Firm Foundations – Analysis of Responses

Valerie Strachan

22 April 2008

Response

% Of all responses Response rate (%)

Housing associations 25% 39%

Tenant/community groups 15% 8%

Private sector 13% -

Voluntary/charitable 11% 175%

Local government 10% 58%

Professional/representative 10% 100%

Individuals 10% -

Total response (number) 387

Housing supply

• Support to introduce a new build target– Will increased supply influence prices– Need for an affordable housing target

• Mixed views on the strategic management of new supply– What should the target be? 35,000?– Top-down target or bottom up assessment of need– Distribution of target across the country– Delivered by regional partnerships – linked to housing

markets

Housing supply

• Concerns around the achievability of targets– Industry capacity– Infrastructure – Land banking– Complex s75 negotiations

• Large parcels of land will be needed to meet the target– Preference for expanded communities– Role for new settlements in rural areas

• Scope for private sector to deliver more affordable housing– S75 agreements to reduce/eliminate subsidy

Assisting first time buyers

• Support for measures to support FTBs– Target resources where home ownership is sustainable – Support also needed for moving-on, re-entry and people

with disabilities• Should not reduce commitment to increase social housing• Initiatives should be based on new supply of affordable

housing– In particular shared equity – Recycle funding/retain properties for affordable housing

Assisting first time buyers

• Very limited support for the £2,000 grant– Increase prices, without improving access to housing– Targeted grant/recoup funding on sale

• Mixed views on new mortgage products– Assess whether these are needed– Improve affordability –

• Longer terms• Longer fixed periods• Cheaper loans

– Advice on home ownership– Tax incentives for home ownership

Private rented sector

• Mixed views on increased PRS use for h’less households– Support from LAs – challenge of achieving 2012 h’less

targets– Limited support from RSLs and tenant organisations

• Housing quality– Repairing Standard– SHQS– Enforcement

• Housing management– Registration and accreditation– Rent deposit schemes– Increased regulation

Private rented sector

• Security of tenure– Extending tenure: flexibility versus security– Equity with h’less placed in social renting

• Dispute resolution– Mediation: LA, expansion of the PRHP– Formal: tribunal, ombudsman

• Affordability/sustainability of the tenure– Up-front costs– Housing Benefit gap – Higher rents → benefits trap

Private rented sector

• Supply of appropriate PRS stock– Mixed views about potential to increase the stock– Suggestions covered

• Financial measures: HB fast-track, rent guarantees, covering the rent/HB gap

• Bringing empty properties back into use• Landlord leasing schemes• Housing support• Central government measures: abolition of the

single room allowance, tax incentives

Social rented sector

• RTB – strong support for modification of RTB rules– Calls to further restrict/abolish the RTB

• New build – strong agreement that LAs should be enabled to develop – Based on local housing need, rather than borrowing

capacity– Funding should be in addition to current provision

• Only limited support for competition for develop’t funding – Instead – partnerships, cross-subsidy, review of rent

regimes

Social rented sector

• Mid-market rent was broadly supported – but– There were questions about demand – Funding should be additional to SRS funding

• Strong support for sustainable mixed communities• Support for subsidy to non-RSLs

– Particularly for subsidy to not-for-profits– Very limited support for subsidy for the private sector

• Protection for tenants WILL be required– Security of tenure, rent levels, quality of housing and

services

Social renting

• Measures must be put in place to achieve the SHQS• Tension between

– Ensuring tenants have decent housing and – Reluctance to “reward” poor authorities

• Argued that much of the SHQS failures are not due to poor management– Inadequate LSVT settlements– Local circumstances

• Funding should be linked to real improvements in stock condition being achieved

• Should not be linked to the org’s general performance

Social housing

• Strong support for the modernise regulatory framework– Proportional and tenant-focussed

• Would like to see further streamlining resulting from the Single Regulator– But audit and regulation must be kept separate– Regulation must be used to continue to improve

standards in the sector

Key themes

• Need for more housing• Need for more affordable housing

– Priority to be given to affordable rented housing– Should not assume that the private sector will deliver

efficiencies – Measures needed to support those who can sustain

home ownership• Willingness to consider new measures of delivering

housing to people on low incomes– But clear that households should be protected

Discussion