Housing
Cut the benefit bill by investing in social housing
It is rare for ministers to plan beyond the lifetime of a parliament. There are exceptions: automatic pension enrolment introduced from 2012 by the then Liberal Democrat minister Steve Webb is one example of a politician taking a long-term view about a difficult issue.
Javid’s top-to-bottom social housing review
Communities secretary Sajid Javid has launched a green paper on social housing in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Universal Credit halt calls grow
Ministers have come under renewed pressure to halt the rollout of Universal Credit as housing rent arrears soar under the flagship welfare scheme.
Lib Dems fight for post-Grenfell action
The effective ‘privatisation’ of building control has led to a watering down of fire safety checks, the Lib Dems have claimed.
Councils told number of homes they should build
The Government has told councils the number of homes it thinks they need to deliver every year as part of Whitehall plans to boost housing.
LGA calls for government to lift planning fees freeze
Councils have ramped up their calls for the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to meet its commitment to allow them to increase planning fees by 20%.
Song for whoever
Social media campaigns are risky business. They can go one of two ways – boost interaction with your target audience or leave the organisation vulnerable to trolls.
Housebuilding up - but not by enough
More than 153,000 new homes were built in the last year - an increase of 11% compared to the 12 months before, new figures have shown.
Finance concerns grow in wake of Grenfell
Council finance directors are growing increasingly concerned about the impact of the Grenfell Tower fire on their budgets.
The Government has to address its housing policy
Heather Jameson says it is time the Government stopped burying its head in the sand on complex social issues - especially in the wake of Grenfell.
Mears expects revenue loss as councils 'delay new contracts'
Social housing maintenance company Mears Group has suggested councils are delaying new contracts as they review safety measures in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Corbyn promises to tackle housing crisis
Jeremy Corbyn has promised that the next Labour government would tackle the housing crisis during a speech at a rally in Milton Keynes.
Leaders make fresh plea for housing borrowing powers
Councils have demanded new powers and funding to build affordable homes after a survey revealed three-fifths of private renters never expect to own a home.
Homelessness predicted to rocket
Rough sleeping has been predicted to rocket by 76% in the next 10 years, according to new analysis by homeless charity Crisis.
S106 is 'pricing developers out of the market'
Costly Section 106 agreements are pricing some developers out of the market, according to the peer-to-peer lending website Lendy.
Rental boost revealed as homelessness rises
The Government has announced further plans to boost the private rental sector and tackle affordability in the market.
Council puts Chinatown development on notice
Liverpool City Council has issued a forfeiture notice against the developer that was working on one of its key regeneration projects for 2016/17.
Opening new doors
Managing demand for homelessness services is a growing issue for local authorities. Havering has taken significant measures to be prepared, and as Beatrice Cingtho-Taylor says, others need to follow.
Let’s get our houses in order
The NAO’s Matthew Wilkins looks at the housebuilding challenges ahead for the Government in the wake of the organisation’s recent overview on housing.
Housing company saves council £2.5m in a year
Enfield LBC’s independent company that buys family homes to provide an alternative to costly nightly accommodation has saved the council about £2.5m in a year, new figures have revealed.