TSA SETS NEW STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL LANDLORDS
17 March 2010

Peter Marsh More than eight million tenants across the country will benefit from new standards the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) has set for all social housing landlords. In the biggest shake up of social housing regulation in decades, the six standards, drawn up with tenants and landlords up and down the country, will come into effect from 1 April and cover how landlords need to deal with issues such as tenant involvement and empowerment, repairs and maintenance, rents, quality of accommodation, complaints and anti-social behaviour. The new standards will apply to nearly 1800 social housing providers in England which include housing associations, councils and co-operatives. This means for the first time tenants will get similar levels of protection and services regardless of who their landlord happens to be. The TSA will also have new enforcement powers to rely on to ensure tenants get a fair deal, which could include issuing enforcement notices and directing the transfer of management. Published in its new framework, the TSA’s six national standards that landlords will need to meet are: Tenant involvement and empowerment, including customer service, choice and complaints, and understanding and responding to diverse needs Home, including repairs and maintenance and quality of accommodation Tenancy, including allocations, rent and tenure Neighbourhood and community, including neighbourhood management, local area co-operation and anti-social behaviour Value for money Governance and financial viability. The new framework heralds a fundamental shift in how the sector is regulated by: ensuring the six standards are based on clear outcomes tenants care about, not detailed processes giving tenants the opportunity to agree with their landlords a locally tailored offer on the standards around home, neighbourhood and community and involvement embedding the principle of ‘co-regulation’ where discussions about service delivery takes place between landlords and their tenants, not in response to top-down prescription or performance indicators from the regulator providing new rights for tenants to be able to scrutinise their landlord’s performance as part of promoting self-improvement and accountability placing emphasis on those who govern providers to ensure there is effective performance and accountability to tenants withdrawing around 875 pages of guidance notes and circulars that were previously used to regulate by the Housing Corporation ending routine inspections for all providers but inspecting for compliance when the TSA suspects a landlord is failing to meet the standards. TSA Chief Executive, Peter Marsh said: “This is a landmark for the social housing sector with a new system of regulation that will touch the lives of over eight million tenants. For the first time, tenants will have opportunities, backed by the regulator, to influence the services that most affect them and hold their landlords to account. “I am pleased we have achieved a broad consensus amongst tenants and landlords on our co-regulatory approach – one that ensures that poorly performing landlords are quickly identified but a system that lets good performing landlords get on with that they do best – providing excellent services.” Further Links

Relevant Links:

PARTNERSHIP EMPLOYMENT SCHEME HELPS OVER 1,000 YOUNG PEOPLE BACK INTO WORK
17 March 2010

A unique partnership between environmental charity, Groundwork and the National Housing Federation has helped over 1,000 young people into jobs as part of a scheme to help the country’s youth back into employment. With support from the Government’s Future Jobs Fund, the two organisations have been working with young people aged 18 – 24 who have been out of work for over six months. Referred to the scheme by their Jobcentre Plus advisers, the young people are then provided with 26-week work placements with either Groundwork or the Federation, which builds their skills and boosts their ability to find future employment. Communities across are also benefiting from these new jobs, which include a range of ‘green collar’ positions that make neighbourhoods better places to live. Typical roles include: energy efficiency advisers, neighbourhood caretakers, land management workers, gardeners and recycling workers. The Groundwork/Federation Future Jobs Fund partnership aims to provide over 6,000 jobs for young people by March 2011. Jim Knight, Minister of State for Employment & Welfare Reform, said: "I am delighted that Groundwork and the Federation are Backing Young Britain by using the Future Jobs Fund to employ 1000 green workers across the country. ”As well as gaining experience as energy efficiency advisers, land management and recycling workers, young people will be able to gain important qualifications giving them a better chance of securing their next job. The community also wins with valuable work done to the local environment." Federation Chief Executive, David Orr said, “Housing associations have quickly established themselves as employment generators within their local communities – providing the skills, jobs and support people desperately need to get back into work during these tough economic times. “Being based right in the heart of their communities, housing associations can offer these vital opportunities to people on their doorstep. And their close and long-standing relationship with their tenants means they know what jobs and training are needed most and how best to help people back into work in their local area.” Groundwork Chief Executive, Tony Hawkhead added: “If you lack experience and skills, it’s very difficult to get your foot in the door – and young people were hit particularly hard by the recent economic downturn. These jobs are helping them to gain confidence and improve their abilities, and as a result there is a lot of interest as the take up for our employment programme shows. “With this support from the Future Jobs Fund, we're able to invest in our young people and leave a lasting legacy, that creates both places that are cleaner and greener, and people that are confident and able to use their abilities to benefit the UK for decades to come.”

Relevant Links:

