 2005/06: A report principally from the 2005/06 Survey of English Housing This report is mostly based on information from the 18,386 households interviewed for the Survey of English Housing (SEH) in the year beginning April 2005. The SEH is a continuous survey which started in April 1993. It provides key housing data on tenure, owner occupation and the social rented sector, and is the principal source of information about the private rented sector

   

 

PIs

• 19 February 2009

  Analysis of English local authority housing management performance 2007/08 The latest briefing in our annual series of performance indicator analyses by Hal Pawson

   

• 16 October 2008

  Analysis of 2006/07 Housing Corporation performance indicators for housing associations in England Network briefing by Clive Hall and Doug Edmonds, shows continuing improvements in void management and rent collection

   

• 12 February 2008

  Analysis of local authority housing management performance 2006/07 HQN’s annual analysis by Professor Hal Pawson of local authority performance shows costs stabilising while repairs and relets get faster and arrears reduce

   

• 14 November 2007

  Revised performance indicator handbook for housing associations The handbook has been revised, updated and new material written by HQN Associate John Wheeldon

   

 

Governance

• 11 December 2008

  Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) Network briefing by Chris Bowen highlights the pros and cons of CPOs, summarises their legal basis and alerts HQN members to good practice in the use of CPOs

   

• 18 November 2008

  Blears – next steps in delivering parish power Communities Secretary Hazel Blears today outlined plans to encourage new town and parish councils to be set up so that more decision-making powers are devolved to local people, and said she particularly wanted to see more set up in urban areas

   

• 13 October 2008

  HQN consultancy services: Good governance - why it matters HQN is the largest consultancy in the UK focused exclusively on the social housing sector. If you want to make a real improvement to your governance arrangements or simply want to check how well you're doing in relation to the sector's best, our team can help

   

• 1 February 2008

  Good practice note 15 - demonstrating internal controls assurance in housing associations These guidance notes expand upon various considerations relating to internal controls assurance that a board might consider in establishing its internal controls strategy and in choosing appropriate sources of evidence to be included within its annual assessment

   

• 23 October 2007

  Almos - renewing your management agreement Network briefing by Nick MacKenzie, Anthony Collins Solicitors, considers the process for renewing an ALMO’s management agreement

   

 

Supporting People

• 9 April 2009

  LinkAge Plus: Capacity building – enabling and empowering older people as independent and active citizens DWP report evaluating a pilot of LinkAge Plus, a programme that has brought local authorities together with their partners in health and the voluntary and community sector to find innovative ways to break down traditional organisational and financial barriers and to join up services for older people

   

• 10 December 2008

  Minister announces 2009-10 Disabled Facilities Grant local authority allocation Housing Minister Baroness Andrews today announced how much funding each local authority will get to help disabled and older people stay in their homes through the Disabled Facilities Grant Programme. The government is making £157m available to local authorities in England for 2009-10 through the programme, with over 230 local authorities receiving an increase

   

• 28 November 2008

  Flexibility to deliver for vulnerable people Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has confirmed that councils in England are to receive £1.66 billion Supporting People Programme Grant funding - as an unringfenced named grant

   

• 30 October 2008

  Disabled adaptations - the current agenda Complimentary SEN briefing by Vanessa Morton provides a detailed overview of the main policy agenda which is likely to frame the way in which adaptations are currently delivered and how they will be delivered in the future

   

• 1 October 2008

  Making a difference: Supported lodgings as a housing option for young people The aim of this guide is to inform and support local authorities' planning and commissioning of supported lodgings within the context of strategies to tackle youth homelessness. It is based on a review of supported lodgings services in 17 local authority areas in England, and of data collected through the Supporting People programme

   

• 18 September 2008

  Calculating the cost of efficient care homes This study refines the formula published by the JRF in 2002 (revised 2004) for calculating reasonable fees, based on the operating costs of efficient care homes for older people in England. Using 2008 benchmarks, the study guides users through its associated spreadsheet and advises on modifications to reflect local market conditions

   

• 21 August 2008

  Designing the future - Lifetime Homes This complimentary ACEnet briefing for Network members by Lynn Watson of Habinteg Housing Association sets out the background to Lifetime Homes, describes the criteria in some detail and evaluates the success of the concept of Lifetime Homes since its development in the early 1990s

   

• 6 August 2008

  In Focus: Putting people first: Equality and diversity matters 2 The Commission for Social Care Inspection have issued this bulletin, which aims to address the needs of black and minority ethnic people using care services. It calls for black and minority ethnic people to have their cultural and social needs addressed on a more personal level, which will help to ensure that their specific needs are adequately considered during assessments by care homes and providers

   

• 17 July 2008

  Needs Analysis - Commissioning and Procurement for Housing Related Support This guide is intended for local authorities and their partners. It is particularly aimed at commissioners of housing-related support, adult services, health, and probation projects

   

• 5 June 2008

  Towards an ageing society Housing Corporation final evaluation report of the Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust's housing programme for older people

   

• 1 May 2008

  In brief: Raising the stakes – promoting extra care housing Housing Corporation report on a project which aimed to clarify what comprises ‘extra care’ for older people and to establish shared standards for provision

   

• 25 April 2008

  Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods: A national strategy for housing in an ageing society Network briefing by Hazel Summers outlines the key elements and implications of the national strategy for housing in an ageing society

   

• 8 April 2008

  The Independent Living Strategy Network briefing by Joanna Jeffery and Richard Seager explores the Independent Living Strategy and its impact for service providers

   

• 2 April 2008

  Research into the effectiveness of floating support services for the Supporting People programme: Final Report This review was commissioned in order to better understand the effectiveness of floating support services, and the balance needed between floating support and accommodation based services in order to improve service delivery and choice and control for service users

   

• 6 February 2008

  Funding to tackle social exclusion confirmed Councils are to benefit from a funding boost to help the most vulnerable people in their area, Communities Minister Baroness Andrews confirmed.

   

• 4 February 2008

  Supporting People Distribution Formula – Technical Consultation Refresh: December 2007 Summary of responses

   

• 1 February 2008

  In brief - shared living – what works in supported housing This study highlights what residents believe is important for shared housing to be a success, and also suggests how organisations can use these findings, and the evaluation framework used, in shaping the future of their own shared housing portfolio

   

• 25 January 2008

  New powers for councils to raise millions more to support new homes CLG press release

   

• 17 January 2008

  Value of Supporting People confirmed The Supporting People programme is more than paying for itself through the positive impact it is having on the lives of the most vulnerable people in society, a new independent report has found.

   

• 9 January 2008

  KLOE consultation launched Supporting People KLOE consultation. Closing date for consultation 13.2.08

   

• 10 December 2007

  Supporting People Distribution Formula - Technical Consultation Paper - Summary of responses and invitation to refresh responses On 6 December 2007 Communities and Local Government published provisional individual grant allocations to Administering Authorities for the Supporting People programme in 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11. The consultation on the Supporting People distribution formula completed in February 2006 and responses to this exercise have been assessed. Following consideration of the available options, a decision has been taken to use the updated formula to target the funding. This report summarises the responses received to that consultation and invites respondents to refresh their comments if appropriate before CLG confirm final allocations in the New Year. The deadline for refreshed responses is 14 January 2008

   

• 6 December 2007

  £4.9bn to support independent living Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has announced £4.9bn funding for the Supporting People programme over the next three years. The funding will help over a million vulnerable people each year, including victims of domestic violence, teenage parents, older people and those with mental health problems - enabling them to live independently in their accommodation

   

• 8 October 2007

  Independence and opportunity – the national strategy for Supporting People Network briefing by Lesley Healey provides a summary of the key themes within the national strategy for the future of the supporting people programme

   

• 13 September 2007

  Progress made in improving housing-related Supporting People services Vulnerable people are getting more of a voice in housing-related support services. This is one of the findings from the last four years of the Supporting People inspection programme according to the Audit Commission's Co-ordinator of Supporting People inspections, Domini Gunn

   

• 3 September 2007

  Support for living? The impact of the Supporting People programme on housing and support for adults with learning disabilities Joseph Rowntree research examines how the Government’s Supporting People programme is affecting housing and support for people with learning disabilities in England

   

• 3 September 2007

  Social well-being in extra care housing Joseph Rowntree research which explores best practice for promoting social well-being in extra care housing.

   

• 3 August 2007

  Needs of vulnerable people to be prioritised in new Corporation strategy Developing and providing high quality homes and services that meet the needs of vulnerable people is vital to ensuring they have independence and choice, says the Housing Corporation as it launches Investing in independence - housing for vulnerable people strategy

   

• 20 July 2007

  Supporting People outcomes - guidance and outcomes form for long term services The Supporting People outcomes for long term support services is being rolled out from the 31 July 2007. The link above connects to the final word version of the outcomes form and guidance for long term services

   

 

HA regulation

No documents under this category

 

Other policy developments

• 3 July 2009

  A minimum income standard for Britain in 2009 This Joseph Rowntree study updates 2008’s innovative research, based on what members of the public thought people need for an acceptable minimum standard of living

   

• 30 June 2009

  HQN briefing on the Equality Bill and the Equality Framework for Local Government Network briefing by Joanna Jeffery and Richard Seager sets out the main points of the bill with relevance to social landlords, such as the new public duty to promote equality for all the six diversity strands as well as a new duty to take account of the need to tackle socio-economic disadvantage in strategic planning

   

• 25 June 2009

  What is needed to end child poverty in Wales? This Joseph Rowntree study discusses progress made in Wales to end child poverty, and suggests what the Welsh Assembly Government could do to reach the 2020 target

   

• 25 June 2009

  Place Survey: England - Headline Results 2008 The 2008 Place Survey provides information on people's perceptions of their local area and the local services they receive. This release summarises the headline findings for England and Government Office regions with results for individual local authorities shown in the accompanying tables

   

• 25 June 2009

  John Denham: Making every pound work harder Responsive and effective local councils will be key to giving taxpayers real value for money, Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham has said

   

• 25 June 2009

  Survey signals time to strengthen local government A major new national survey on what people think of their local area and council demonstrates the importance of renewing local democracy, said Communities Secretary John Denham

   

• 22 June 2009

  Room for improvement: a review of strategic asset management This report follows up on the Audit Commission report Hot Property (2000), and reveals that councils have made only modest progress in improving the management of their estate - worth an estimated £250 billion in 2008 - over the last ten years. The report also finds central government partly to blame, by sending local government mixed messages: calling on councils to rationalise assets, to improve buildings and offices, and to share assets with the community

   

• 19 June 2009

  Growing up in social housing in Britain: A profile of four generations from 1946 to the present day This Joseph Rowntree study describes how housing for families has changed over time and explores the relationship between social housing, family circumstances and the 'adult outcomes' for children who grew up in social housing – ie, their experiences when they are adults

   

• 17 June 2009

  Getting it right, and righting the wrongs Communities Minister Shahid Malik has called on all local councils to get it right first time to ensure the public receive the modern service they expect

   

• 3 June 2009

  Domestic abuse and older adults: what should housing providers be doing? Complimentary ACEnet briefing by Helena Taylor Knox on the difficult subject of domestic abuse

   

• 19 May 2009

  Councils to lead job creation plans Councils must be 'fully focused' on providing job creation programmes said Local Government Minister John Healey and Employment Minister Tony McNulty in response to a key economic report

   

• 14 May 2009

  Building Britain's future - Social enterprise to be part of £1 billion job creation drive Social enterprises must play their part in tackling the economic downturn by creating at least 15,000 new jobs for the unemployed, funded by the government's £1 billion Future Jobs Fund, announced Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell

   

• 29 April 2009

  Delivering Digital Inclusion: Summary of consultation responses This report contains the findings from the analysis of the consultation

   

• 17 April 2009

  Home and Community Energy Advisors Notice by CLG that adverts for courses relating to Home Energy Advisors and Community Energy Advisers are premature. National Occupational Standards are being developed and there is currently a consultation exercise running for the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) initiative and the Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP). It will not be possible to finalise the role of these advisers and the qualification until after the consultation exercise has been concluded

   

• 8 April 2009

  Overcoming poverty and its links to place Network briefing paper, by Chris Bowen, explains the background to poverty and social mobility and how various factors influence people’s ability to achieve their full potential in life

   

• 7 April 2009

  Councils to develop new ways to keep their citizens better informed A mix of councils in rural and urban areas are sharing £620,000 to pilot schemes that provide better local information for an estimated one million people, ranging from crime maps in Gloucestershire to a website for parents and carers of disabled children in Cambridgeshire Chapter 3 of the 2008 White Paper, Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power, published in July 2008, set out how the government would help local authorities to provide better information to their citizens on local services, performance and opportunities to get involved in their local areas. The Timely Information to Citizens project was set up to take this forward A second round of pilots will be announced in May. The majority of pilots are expected to be up and running by summer 2009 and will be subjected to an independent evaluation which will report in 2010, feeding back the lessons learnt into the good practice toolkit for the benefit of other local authorities

   

• 1 April 2009

  Blears announces funding for successful projects that will give people a real say Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced successful third sector organisations - charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises - which are to share multi million funding for projects helping to give people a real say in their communities

   

• 1 April 2009

  Over three million people to benefit from historic council overhaul The biggest shake-up in local democracy in one single day since the seventies, has now taken place - when 44 councils will be replaced by just nine serving over 3m residents

   

• 31 March 2009

  Workforce development plan Network briefing by Bill Fullen and Jennifer Aston looks in detail at the fundamental issues, which are key to the development of successful workforce planning

   

• 30 March 2009

  John Healey - Council overhaul will improve quality of life for communities Local Government Minister John Healey says that nine new unitary councils 'going live' in a week's time will improve the quality of life for over three million people

   

• 30 March 2009

  Government delivers £170m transport funding for new housing £170m of funding has been allocated to 29 transport projects that will support the development of new housing

   

• 25 March 2009

  Why the bits between the buildings matter Speech by The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and Planning

   

• 17 March 2009

  Safeguarding children: how can the housing sector address the issues of ‘Baby P?’ Network briefing by Sandra H Knox explains how housing services, and particularly social landlords, are uniquely positioned to provide information, support and expertise in the prevention of abuse of children Additional files: Word version for completion purposes

   

• 12 March 2009

  Consultation response: 'Ending child poverty: Making it happen' Joseph Rowntree response to the Department for Children, Schools and Families consultation 'Ending child poverty: Making it happen'

   

• 24 February 2009

  Fuel poverty Network briefing by Maria Wardrobe explores the issues surrounding fuel poverty

   

• 19 February 2009

  Power to promote well-being of the area: Statutory guidance for local councils This guidance is aimed at English local councils (parish, town, village, neighbourhood, and community councils) and discusses the extension to eligible local councils of the power to promote or improve economic, social, or environmental well-being (colloquially known as the 'well-being power')

   

• 3 February 2009

  Social housing, the financial crisis and government housing initiatives Network briefing paper by Colin Armstrong considers the impact the crisis has had on social housing providers in England and the implications of interventions made by the UK government in response to the crisis

   

• 27 January 2009

  Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill: Policy Document on Regional Strategies

   

• 22 January 2009

  Towards zero carbon housing Network briefing paper by Ann Bodkin covers the need for change, the policies and step changes which government has brought in through legislation, with examples of new build schemes and improvements to existing housing stock to reduce carbon emissions

   

• 6 January 2009

  Gypsies and Traveller accommodation – an update Network briefing by Vanessa Morton, provides an update on the developing frameworks around Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, looks at recent analysis of progress on the ground and highlights the excellent practical toolkits and guidance now available to assist local authorities and housing organisations

   

• 19 December 2008

  Fair Rules for Strong Communities A cross-government plan setting out the values and characteristics that ministers believe matter for strong communities. The purpose of the plan is to provide a clear statement of the government's understanding of the issues facing communities and its approach to addressing them

   

• 4 December 2008

  Fair Rules for Strong Communities A cross-government plan setting out the values and characteristics that Ministers believe matter for strong communities. The purpose of the plan is to provide a clear statement of the government's understanding of the issues facing communities and its approach to addressing them

   

• 4 December 2008

  Delivering Succession Strategies The New Deal for Communities Programme has been the most intensive and enduring area-based initiative aimed at tackling the issues faced by deprived neighbourhoods to date. NDC Partnerships, as they approach the end of the 10-year grant-funded period, are seeking to find sustainable ways to continue supporting change in their neighbourhoods. This research reviews the experiences of case study partnerships in developing appropriate arrangements for succession

   

• 4 December 2008

  New council powers to boost economic prosperity The government have introduced and published in Parliament a Bill which will provide new scope for councils and businesses to work together to invest in the long-term economic prosperity of their local communities

   

• 26 November 2008

  Time and income poverty Time and money are two key constraints on what people can achieve. The income constraint is widely recognised by policy-makers and social scientists in their concern with poverty. This Joseph Rowntree study looks at individuals who are significantly limited by time and income constraints: those who could escape income poverty only by incurring time poverty, or vice versa

   

• 26 November 2008

  Strengthening local efforts to tackle economic challenges The government have announced new powers to tackle the local impacts of the credit crunch. The reforms make it easier for action to be taken at every level to boost jobs and skills, support businesses and make sure that all areas are making plans for recovery from the economic slowdown

   

• 21 November 2008

  House Building: September Quarter 2008, England The latest national statistics on house building

   

• 18 November 2008

  Practical use of the Well-Being Power This document is based on research commissioned by Communities and Local Government which examined local authorities' take-up and use of the Well-Being Power and the factors which had affected it. It gives practical examples of how the Power has been used and links to further sources of information

   

• 18 November 2008

  Healey - wellbeing power is forgotten tool in tough economic times Councils have not used a legal power that could help their area ride out tough economic times, the government have warned. Local Government Minister John Healey, in a letter to council chiefs, urged them to consider using this 'wellbeing power' to support their communities during the current economic climate

   

• 14 November 2008

  House Price Index - September 2008 The latest UK house price index statistics produced by Communities and Local Government

   

• 4 November 2008

  The Working Neighbourhoods Fund 2009-2011: Revising the Third Criterion - Consultation This CLG publication outlines the government's proposal for revising the third criterion used to determine eligibility for the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF). The revision is necessary following the discovery of further errors in the calculation of this criterion

   

• 29 October 2008

  Every Child Matters - are we there yet? The 'children's trusts' created by the government after the death of Victoria Climbie have been confused and confusing, according to an evaluation published by the Audit Commission

   

• 29 October 2008

  Research on the Costs and Benefits of Personal Data Sharing at Local Partnership Level This report describes the different types of approaches to personal data sharing found within Local Strategic Partnerships, and explores the factors that can enable and inhibit data sharing initiatives

   

• 27 October 2008

  Delivering Digital Inclusion: An Action Plan for Consultation The Action Plan outlines the key issues relating to the use of digital technology and argues why digital exclusion is an increasingly urgent social problem. Consultation closes 19 January 2009

   

• 24 October 2008

  Estimating the costs of child poverty Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust report

   

• 25 September 2008

  Developing and sustaining mixed tenure housing developments Joseph Rowntree round-up evaluates the strategic and policy context for housing development and neighbourhood renewal

   

• 15 September 2008

  Giving more people a say in local spending: Participatory budgeting - a national strategy This strategy sets out an overview of how the government will work towards the ambition for participatory budgeting to be used in every local authority area by 2012

   

• 27 August 2008

  Local Development Framework and Community Strategies CLG paper about the relationship between community strategies and Local Development Frameworks (LDFs)

   

• 27 August 2008

  Evaluation of community strategies CLG report presenting findings from the case study element evaluation of community strategies. It provides a synthesis of findings from the eight local authorities which are contributing to the main case study element of the evaluation

   

• 27 August 2008

  Detailed assessment of community strategies One of a series of CLG research reports from the national evaluation of community strategies as part of its evaluative work on the impact of local government modernisation

