Terrie Alafat CBEA closer relationship between councils and associations could make a huge difference
The Chartered Institute of Housing today publishes a guide on ways associations and councils can work more effectively together. Terrie Alafat explains more
A close and effective working relationship between councils and housing associations will be instrumental if we’re going to meet the housing needs of our communities.
For various reasons that relationship has been placed under increasing strain in recent years due in part to the financial pressures faced by both and reductions in local authority funding.
In a sense though it really doesn’t matter where we are or how we get here, it is how we move forward that counts. And it has never been more important for us to do that, and crucially to do it together.
This was the motivation behind Building Bridges, a new guide which we published this week working with the Association of Retained Council Housing and Vivid.
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During the creation of the guide we spoke to councils and housing associations up and down the country to find out what is and isn’t working and why. The resulting guide presents best practice and makes proposals on how we might move forward.
Building Bridges contains some fantastic examples of councils and housing associations working together closely to achieve great results for their communities.
“We believe all could now explore the ideas for completely new allocations systems.”
They have made it their business to understand each other’s priorities, they have built trust and they’ve shared resource and knowledge. It is clear from these examples that the potential for this joint approach to meet the housing challenges we face are huge.
The challenges facing councils and housing associations are unique wherever you are in the country. But as well as the specific examples of working together that are highlighted in Building Bridges, we think there are some general lessons to be learned.
Councils can work more closely with housing associations in improving the development planning system, with resources being shared where possible. Meanwhile housing associations can be more flexible with their offer of new supply to make it more relevant to the council.
The guide also proposes councils and housing associations work together on a new, more dynamic and flexible system for allocations which could be jointly funded.
There are already examples of councils and associations working in this direction but we believe all could now explore the ideas for completely new allocations systems.
There are undoubtedly things that the government can do. Welfare policy, for example, is causing huge affordability issues – leaving housing associations with little option but to refuse nominations from councils and adding further pressure to often already strained homelessness services.
“A joint approach to defining affordability in communities, supported by government, could pay huge dividends if it is executed properly.”
Similarly, the government could do more on supply – making it easier for councils to sell land and boosting the funding available for affordable housing. It could also divert some of its very considerable overall spend on housing into higher grant levels for social housing to be provided at more affordable rents.
And there is one crucial issue which sits at the heart of much of the tension between these organisations – affordability. A joint approach to defining affordability in communities, supported by government, could pay huge dividends if it is executed properly.
In Building Bridges we propose that councils and housing associations work together on a local housing affordability framework.
This would bring the organisations together to establish the mix of homes needed in communities. It would involve regular reviews, targets and above all it would drive the delivery of the building of the right homes in the right places.
The relationship between councils and housing associations has never been more important. The government must facilitate and support this joint work if it is to fulfil the promises it made to tackle our housing crisis, but a fresh approach from councils and housing associations could make a huge difference, too.
Terrie Alafat, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing
