Reform of the social housing system
This is a project about radically changing the current social housing system to give local authorities much greater control and flexibility over their housing stock. We will also look to address questions such as how to ensure that affordable housing is given to all those that need it, and how it can be funded. Core to our work on social housing is the need to create mixed communities rather than homogenous areas of deprivation.
23 Articles
Alex Thomson talks to BBC Coventry & Warwickshire [, Dec 19, 2011]
Localis’ Chief Executive, Alex Thomson took part in a debate on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’s Shane O'Connor's Breakfast Show.
Seize the moment [, Dec 13, 2011]
We need to build more houses, a lot more. And the government’s housing strategy, with its panoply of policies, makes clear that they know it. But could it be another government policy that opens the door to local authorities playing a major part in house building?
Councillors doubt HRA reform will boost building [, Dec 8, 2011]
Local authority leaders have questioned whether the dismantling of the housing revenue account subsidy system will allow councils to start building large numbers of homes.
A New Era for Council Housing? [, Dec 7, 2011]
Impending reforms to the Housing Revenue Account are set to give local authorities self-financing control over their housing stock, albeit at the cost of taking on additional debt. This Policy Platform outlines how the upcoming changes may help councils drive increased levels of house building, whe
Looking Forward to the General Election [, Dec 23, 2009]
A paper for the think tank Localis co-authored by Hammersmith & Fulham council leader Stephen Greenhalgh has made waves by calling for the wholesale deregulation of social housing
HCA plans to recycle housing cash [, Dec 21, 2009]
England's regeneration agency has unveiled a set of proposals that would enable it to reinvest returns from its funding of affordable housing back into the delivery of further social housing
Should lottery winners have subsidised rent? [, Nov 12, 2009]
If you are a Council tenant and win the Lottery, what happens? Regeneration expert John Moss says a return to meaningful incentives to buy could generate £75 billion to spend on new housing.
Housing benefit reform [, Sep 16, 2009]
Housing benefit reform may be too complex for this government but its likely Conservative successors will have no shortage of options if they take power next year.
Tinkering won't fix the broken social housing system [, Jun 29, 2009]
The whole system of social housing is failing. The system means that housing allocation is politicised rather than left to the market and resentment is easy to foster.
Portillo echoes Localis' call to end 'tenancy for life' [, Jun 4, 2009]
Michael Portillo backed the proposal in our recent publication 'The Principles of Social Housing' to end tenancy for life. He said "Where the need ceases to exist, the provision is no longer appropriate"
Reform the flawed social housing system [, May 1, 2009]
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Conservative leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council and regeneration specialist John Moss, joint authors of Principles for Social Housing Reform, on how to get the new homes we need without increased public spending
Taxpayer friendly way to build 900,000 houses [, Apr 24, 2009]
Comment on Conservative Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham, Steven Greenhalgh's proposed housing scheme
Press Release: Principles for Social Housing Reform [, Apr 21, 2009]
There should be a fundamental reform of social housing, with a focus on tackling concentrated
areas of deprivation and a move away from bricks and mortar subsidies, according to a new
report published tomorrow by Localis.
Principles for Social Housing Reform [, Apr 21, 2009]
A report looking into the fundamental problems with the current social housing system and some principles on which reform should be based including providing Councils with a responsibility to manage social housing far more extensively than they do now.
Principles for Social Housing Reform [, Apr 21, 2009]
The launch of our latest housing report, written by Stephen Greenhalgh and John Moss in The Ideas Space
The right to live in suburbia? [, Apr 4, 2009]
Comment on our latest Policy Platform on housing. "Fizzing with ideas"
Priorities for Reform of Social Housing in Inner Cities [, Mar 30, 2009]
Establishing priorities for reform of social housing – particularly within inner city areas - is crucial to addressing some of the most intractable social problems which characterize some areas of our inner cities today.
Special Needs Home Support Move On Scheme [, Mar 23, 2009]
Helping people to move home rather than having to duplicate costly facilities for people with special needs— thus helping people off the waiting list for social housing, and diverting financial resources to help other residents in the area
Creating Mixed Communities in Concentrated Areas of Deprivation [, Mar 16, 2009]
Discussion note resulting from our roundtable discussion
Creating Mixed Communities in Concentrated Areas of Deprivation [, Mar 3, 2009]
This timely and critical roundtable discussion was concerned with tackling an increasingly problematic area of policy. The aim of this roundtable is to identify practical steps that Councils and Registered Social Landlords can take that can help to deliver mixed communities rather than concentratio
Debating Conservative Housing Policy [, Jan 29, 2008]
Discussion of critical housing issues, including the response to the government’s housing targets, attitudes to housing incentives for councils, and achieving a desirable social mix
Better Homes, Greener Cities [, Feb 10, 2006]
A Policy Exchange report into the problems with the housing system in the UK. Sponsored by Localis in collaboration with the LGA, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation.
Unaffordable Housing: Fables and Myths [, Jun 21, 2005]
Unaffordable Housing: Fables and Myths is the first of a three-part series of pamphlets investigating the causes of, and solutions to, Britain's housing shortage
Related Local Government News Articles
30 Related Local Government News Articles
Housing minister to 'get Britain building again' [, Aug 31, 2011]
The housing minister, Grant Shapps, has admitted that house prices in Britain have become "too unaffordable", following a report warning that the housing market is in crisis as home ownership falls and property prices soar.
But the minister insisted that government plans would get "Britain buildi
No more council houses for life, says David Cameron [, Aug 5, 2010]
The Prime Minister said the Government may introduce “fixed period” tenancies to ensure new social housing tenants can be evicted if their circumstances improve.
The benefits of mutual housing [, Jan 13, 2010]
Marginalised for years by home ownership and social landlords, co-op housing's advocates believe its time has come as the main political parties see its potential to promote community responsibility
33-year wait for a council house [, Dec 2, 2009]
It will take 33 years to clear the council house waiting list in some parts of London, figures revealed yesterday.A study found 1.8million are currently waiting for accommodation, but last year only 27,000 properties were let to new tenants. Housing charity Shelter said Barnet in London had the long
Council housing demand grows [, Nov 22, 2009]
Demand to build council homes is far exceeding government expectations, putting pressure on the Treasury to release extra cash as part of the spending review next month
Cheap deal to help young workers [, Nov 19, 2009]
Young professionals struggling to get on the property ladder are being offered knock-down rents in some of London's most sought after neighbourhoods.
Housing boost for councils in London [, Nov 3, 2009]
Boris Johnson is looking to set up a housing company to help cut costs when local authorities in the city bring land forward for development. The Mayor says the capital’s developers and housing investors are facing numerous difficulties including raising finances to build and falling house prices a
Tories promise tenants choice [, Oct 22, 2009]
Tenants who receive local housing allowance to pay their rent will be able to choose to have their money paid directly to their landlord if the Conservatives win next year's general election.
Westminster tells Healey to relax [, Sep 28, 2009]
Westminster City Council is calling on the government to carry out extensive reform of the rules on social housing. In a letter to housing minister John Healey, the council demands that the local connection rule should be changed to reflect local differences and that local authorities should be allo
Council homes to be leased to charity [, Sep 11, 2009]
An innovative approach to refurbishing hundreds of council homes is being claimed by Brighton and Hove City Council. The council is in talks with a major high street bank to provide up to £45m to a ‘local delivery vehicle’ (LDV) - said to be the first time a local authority has leased its own housin
Majority of tenants don't pay rent [, Aug 19, 2009]
Nearly two-thirds of council housing tenants get all their rent paid by the taxpayer, it was revealed yesterday by a report from the National Housing Federation (NHF).
Social housing plans to be abandoned [, Aug 18, 2009]
Plans to build thousands of new social homes will have to be abandoned because of the Government’s decision to cut the amount tenants will have to pay in rent next year.
