Blog 10th January 2017

Blog 10th January 2017

The Government made several housing announcements during the first week of January 2017. These included allocations under the affordable housing programme 2016 to 2021, an invitation to bid for further funding, starter homes, garden villages and towns and the Housing White Paper. We have published a briefing paper that summarises and provide commentary on these announcements. It includes sections on:

• Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme
• Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme: Initial Round
• Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme: Future Round
• Addendum to the Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme
• Starter Homes
• Garden Villages and Garden Towns
• Housing White Paper

These announcements represent a less significant change in approach than many in the sector had hoped for. The government’s focus continues to be on arresting the decline in home-ownership rather than on the provision of social housing and the distribution of resources under the shared ownership and affordable homes programme reflects this. However, under the current continuous market engagement there may be some opportunities to develop social housing. The government is also progressing its plans for starter homes and garden towns and villages; and a Housing White Paper is expected soon.

YOUR copy can be freely downloaded from HERE

Eden District Council, in common with many local authorities, is in the process of establishing a commercial subsidiary company called ‘Heart of Cumbria’. The Council is intending to invest significant amounts of money in the company with the intention of gaining a return in the long-term. One of the objectives of the company will be to build affordable homes. This is another good example of a Council that is ‘thinking outside the box’.

Some interesting quotes have appeared in the media this week regarding government and public opinion. For example:

• “The thing that most threatens democracy (is) lack of objective information and due consideration on the part of voters. Democracy requires facts and thought.” – AC Grayling (Master of New College of the Humanities)
• “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” – Dr. Samuel Johnson (Eighteenth century diarist)
• “It is a cold heart that would turn away families desperate for a new start in life after surviving the horrors of war… The vast majority of Cumbrians are likely to give a warm welcome to refugees.” – Editorial in the ‘Cumberland & Westmorland Herald’
• “My new year resolution is to develop more sympathy for the civil service.” – Rory Stewart MP (Minister for Overseas Development)
• "Sellafield is an opportunity to do more for the community than I could do as a Member of Parliament." – Jamie Reed MP (speaking following his resignation as an MP)
•  “Each nation has the government it deserves” - Joseph de Maistre (French Philosopher who lived at the time of the French revolution).

Perhaps Jamie Reed’s quote is the most interesting. What does it say about Parliament if a person can do more for the community working at a nuclear waste reprocessing plant that as a Member of Parliament?

Our 2017 series of seminars on ‘All You Want to Know about Service Charges in Social Housing’ will start in February. I am currently preparing for it and am looking forward to meeting the delegates. There will be sessions in London and Leeds. As usual, the seminar is proving popular but there are still some places available. For further information or to make a booking please click HERE