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Morning Briefing: empty homes rise makes the headlines
The numbers of empty homes has risen for the second consecutive year, the “flat-pack” homes being built in Wales, and is it time for rough sleeper protection orders?
In the news
The Guardian is reporting that the number of long-term empty homes in England has risen for the second consecutive year.
The newspaper quotes government statistics showing there were 216,186 homes that have been empty for six months or more as of the year to October.
The paper’s reporting does not offer any insight into why the numbers are increasing, but it does quote Joseph Daniels, chief executive of modular home builder Project Etopia, saying the “spectre” of empty homes “aggregates an already tough market”.
Is it time for rough sleeper protection orders (RSPO) to protect rough sleepers?
Shaista Aziz, a Labour councillor in Oxford, has written a piece for The Guardian arguing for orders to criminalise aggressive behaviour towards people sleeping in the streets.
The Manchester Evening News has a report about New Charter Homes calling on tenants to “pay a little extra” on their rent every week to ensure they don’t fall into arrears as a result of a quirk of the calendar.
Inside Housing has previously reported on the issue, which is of concern to the National Housing Federation. Many social landlords collect rent on a Monday, there are 53 Mondays this year but Universal Credit only takes into account 52 payments.
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Also on Universal Credit, the government has revealed that Harrogate in Yorkshire will be the first area to see existing housing benefit claimants transferred to Universal Credit.
Eight in 10 households affected by the total household benefit cap can’t work and should be exempt, a committee MPs have warned the government.
You can read the Independent’s report on the concerns of the work and pensions select committee here.
The Coventry Observer has a report on a planned 500-home development on former green belt, along with the inevitable opposition from campaigners.
Also in the West Midlands, the Birmingham Mail has a report on the athletes’ village development for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
It reports concern that only 58 homes in the proposed 1,400-home scheme are affordable.
In Scotland, Scottish Labour are calling for a more targeted scheme to replace for Help to Buy.
Website Wales Online is reporting on “flat-pack”, ie modular, homes being built in Denbighshire.
Should cities get more funding than rural areas? Paul Swinney, head of policy and research at thinktank Centre for Cities, argues for a rebalancing in this piece for City Metric.
On social media
Lara Oyedele, a former housing association chief executive and one time chair of BME National, is calling on the sector to sign a petition for more housebuilding:
Social housebuilding is at a 70-year low, while the #housingcrisis gets steadily worse. I’ve signed @Shelter’s petition to demand the govt #BuildSocialHousing we desperately need. t.co/GxkUnVObon#ukhousing #homelessness
— Lara Oyedele (@LaraOyedele)
Please sign, share & retweet.Social housebuilding is at a 70-year low, while the #housingcrisis gets steadily worse. I’ve signed @Shelter’s petition to demand the govt #BuildSocialHousing we desperately need. https://t.co/GxkUnVObon#ukhousing #homelessness
— Lara Oyedele (@LaraOyedele) March 12, 2019
Please sign, share & retweet.
Whats on
• The two-day Scotland’s Housing Festival, organised by the Chartered Institute of Housing, kicks off in Glasgow