   

• 26 August 2008

  Housing and planning: update on recent changes to the planning system Network briefing by Suzanne McBride looks at key changes to the planning system since 2004, offering a quick guide to the new system, and considering changes proposed in the Planning Bill (including the Community Infrastructure Levy) and other reviews

   

• 19 August 2008

  Assessing Neighbourhood-Level Data for Target Setting This report assesses key small area datasets for target setting, performance monitoring and wider contextual analysis

   

• 19 August 2008

  Urban Settlement 2001: England and Wales Statistics based on the Urban Settlements boundaries (England and Wales, 2001) data. These boundaries and the statistics based upon them are collected every ten years following a national census

   

• 21 July 2008

  Evaluation of Local Public Service Agreements: Final Report This 4 year study found that Local Public Service Agreements led to improved working practices, new initiatives and wider change in local authorities

   

• 15 July 2008

  More than the sum of their parts - partnerships seal deal to increase economic growth Seven groups of councils and local partners are to seal their commitment to boost economic prosperity, in recognition that they can each achieve more than the sum of their parts - in the first set of Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) which have now been signed

   

• 11 July 2008

  The Empowerment Fund: Consultation on proposals for funding third sector organisations to empower communities across England This consultation paper seeks views on a draft of the Empowerment Fund Prospectus which the government intends to issue. This fund will provide support for existing national third sector organisations operating across England to help local communities turn key proposals into practical action on the ground

   

• 11 July 2008

  Third Sector Partnership Board: Consultation paper on the third sector's strategic voice within Communities and Local Government Consultation paper on proposals to enhance the Communities and Local Government Third Sector Partnership Board covering its future role and remit, membership and way of working. Consultation closes 30.9.08

   

• 8 July 2008

  The New Place Survey - Summary of responses to consultation The Place Survey Consultation Response provides Local Authorities and their Partners feedback to the views conveyed by respondents to various methodological questions regarding the survey and the subsequent actions Communities and Local Government have taken

   

• 3 July 2008

  Meeting the short and long term challenges Speech by Housing Minister Caroline Flint

   

• 17 June 2008

  Preparations for digital TV transmission in rented housing Network briefing by Mike Kelly, Arena Housing, is intended to give an outline of Arena Housing’s experience, so far, in getting an extensive programme of work under way to convert communal TV aerials for digital reception

   

• 10 June 2008

  Tackling overcrowding Network briefing paper by Wendy Murphy examines the actions being taken by the five pilot London boroughs, and others, to tackle overcrowding

   

• 20 March 2008

  Statistical Release: Net supply of housing for England and the regions up 2006-07 This statistical release presents national housing supply trends since the late 1960s and regional supply since 2000-01

   

• 20 March 2008

  Housing Corporation News Release Most local authorities have good working relationships with housing associations in their area, finds Corporation survey

   

• 19 March 2008

  Prospectus 2008: the guide to improvement and efficiency support CLG prospectus which draws together proposals for simplifying support and providing information on the support available to help local authorities and their partners to deliver outcomes locally

   

• 12 March 2008

  Neighbourhood identity: effects of time, location and social class Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust study which details the construction of neighbourhood identity, its relationship to social class and status, and its resilience to change, through examining three neighbourhoods within the city of Stirling

   

• 29 February 2008

  Statistical release: revised projections of households for the English regions to 2026 The Communities and Local Government household projections have been updated by Anglia Ruskin University to take account of revisions to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2004 based population projections

   

• 7 February 2008

  CLG Statistical Release Housing Statistics 2007

   

• 25 January 2008

  New powers for councils to raise millions more to support new homes CLG press release

   

• 17 January 2008

  Oscar awards for boosting jobs Councils who lead the way in boosting jobs and opportunities in their areas will be up for an 'Oscars' style award. The new award for 'raising prosperity' will go to top-performing areas at improving town centres, tackling unemployment, boosting skills and training and attracting investment.

   

• 14 January 2008

  House Price Index November 2007

   

• 4 January 2008

  The third sector The crucial role of the new local performance framework

   

• 4 January 2008

  Delivering improved outcomes for children, young people and their families The crucial role of the new local performance framework

   

• 4 January 2008

  Local Transport Services The crucial role of the new local performance framework

   

• 6 December 2007

  Indices of Deprivation 2007 The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007 combines a number of indicators, chosen to cover a range of economic, social and housing issues, into a single deprivation score for each small area in England. This allows each area to be ranked relative to one another according to their level of deprivation

   

• 30 November 2007

  Government sets out Gateway Plans The Prime Minister and Housing Minister Yvette Cooper today published the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan, setting out for the first time how cross-Government investment of more than £9 billion will be spent to deliver Europe's largest regeneration project The Plan details how the Government will accelerate progress in the Gateway in key areas; a strong economy, a better quality of life for residents, and the creation of an eco-region in the Gateway

   

• 20 November 2007

  Proposals for Future Unitary Structure: Stakeholder Consultation - Summary of Responses Summary of the responses received during the consultation period 27 March to 22 june 2007 on proposals for Local Government reorganisation

   