One in five council homes unfit to live in [, Aug 6, 2009]
Hundreds of thousands of council homes have been branded unfit to live in. Nearly one in five have been classed "non-decent". In total 714,000 were cold, draughty, leaky or lacking "reasonably modern facilities".
Anger as councils foot bill [, Jul 23, 2009]
Hundreds of building projects will be cut to fund Gordon Brown’s £1.5billion social housing programme, The Times has learnt. Furious council leaders have demanded an urgent meeting with ministers after being told that their plans are in jeopardy because there is no new money to pay for the Prime Mi
Four ecotowns given the green light [, Jul 16, 2009]
The government today gave the go-ahead for the construction of four eco-towns, offering 10,000 homes overall, which, it hopes, will showcase environmentally friendly living in the UK.
Healey invites councils to make deal [, Jul 16, 2009]
Council housing finance reform can be sped up if councils achieve a consensus on change, housing minister John Healey said on Monday. Mr Healey said that while he would plough ahead with primary legislation to scrap the housing revenue account subsidy system.
Sites of first eco-towns to be named [, Jul 14, 2009]
Rural campaigners have warned of local protests throughout the country after Gordon Brown announces this week that he is to press ahead with his eco-towns project.
Tory about-turn on council houses [, Jul 12, 2009]
The Conservatives are preparing to unleash a new era of council house-building, in a radical shift that would undo 30 years of right-wing thinking. The shadow housing minister, Grant Shapps, said the Conservatives want to increase council involvement in low-cost housing, overturning one of Margaret
Council house building in England to get kickstart [, Jul 6, 2009]
Council house building is to restart in earnest for the first time in almost 20 years in England with local authorities set to construct 139,000 homes over the next decade.
Local homes for local people' may be illegal [, Jul 5, 2009]
A key element of Gordon Brown's strategy to win the next general election is probably illegal, according to expert analysis commissioned by the UK's equality watchdog and seen by the Observer.
Housing finance system to be 'dismantled' [, Jun 30, 2009]
The much maligned council housing finance system is to be scrapped, and councils will also be able to keep “all the proceeds” from rental income and sales, says the DCLG.
Tinkering won't fix the broken social housing system [, Jun 29, 2009]
The whole system of social housing is failing. The system means that housing allocation is politicised rather than left to the market and resentment is easy to foster.
Brown to pledge £72billion for more council homes [, Jun 16, 2009]
Gordon Brown is poised to freeup billions of pounds to tackle Britain's council house crisis. Now the PM is considering letting councils keep profits from rents and right-to-buy schemes instead of passing them to the Treasury.
Clegg calls for greater house building freedom [, Jun 10, 2009]
Nick Clegg called on Gordon Brown during PMQs to stop the Treasury "grabbing" money from council rents and sales and allow local authorities to build new homes
Tax changes for social housing [, May 7, 2009]
Treasury changes to stamp duty land tax will allow arms length management organisations (ALMOs) - companies established by councils to manage housing stock - to develop and build new housing without paying this tax on prospective purchases.
Fund managers to invest in social housing [, Apr 14, 2009]
The Homes and Communities Agency has held talks with leading fund managers to build social housing across the UK. Localis welcomes this approach, and believes that it is vitally important that the private sector begins to realise the vast potential there is in social and environmental investment, bu
Tories launch 'right to move' [, Apr 7, 2009]
Millions of council tenants would be given a new 'right to move' under radical Tory plans being unveiled today.
Town hall threat to seize empty homes [, Mar 11, 2009]
Anyone who leaves their house empty for six months or more should face the threat of losing it, ministers said yesterday.
Brown orders thousands of new council houses [, Jan 30, 2009]
The biggest council house building programme for decades was ordered by Gordon Brown yesterday
Waiting list for council home soars [, Jan 22, 2009]
Around 200,000 families have gone on council house waiting lists in the past year, figures will reveal today.
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