Briefings
Regulation under the new regime for England: an HQN survey
Network briefing by Janis Bright and Alistair McIntosh
All change! An evaluation of the new frameworks for regulating social housing in England and Scotland
Network briefing by Roger Jarman
Development for registered providers - some current issues
Network briefing by Peter Atkinson
Social tenants and landlords: the Coalition's approach
Network briefing by Martin Wheatley
HBnews - February 2012
The quarterly Housing Quality Network Housing Benefit newsletter, bringing you news, views and comment on current HB and other benefits issues
Resident involvement in social housing in the UK and Europe: research and good practice
Briefing by Janis Bright
Council self-financing and stock transfer: the housing association perspective
Network briefing by Robin Tebbutt
Riots, gangs and violence and the role of housing providers
Network briefing by Tim Horsley
Prioritising homelessness in 2012: time to look at the Scottish approach?
Network briefing by Isobel Anderson
A new approach to regulation? The social housing regulator’s proposals for revised regulatory standards
Network briefing by John Wheeldon
Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England
Network briefing by Janis Bright
HBnews - November 2011
The quarterly Housing Quality Network Housing Benefit newsletter, bringing you news, views and comment on current HB and other benefits issues
Eviction powers for anti-social behaviour - the government’s consultation
Network briefing by Tim Horsley
“Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is what first got me into politics”
Shapps says Guardian report on homelessness is ‘alarmist’
Briefing - Fair and flexible: HQN guidance on carrying out Equality Impact Assessments of allocations policies and procedures
Complimentary SEN briefing by Joanna Jeffery and Richard Seager
Working together to tackle youth unemployment
Network briefing paper by Richard Marsh
The NHS White Paper: opportunities and insight for the housing sector
Network briefing by Gill Leng
Planning for the future - a checklist to inform homelessness prevention post emergency budget
Network toolkit by Sheila Spencer
Tackling homelessness - assessing the needs of 16- and 17-year-olds
Network briefing paper by Jon Cook
Support for All: the Families and Relationships Green Paper
Network briefing by Tim Horsley
Current events and public training
Emirates Stadium, London - SOLD OUT
22 May 2012
The Studio, Manchester
24 May 2012
News
Grant Shapps: Tackling record deficit has helped keep repossessions down
The Government's commitment to tackling the record deficit is keeping interest rates at a record low and a secure roof over the heads of millions of hard-working homeowners, Housing Minister Grant Shapps said
Repossessions show no sign of slowing
Figures released today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders reveal the rate of repossessions in the UK remains high, four years after the recession began
HCA sets out commitment to public land ambition
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has revealed its sites set to be released for development to help meet local needs for housing, jobs and growth
Single homeless people’s experiences of the Work Capability Assessment
A report by Crisis
Millions invested to help house buyers
War heroes could benefit from millions of pounds being invested in two schemes to help first time buyers get on the property ladder
Preventing homelessness
Measures to prevent homelessness are being backed with extra Scottish Government funding this year, MSPs were informed today
New scheme to protect tenants' millions
A compulsory scheme to safeguard millions of pounds in deposits paid by tenants renting properties in Scotland has been approved
Helping homeless households
Housing Minister Keith Brown today underlined the need for good quality temporary accommodation for homeless families
Your right to buy your home: A guide
Under the Right to Buy scheme, you can buy your home at a price lower than the full market value. This is because the length of time you have spent as a tenant entitles you to a discount
CUTS RISK TRAPPING MORE PEOPLE IN HOMELESSNESS
Survey by Homeless Link of 500 homeless services shows rising demand, as cuts hit number of homeless people moving on to homes and jobs
Cash to wounded warriors - Government commitment to support our troops beyond the battlefield
Cash payments for councils who have adapted the homes of wounded soldiers injured in the line of duty were announced
Older People’s Commissioner calls for better protection for care home residents
Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, has called on the Welsh Government to review and update guidance to offer greater protection for residents of care homes at risk of closure
Housing plan on track
The Scottish Government is making clear progress on delivering its key housing plans, Housing Minister Keith Brown said today
Homeless to benefit from criminals’ cash
Homeless Scots in London are to benefit from money confiscated from crooks and fraudsters, the Scottish Government announced today
Working with the private rented sector to tackle youth homelessness
Crisis' publication identifies the most effective ways in which agencies are supporting young homeless or vulnerably housed people to access and sustain private rented accommodation
The impact of welfare reform on housing
A Consortium of Associations in the South East (CASE) report
National evaluation of the Handyperson Programme
The evaluation reports on value for money and the success of the programme in meeting service users' needs
Welsh Government: Credit Unions offer an affordable alternative to pay day loans
22 credit unions providing all Wales coverage – ideally placed to help people in communities who are unable to access mainstream financial services
Bringing empty homes back into use: application guidance for community and voluntary groups
Meeting local housing demand – a guide for elected members
HCA and LGA publication argues that councils are central to tackling the housing crisis
Housing strategy debated in Lords: “housing should be a focus for the coalition”
Click the link above to read the full transcript
Scottish Government: consultation on housing support for homeless households
Comments sought by 11 April 2012
Councils should help older people live at home for longer
An update on the FreeSpace project, New Deal for Older People, further DFG allocations and HIAs and FirstStop
Scottish Government: social services voluntary bodies funding
Voluntary organisations across Scotland's social care sector are to benefit from a £1 million investment in staff training
DCLG consultation: changes to land use change statistics, rationalised collection of local authority housing statistics and publication of regional statistics
Responses sought by 2 April 2012
Welsh Government consultation: options to replace the social fund community care grants and crisis loans for living expenses
Comments sought by 30 March 2012
