You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Short on time? Wednesday’s housing news in five minutes
A round-up of the top stories this morning from Inside Housing and elsewhere
Top story: Former Housing & Finance Institute boss gets junior MHCLG role
Natalie Elphicke, who formerly led the Housing & Finance Institute (HFI), has been handed a junior role at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government months after being elected as an MP.
Ms Elphicke, who has written a number of times for Inside Housing, has been joined the department as parliamentary private secretary.
A housing finance policy expert and former City lawyer, Ms Elphicke co-authored the Elphicke-House Report on how councils can contribute to housing supply in 2015. She led the HFI policy unit since 2015, before stepping down as chief executive for the election in December.
Click here to read the full story
Temporary accommodation tenant wins High Court challenge against London council
A significant case in the High Court last week saw a judge rule that Newham Council was in breach of its statutory duty to house a temporary accommodation tenant and his family into suitable accommodation.
The tenant moved into temporary housing in 2005 but was moved into new accommodation in 2017. However, he argued that the accommodation was not suitable for his disabled daughter, which was supported by a review by the council in 2018.
Despite this review, the council did not resettle the family into new accommodation, with the judge ruling that there was no evidence to suggest that it was “unreasonable or unreasonably difficult” to do this for the claimant.
In addition to the ruling, the judge made a mandatory order, which gives the council 12 weeks to secure suitable accommodation for the claimant’s family.
Newham Council said it had taken steps to make alternative accommodation available to the claimant and emphasised its limited resources and the shortage of available housing stock in the borough.
Lunchtime long read
The Scottish government has made an ambitious 20-year plan for housing, which includes eradicating child poverty, homelessness and fuel poverty; tackling the effects of climate change; and promoting inclusive growth.
But what does the sector think of this, and will it work? Rhiannon Curry speaks to the biggest stakeholders in the Scottish housing sector to get their views on the Housing to 2040 plan.
Quote of the day
“On rent policy, as the new rent standard will come into force this April it seems a good time for boards to assure themselves that their approach to rent-setting is robust and defensible.”
Simon Dow, interim chair of the Regulator of Social Housing, provides advice to social landlords ahead of April’s rent rise
In the papers
Picture: Getty
In an interview with The Guardian, Nicholas Burton, Grenfell survivor and a founder member of Grenfell United, explains what he wants from the public inquiry. “I don’t think you can point the finger at one individual,” he says. “I only want to get to the truth. I want people to be able to put up their hands and say we failed and this is why and this is how we can learn from this. But if they hide and we’re not going to get answers, the whole inquiry has been a waste of time.”
The BBC has analysed where the most new homes are being built as part of an in-depth look at the housing crisis.
In his latest column for The Guardian, George Monbiot tackles the issue of banned toxic flame retardants contained in furniture and claims a “bonfire” of EU red tape will make matters worse.
Local news
Picture: Getty
Five hundred homes planned by bookmaker Fred Done on the former Manchester Racecourse will not include any affordable ones, according to a report in the Manchester Evening News.
Free home insulation is being offered to residents in the Welsh country of Powys in a new scheme to tackle fuel poverty, following a delay, the BBC reports. The launch of the scheme, ECO3, had been put back by several months pending an inquiry into claims a previous scheme was open to possible fraud.
Plymouth City Council is using new powers to increase the extra council tax on empty homes in an effort to bring them back into use, Plymouth Live reports.
Around the sector
Picture: Devonshires staff at the new office in Leeds
Law firm Devonshires is celebrating its move into a new office in Leeds. The firm is relocating to No 1 Whitehall Riverside in the west end of the city. The move coincides with the firm's three-year anniversary of moving to Leeds.
Chris Drabble, lead partner of its Leeds office, said: “With many clients across the North, our presence in Leeds has been warmly received by clients.
"Now we have the perfect base to do more for our existing clients and to attract new ones. In support of that we plan to make a number of significant hires and expect to double our team in Leeds in the next three years.”
We want to hear from you! To tell us what your organisation and staff are doing, email editorial@insidehousing.co.uk
The big issues that impact the regeneration and delivery of social housingSPONSORED ARTICLE