• 26 October 2007

  Review on rural economy and affordable housing The Prime Minister has asked Matthew Taylor, MP for Truro and St Austell, to conduct a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing

   

• 26 October 2007

  More affordable housing for communities New drive to deliver more affordable housing by bringing empty homes back into use and giving more cash to communities who are building more homes announced by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper

   

• 26 October 2007

  Developing a target range for the supply of new homes in England National Housing Planning and Advice Unit's response to the Government's Green Paper 'Homes for the future: more affordable, more sustainable'

   

• 11 October 2007

  Scoping a future contract for a National Coordinating Body for Home Improvement Agencies CLG

   

• 5 October 2007

  Citizenship survey CLG release which provides headline findings from the first quarter of the 2007-08 Citizenship Survey, covering April-June 2007. It is divided into three sections covering active and empowered communities, community cohesion, and racial prejudice and discrimination

   

• 24 September 2007

  Social housing and child protection policies Network briefing by Jeannie Swales examines why West Kent decided to develop a child protection policy and how other organisations could do the same

   

• 31 August 2007

  The Commission on Integration and Cohesion report: Our shared future Network briefing by Vanessa Morton outlines the report's themes and highlights the main recommendations on housing

   

• 31 July 2007

  Clever commissioning crucial to a fruitful relationship with the voluntary sector Councils spend £3 billion a year on services provided by the voluntary sector, but neither party is making the most of the relationship, according to a new Audit Commission report published called Hearts and Minds: Commissioning from the Voluntary Sector

   

 

Legislation

• 29 January 2009

  Welfare reform summary Network briefing by Andy Selman is a summary of the government’s White Paper on welfare reform

   

• 27 January 2009

  Welfare reform Network briefing by Jamie Ewing examines the ideas set out in the Green Paper on welfare reform published last year

   

• 11 December 2008

  Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) Network briefing by Chris Bowen highlights the pros and cons of CPOs, summarises their legal basis and alerts HQN members to good practice in the use of CPOs

   

• 8 December 2008

  Queen's Speech Network briefing which summarises the speech and highlights implications for housing providers

   

• 13 November 2008

  Housing and Regeneration Act Network briefing by Jamie Ewing explores the implications of the Act for the housing sector

   

• 9 July 2008

  White Paper delivers power shift to local people Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has published a White Paper setting out proposals to deliver a fundamental shift in power, influence and responsibility into the hands of communities and citizens

   

• 23 June 2008

  Preparing Britain for the future: The government’s draft legislative agenda 2008/09 Network briefing by Gwyneth Taylor which considers the Bills in the draft programme relevant to the social housing sector

   

• 9 April 2008

  Housing and Regeneration Bill Impact Assessment Provides a summary of costs and benefits for the provisions within the Housing and Regeneration Bill with evidence and analysis

   

• 19 February 2008

  Sustainable Communities Act 2007 CLG Consultation on Draft Regulations and Statutory Guidance

   

• 19 December 2007

  The use and impacts of ASBOs Network briefing by Hal Pawson summarises newly published research evidence on the use and impacts of ASBOs in England and Wales, as well as in Scotland

   

• 6 December 2007

  Housing and Regeneration Bill Network briefing by Gwyneth Taylor outlines the key provisions of the Bill together with the implications for social housing providers

   

• 28 November 2007

  Planning White Paper Consultation Government Response to Consultation Replies This document summarises the results of the consultation on the White Paper and sets out the Government's response to the main points made. The Government's overall response on key issues emerging from the consultation on the Planning White Paper and next steps in relation to the Planning Bill

   

• 28 November 2007

  The Planning Bill The Planning Bill was introduced on Tuesday 27 November. The legislation builds on the proposals set out in the Planning White Paper and introduces a new system for nationally significant infrastructure planning, alongside further reforms to the town and country planning system

   

• 16 November 2007

  The Housing and Regeneration Bill Impact assessment

   

• 16 November 2007

  The Housing and Regeneration Bill CLG

   

• 16 November 2007

  New legislation for greener, more affordable housing A new Bill has been published which will drive forward the Government’s pledge to build 3 million greener, more affordable new homes by 2020 to help first-time buyers and families. New measures in the Housing and Regeneration Bill include legislation to remove barriers to councils building their own social housing, stronger action where tenants are unhappy with the management of their estates, and new rules for councils to tackle anti-social tenants. The Bill will also establish a new watchdog for social tenants - Oftenant - and give this watchdog a duty to reduce red tape for good Housing Associations

   

• 13 August 2007

  Housing Green Paper: financial briefing for local authorities and providers Network briefing by Steve Partridge examines the financial implications of the Green Paper

   

• 9 August 2007

  Planning for a sustainable future Network briefing by Sheila Camp covers issues raised within the White Paper Planning for a sustainable future published 21 May 2007

   

• 12 July 2007

  Prime Minister's Statement Government plans for reform signify a top priority for housing

   

 

Housing Benefit policy

• 11 May 2009

  Housing Benefit toolkit for social housing providers The Network's popular self-assessment toolkit by Sue Beasor Additional files: Word version for completion purposes

   

• 20 April 2009

  Should adult benefit for unemployment now be raised? A Joseph Rowntree review of arguments for and against raising the value of Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)

   

• 7 April 2009

  Department for Work and Pensions - Adjudication and operations circulars 2009 This page gives links to all DWP's adjudication and operations circulars for 2009. It is aimed at all housing benefit and council tax benefit staff The following circular has been added: A10/2009: The Social Security (Use of Information for Housing Benefit and Welfare Services Purposes) Regulations 2008

   

• 27 February 2009

  Questionnaire – new backdating rules for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit This questionnaire is part of our review of the backdating rules for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit introduced in October 2008. It is aimed primarily at people who work for organisations such as welfare rights agencies, local authorities, landlords, housing associations. Consultation closes 31 July 2009

   

• 29 January 2009

  Welfare reform summary Network briefing by Andy Selman is a summary of the government’s White Paper on welfare reform

   

• 27 January 2009

  Welfare reform Network briefing by Jamie Ewing examines the ideas set out in the Green Paper on welfare reform published last year

   

• 13 January 2009

  The harder test – the Audit Commission’s fresh approach to benefits inspection Network briefing by Jeannie Swales and Claire Turner is based on a presentation at HQN’s Your benefit service – the harder test event by Tim Savill, Benefit Policy Lead at the Audit Commission

   

• 13 January 2009

  Getting ahead of the game, preparing for inspection – what do you need to do? A guide for Housing Benefit staff Network briefing by Jeannie Swales and Claire Turner covers all elements of Housing Benefit Inspections, including; Understanding what the Audit Commission are looking for, self assessment and generally on how to prepare for a Housing Benefit Inspection

   

• 18 December 2008

  Implementation of tenant service charges Network briefing by Tony Huff

   

• 29 September 2008

  Learning from pilot benefit inspections – web tool Through the AC inspections they have identified a variety of approaches to delivering benefit services, and have produced a web tool with case studies to share their findings and to encourage innovation and improvement across local government

   

• 18 September 2008

  The inspection of Housing and Council Tax Benefits (and a reference to the National Fraud Initiative) Network briefing by Ellis Blackmore looks at the inspection process, how LAs can prepare for inspection and the National Fraud Initiative

   

• 5 August 2008

  The effects of benefit sanctions on lone parents' employment decisions and moves into employment This research report presents findings from a qualitative study specifically designed to explore the effects of benefit sanctions on lone parents' employment decisions and moves into employment

   

• 30 June 2008

  Delivering benefits, tax credits and employment services: Problems for disadvantaged users and potential solutions Joseph Rowntree review of problems and solutions in the benefit delivery system

   

• 14 May 2008

  Audit Commission/Benefit Fraud Inspectorate Why are housing and council tax benefits important to the Audit Commission?

   

• 14 May 2008

  Benefits KLOE The benefits KLOE and descriptors set out the areas of inspection focus and criteria for judgement for inspections of housing and council tax benefit by the Audit Commission from 1 April 2008

   

• 18 March 2008

  The Housing Quality Network revised performance indicator handbook for councils 2008 Part three Housing Benefit performance – based on performance during 2007/8

   

• 9 January 2008

  Consultation on new benefits inspection The Commission takes on responsibilities for housing and council tax benefit (HB and CTB) assurance, including inspection, from 1 April 2008. Drawing on the learning from four benefit pilot inspections, AC have developed draft descriptors to inform any inspections of benefit services undertaken. The descriptors form part of the key lines of enquiry (KLOE) document. AC consultation on the draft benefit descriptors. Consultation closes on 17.1.08

   

• 30 November 2007

  £209.5 million investment by housing associations over five years in tackling worklessness, finds new research Housing associations are making a major contribution to tackling worklessness investing over £209 million on almost 900 innovative projects in the last five years, new research has found. The research commissioned by the Housing Corporation following the Hills review, examined the current literature on social housing and worklessness and housing association activities to tackle worklessness amongst their residents and in the wider communities in which they work

   

 

Empty property strategies

• 25 March 2009

  Empty homes refurbishment just part of the solution Refurbishing empty properties to bring them back into use as affordable housing is just one part of the solution to meet housing demand and simultaneously stimulate supply, according to the Homes and Communities Agency

   

• 10 March 2009

  Margaret Beckett urges councils to take a stand on empty homes Councils are being given more support to help them bring empty homes back in to use in the current economic climate, announced Housing Minister Margaret Beckett

   

• 23 January 2009

  Application of Discretionary Council Tax Powers for Empty Homes This CLG study investigates the impact that the discretionary application of the 50% Council Tax discount on empty homes is having on bringing such properties back into use

   

• 11 December 2008

  Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) Network briefing by Chris Bowen highlights the pros and cons of CPOs, summarises their legal basis and alerts HQN members to good practice in the use of CPOs

   

• 18 November 2008

  Bringing private sector empty homes back into use Network briefing by Kirsten Firth, looks at how private sector empty homes can be brought back into use – including failed private rented properties, abandoned properties, and surplus buy-to-let flats

   

• 6 October 2008

  Energy performance of buildings Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 6 October 2008

  Requirements for energy performance certificates (EPCs) when marketing homes for sale or let This guide describes the scope and requirements of the regulations applying to EPCs when homes are being sold or let and provides guidance on how these are applied

   

• 1 April 2008

  New reliefs in force to bring empty buildings back into use Changes to update empty property reliefs come into force today acting as an incentive to encourage owners to bring empty properties back into productive use, increasing access to existing premises for business, helping to reduce rents and increase the competitiveness of the UK.

   

• 25 March 2008

  Zero tolerance approach to commercial vandalism Local Government Minister John Healey has announced a no nonsense approach to enforcing changes to empty property reliefs coming into force on 1 April. He set out tough measures that councils already have to tackle potential moves by owners to try and avoid liability, and gave a zero tolerance pledge to intervene with further measures if evidence suggests deliberate dereliction of properties is taking place

   

• 27 February 2008

  Healey secures tax boost to revive deprived areas Measures designed to breathe new life into deprived areas has come a step closer, as Local Government Minister John Healey laid regulations in Parliament to enable the introduction of reforms to empty property rates on April 1

   

• 26 October 2007

  More affordable housing for communities New drive to deliver more affordable housing by bringing empty homes back into use and giving more cash to communities who are building more homes announced by Housing Minister Yvette Cooper

   

 

Choice-based lettings

• 30 June 2009

  HCA welcomes new money and focuses on immediate delivery The HCA is ready to begin delivering a significantly enlarged programme of public house building immediately, the Agency’s chief executive has confirmed. The HCA, responsible for housing and regeneration delivery in England, will take responsibility for an additional £1.5bn channelled into affordable housing over the next two years, following the announcement on Building Britain’s Future by the Prime Minister

   

• 30 June 2009

  Healey announces major plans for more homes and fairer lettings to meet local needs As part of the Government's Building Britain's Future plans, Housing Minister John Healey has said that construction of thousands of extra homes will begin in a matter of months, thanks to the £1.5 billion pound housing investment announced by the Prime Minister

   

• 15 April 2009

  Housing allocations: Members of the Armed Forces This circular provides guidance for local authorities when framing their allocation scheme to provide for applications from serving and former members of the Armed Forces and gives effect to a commitment in a command paper issued by the Ministry of Defence in July 2008. Housing authorities are required to have regard to the guidance in exercising their functions under Part 6 of the 1996 Act

   

• 23 March 2009

  Fund for the Development of Regional and Sub-regional Choice Based Lettings Schemes: Guidance for submitting a proposal CLG is providing £7m over five years (2005/2010) to support the development of regional and sub-regional CBL schemes in England. This is the final year of the Regional Choice Fund and CLG is making £1m available to fund regional and sub-regional choice based lettings schemes to enable to enable English local authorities to be part of a CBL Scheme by 2010

   

• 26 November 2008

  Allocations policies: effective practice to prevent homelessness Speech by Iain Wright MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

   

• 26 November 2008

  Sector study 62: Analysing key trends in the supply and distribution of social housing lettings Over three million tenancies were let by local authorities and housing associations in England in the decade to 2006-07. However, the annual volume of lettings slumped by 40% over this period. This Housing Corporation sector study dissects the factors contributing to this trend, and investigates the extent to which the outcomes of lettings processes are compounding the residualisation of social housing and the ethnic segregation of neighbourhoods

   

• 28 October 2008

  Communities and Local Government (2008): Allocation of Accommodation: Code of Guidance for local housing authorities – choice-based lettings Network briefing note by Tim Brown summarises and comments on the Code of Guidance

   

• 27 August 2008

  Summary of Responses to the Consultation on the Choice Based Lettings Code of Guidance CLG report providing a summary of responses to a consultation on the choice-based lettings code of guidance for local authorities

   

• 27 August 2008

  Allocation of Accommodation: Choice Based Lettings - Code of Guidance for Local Housing Authorities CLG statutory code of guidance about the factors that local housing authorities should take into account in framing their allocation scheme to offer a choice of accommodation to housing applicants

   

• 9 May 2008

  Choice-based lettings update: spring 2008 Network briefing by Tim Brown gives a round up and an update on Choice Based Lettings progress and an insight into government policy

   

• 28 March 2008

  Fund for the Development of Regional and Sub-regional Choice Based Lettings Schemes - Guidance and Instructions for submitting a proposal The 5 year housing plan, Homes for All - published in January 2005 - set out the Government's plans for taking forward its CBL policy. The aim is to have in place nationwide choice by 2010. The Government wants to build on the existing Communities and Local Government CBL target - for all local authorities to have adopted choice by 2010 - by extending choice based lettings to cover, not only local authority and housing association properties, but also low cost home ownership options and properties for rent from private landlords. The purpose of the Regional Choice Fund is to support social landlords who are keen to work together to create sub-regional and/or regional CBL schemes

   

• 31 August 2007

  The Commission on Integration and Cohesion report: Our shared future Network briefing by Vanessa Morton outlines the report's themes and highlights the main recommendations on housing