Event details
The Future of Social Housing: Ensuring Fairness and Transparency
Central London, 9:15-16:00
The social housing system is undergoing radical reform. There are currently 8 million people who live in social housing and nearly 1.8 million households on social housing waiting lists in the UK.
In November 2010, the government published its case for reform of social housing in the consultation paper Local Decisions: A Fairer Future For Social Housing. Changes included the way people access social housing, the types of tenancies which are provided and the way that the homelessness duty is discharged. These measures will look to ensure that social landlords can make better use of social housing and target support where it is needed most.
The government is also committed to improving social housing mobility and changing the way social housing is regulated. The government hopes to reform the council housing finance system and do more to bring empty homes back into use as affordable housing. The changes were introduced in The Localism Bill, which is being considered in the House of Lords.
On 14 February 2011, Grant Shapps, the Minister for Housing, launched the Framework for the Affordable Homes Programme 2011-15. The principal element of this programme is Affordable Rent. It aims to give providers much greater flexibility on rents and use of assets, increase choice for tenants and secure greater value for money in the delivery of new affordable homes.
Another major change to social housing is the introduction of self-financing, which is to be implemented in April 2012. Self-financing will put all local authority landlords in the position where they can support their own stock from their own income. Councils will have the resources, incentives and flexibility they need to manage their own housing stock for the long-term and drive further quality and efficiency.
This timely and informative forum will offer delegates the opportunity to hear the government?s latest plans on social housing and learn how the localism bill will shape the future of housing.
For more information, see the Inside Government website.