Housing Business Planning in an Uncertain Environment

This book looks in depth at how local authorities can update their housing revenue account business plans.

Business Planning has been an important element of the management of council housing for some time. However, we are now operating in a very uncertain environment. There is a minority government; the Housing & Planning Act will not be implemented in full; the future funding of supported housing is under threat; and the implications of the vote for Britain to leave the European Union are not clear.

The public finances are weak; welfare reform - inclusing reform of housing benefit - is a ‘work in progress’; government policy on rent reductions, ‘right to buy’, new development and the integration of housing, social care & health are all unclear. Demographic change continues to put pressure on housing services.

This requires a new way of business planning including a robust approach to the development of strategy, financial forecasting, sensitivity analysis, risk management and contingency planning.

The book addresses the following questions:

• What are the key elements of a good quality housing revenue account business plan?
• What is the political, economic, social and technological environment in which local authority housing services operate? What are the key uncertainties?
• How can councils develop effective self-financed business plans that will address the new uncertain environment in a robust way? What assumptions should be made in the financial model? How can uncertainties be managed?
• What business planning techniques are now required including for strategy, financial forecasting, sensitivity analysis, risk management and contingency planning?