MORE SHARED OWNERS ‘STAIRCASING’ UP THAN GOVERNMENT FIGURES SUGGEST
17 March 2010

Over a quarter of shared owners go on to ‘staircase’ to outright ownership, far higher than the eight per cent suggested in Tenant Services Authority (TSA) research in 2009, according to new figures from the National Housing Federation’s Home Ownership Advisory Panel. By 08/09, 43,138 shared owners had staircased out to 100% home ownership, representing 25.5% of total new shared ownership provision of 169,636 homes since 1979. The figures come from Federation analysis of government statistical returns from housing associations over the past 30 years. Further analysis of their own staircasing figures by a number of HOAP members also showed that 25% of shared ownership buyers originally purchasing in the period 2001-06 had since either partially or fully staircased by buying extra equity in their homes. When buyers originally purchasing in 2001/02 were looked at in isolation, nearly 32% had since staircased to full ownership and another 5% had partially staircased. Marilyn DiCara, director of sales, marketing & new business at Moat, speaking on behalf of HOAP members, said “This is important because there is a view around that shared owners may become ‘trapped’ in the tenure. The new research we have done suggests that is clearly not the case, at least no more than any of us are to some degree held back by our financial circumstances. “Policy makers also need to recognise the motivations of shared ownership buyers. Many of these people have very serious housing needs – couples living with parents, single people living with friends, overcrowded households and so on. They have no priority for social housing, yet cannot afford the open market. “Not everyone is buying into shared ownership with a view to staircasing out. They may want to if circumstances allow, but for some the primary objective is simply to get somewhere decent to live at an affordable price. Shared ownership is about meeting deep housing needs as well as meeting aspirations and asset-building, partly because our social rented sector is heavily rationed.” The rate of turnover in all home ownership markets has been reducing in recent years, partly due to rapidly rising house prices in the mid-2000s and latterly due to high mortgage costs. TSA research in 2009 looked at whether existing shared owners had bought more shares in their homes since purchase, so is likely to have largely missed people who had already staircased to full ownership. Interestingly, 60% of existing shared owners responding said they were likely to staircase at some point. Further Links

Relevant Links:

COUNCILS GET £50M TOWARDS ECONOMIC RECOVERY
17 March 2010

John Denham An extra £50m is being given to councils to help them make big strides toward economic recovery in their local area, announced Communities Secretary, John Denham. The funding is being allocated to all areas of the country from the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives (LABGI) scheme that rewards councils which successfully promote local growth. Denham is clear that vital public sector support at this time can lessen the impact for struggling families and businesses. He wants to see councils use this grant to help small and new businesses in hard hit areas who often need extra support to get through the tougher times so they can hit the ground running as economic growth picks up. Last July, the scheme was re-launched with a similar £50m grant. This announcement builds on that and takes the total LABGI funding since 2005 over £1bn, on top of normal Government grants. Government action through Real Help Now has supported many families and businesses. It is also giving wider support including free business health checks, discounted rate bills for small businesses, tax payment deferrals, capital loans or help with bank loans for business growth, and a 10 day Government payment promise. Denham said "Building economic recovery is the Government’s top priority and we firmly believe in the decisive leadership role councils have to play. Strong, vibrant, decisive local government is an essential part of our plans to promote growth and cut unemployment while rebuilding the public finances. “We put the public sector in the lead while the private sector was struggling, spending and investing to lessen the impact on individuals, businesses and communities. We are giving councils up and down the country a further £50m to support small and new businesses in hard hit areas that might need a little jump start to get up and running again. "Local councils, and councillors, with their unique democratic mandate, are best placed to provide financial support and local services that are responsive to the pressures being felt by families and businesses in local areas. "Through our Real Help Now plan, we have committed a billion pounds to create more than 150 000 jobs and guaranteed everyone under the age of 25 a job, training or work experience if they are out of work for over six months and given struggling small businesses financial support through our billion pound Enterprise Finance Guarantee and tax payment deferrals." Further Links

Relevant Links:

POOREST PENSIONERS GET FUEL BILL BOOST
17 March 2010

Hundreds of thousands of the poorest pensioners should benefit from lower fuel bills this winter thanks to a deal announced between the big six energy suppliers (British Gas, EDF Energy, EON, Npower, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy) and the Government. As a result, up to 250,000 of the poorest pensioner households should see an £80 rebate off their electricity bills As part of the deal, the Government will share data securely with the energy suppliers so that they can identify the most vulnerable pensioners. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper said: "I don’t want any vulnerable pensioners to be afraid to turn up their heating. That's why we’ve spent a record £295m in cold weather payments and £2.7bn in winter fuel payments so far this winter. This deal will now deliver extra help of £80 to some of the poorest of pensioners over 70 and give them the reassurance they need as we come out of the coldest winter in decades." Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband said: “This breakthrough should provide cut price energy this year to those poorest and most vulnerable pensioners struggling with bills. It will also test how future energy bill rebates could reach those most in need of help. “As part of our efforts to tackle fuel poverty, we’ll be requiring energy companies to double their collective spend to £300m a year by 2013, helping more of their most vulnerable customers with their energy bills.” In most cases the rebate will be awarded automatically by electricity suppliers, without the need to claim. Where this will not be possible, we will write to individuals advising what they need to do so that they do not lose out. Those pensioners covered by the scheme do not have to do anything at the moment. They will be contacted by DWP if the scheme applies to them. Full details about all the qualifying criteria are expected to be available by the end of March. An enquiry line has been set up, which can provide more details on the Scheme.

Relevant Links:

HCA APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY
17 March 2010

The Homes and Communities Agency has appointed Jane Briginshaw as its new head of design and sustainability. Jane joins from Partnerships for Schools, where she is currently design director, after a period as head of design for the Department for Children, Schools and Families. She will be responsible for the HCA’s design and sustainability agenda, and in particular, rolling out a set of best practice, harmonised standards. She is due to take up her new post, based in London, on April 19th 2010. Trevor Beattie, HCA director of strategy, said: “Jane has extensive experience in this field and I am very pleased that the HCA has recruited someone of such high calibre. She will ensure that we continue to lead the way with our environmental, sustainability and design policy for housing and regeneration.” Ms Briginshaw said: “Both Partnerships for Schools and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have been fantastic places to work and I am grateful for the tremendous support I received from colleagues in my time there. I am relishing the opportunity to further develop my passion for quality design and its contribution to creating sustainable places, in new challenges at the HCA. “There are few higher-profile and more critically important roles than pushing forward the sustainability agenda, in delivering new homes and regenerating places, and I am looking forward to being part of a core team that will be at the forefront of this.” The head of design and sustainability is responsible at the HCA for taking the strategic lead of all design and sustainability projects, and developing an overall strategy to ensure that HCA continues to deliver high quality places with optimum results and value for money. Further Links

Relevant Links: