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Short on time? Friday’s housing news in five minutes
A round-up of the top stories this morning from Inside Housing and elsewhere
Top story: Repairs and vital safety checks could be put on hold due to coronavirus
Social landlords and contractors are concerned that the coronavirus outbreak could cause a backlog of repairs and safety checks.
The fear is that as the spreading virus forces workers and tenants to isolate themselves, emergency jobs will need to be prioritised.
Clarion, the UK’s largest housing association, said it is currently operating a normal service but will have to focus on emergency work necessary for residents’ safety if its workforce is diminished further.
Experts were also concerned that councils and housing associations might not be able to carry out annual safety checks, such as on gas boilers.
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Availability of grant ‘most significant factor’ for housing association development
Housing associations believe that the amount of grant the government is offering will be the biggest factor affecting how many homes they can build.
A survey by auditor RSM shared exclusively with Inside Housing also found 81% of respondents feel a lack of clarity over future policy has not yet affected their development ambitions.
And it revealed that 42% expect relations between the sector and government to get worse under Boris Johnson, who has signalled a focus on homeownership following Theresa May’s more holistic approach.
Lunchtime long read
Illustration: Eleanor Shakespeare
In April, the rent will go up for almost four million social homes across England for the first time in five years, with 94% of social landlords planning the maximum increase permitted by government. Peter Apps finds out why they’re doing so and what the effects will be.
Quote of the day
“If we are serious about fighting the stigma some residents feel, keeping our own house in order is a good place to start.”
Catriona Simons, chief executive of the Guinness Partnership, wonders how Sir Edward Guinness would feel to know the organisation he founded is still needed 130 years later.
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In the papers
Picture: Getty
The Guardian covers yesterday’s announced planning reforms by focusing on the fact that owners of blocks of flats will be allowed to add two storeys to their height without getting planning permission.
Meanwhile, The Guardian’s Australian arm reports that homelessness organisations in the country have claimed that people without secure housing are “particularly vulnerable” to the coronavirus.
Elsewhere, the BBC has picked up on warnings from the G15 group of large London housing associations that replacing unsafe cladding in the capital will cost £4bn.
Local news
Picture: Getty
Brighton and Hove City Council’s deputy housing chair Nichole Brennan has resigned from her cabinet post in an anti-semitism row, The Argus reports.
In Greenwich, 120 of the council’s housing repair workers will go on strike later this month over a pay dispute, according to News Shopper.
And in Bromsgrove, the Redditch Standard reports that councillors are set to reconsider plans for a 2,560-home development, following opposition from campaigners.
Around the sector
Fife Housing Group is celebrating being named the best housing association to work for in Scotland.
The 2,500-home Dunfermline-based landlord, which employs 70 people, was also listed by the Best Companies Index as one of the top 25 organisations to work for of any kind in Scotland.
Nicki Donaldson, chief executive of Fife Housing Group, said the “amazing achievement” was “testament to the dedication of our colleagues who have embraced our culture and values in a manner that ultimately benefits not only them but also our tenants”.
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