HCA announces Traveller pitch funding allocations to 2015
33 housing associations, local authorities and other providers are set to deliver around 600 new Traveller pitches
YouGov survey for Shelter: many rely on credit to pay for home
Almost one million people have taken out a payday loan to help pay their rent or mortgage in the last 12 months
New deal to help older people live at home for longer
£51 million towards Home Improvement Agencies, £20 million for Disabled Facilities Grants and £1.5 million funding for FirstStop
£200 million payment by results scheme to help troubled families
Run in conjunction with local authorities and organisations delivering the Work Programme, the new service is to help families with multiple problems overcome barriers to employment
Review to examine institutional investment in private rented sector
Sir Adrian Montague to lead the review of barriers to investment in rented homes
Funding boost towards national No Second Night Out pledge
£8 million grant funding allocated to communities across the country
Scottish Government: housing voluntary grant scheme
29 housing projects across Scotland have been awarded grants totalling £2 million
£420m fund to get Britain building again in 2012
The Get Britain Building Fund is expected to unlock up to 16,000 homes on sites that are currently stalled, and help create up to 30,000 jobs in construction and related industries
DCLG consultation: reinvigorating Right to Buy and one for one replacement
Comments sought by 2 February 2012
First-ever fund will offer £20million support for single homeless people
The funding is additional to the existing Preventing Homelessness Grant and will be made available in the New Year
Age, home and community: a strategy for housing for Scotland's older people 2012 – 2021
Sets out vision, direction, information and advice, making better use of existing housing and preventative support services and new build housing for older people
TSA: Claer Lloyd-Jones' December 2011 letter to providers
Covers the Royal Assent of the Localism Act 2011, the transfer of regulation to the HCA, an update on the revised regulatory framework statutory consultation, information and links to the latest publication of the TSA Quarterly Survey, the development of the Homes and Communities Agency's equalities duties and the news that Matthew Bailes will transfer to the HCA as Director of Regulation from April 2012
Paul Burstow: next steps for social care reform
Video message talks about the ‘caring for our future’ engagement process
Scottish Government: evaluation of using co-production in local housing strategies
Findings from the evaluation of two pilots using co-production as a method of working with disabled people to ensure their needs are addressed in local housing strategies
In a civilised society no one should have to sleep on the pavement
Grant Shapps: “if you see someone sleeping rough, please bring them the gift of shelter this Christmas”
Government under-occupancy plans defeated in Lords
Peers voted 258 votes to 190 in favour of amendment 12 to the Welfare Reform Bill
HCA toolkit: community engagement
Online toolkit to recognise what community engagement looks like, how to be open to innovation and how to explore new ideas to meet local needs
Scottish Government consultation: review of third sector funding for children, young people and families
Comments sought by 29 February 2012
Scottish Government: funding to tackle poverty
The £50 million SPRUCE (Scottish Partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres) Fund is open for business
Government pledges £1 million to support the vulnerable at Christmas
Nick Hurd: “people up and down the country have always given generously to help children, the elderly and the homeless at Christmas”
Statutory homelessness: July - September Quarter 2011, England
12,510 applicants were accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during July to September 2011, 6 per cent higher than during the same quarter of 2010
Welsh Government consultation: meeting the housing challenge – building a consensus for action
Comments sought by 17 February 2012
Attitudes to housing, planning and changing policies
A NatCen Social Research report (British Social Attitudes 28)
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and joint health and wellbeing strategies explained
Document to support emerging health and wellbeing boards as they engage with the refresh of Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and develop their preparatory joint health and wellbeing strategy
DCLG report: Lifetime Neighbourhoods
DCLG report: how can ageing, design, housing, transport, participation and green spaces can be linked when creating Lifetime Neighbourhoods?
DWP consultation: Support for mortgage interest
Responses sought by 27 February 2012
Scottish Government consultation: the terms of proposed tenancy deposit schemes
Responses sought by 21 January 2012
£8.5 million improves home life for Welsh disabled
How Welsh Government investment is protecting and empowering vulnerable people
Social mobility business compact
Nick Clegg launches a Business Compact, asking businesses to do their bit
HQN council tenants' guide
We are pleased to offer your organisation a complimentary copy of the HQN Residents' Network guide to help tenants through the process of a stock options review.
Audit Commission report: joining up health and social care
Improving value for money across the interface
Care home residents to keep DLA/PIP mobility
When DLA is replaced with PIP in 2013, disabled people in residential care will continue to receive any mobility component of PIP they are entitled to
Welsh Government: Invest to Save Fund being used to support vulnerable people to stay in their own homes for longer
The adult social care outcomes framework: handbook of definitions
Department of Health publication for local authority chief executives and directors of adult social services and PCT chairs
Care Quality Commission to target home care services
The themed inspection programme will start in April and will cover about 250 providers of domiciliary care services
£16.8 million support for free advice services
Big Fund will provide immediate support to debt, welfare benefits, employment and housing advice services
Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England
New strategy to deliver homes and strengthen the economy
New Build Indemnity scheme – supports those with only 5% deposit
House builders put 3.5% of the sale price into an indemnity fund. In the event of repossession within 7 years, the fund is used to cover any losses realised by the lender. Government adds a set percentage guarantee
Housing rules should not be a barrier to a stable home life
Forthcoming guidance on allocating council homes will break down barriers between council departments to ensure the needs adoption and fostering will be considered
Scottish Government: detailed analysis of religious hate crime
There were charges with a religious aggravation in 27 out of Scotland's 32 Local Authority areas
Count of Gypsy and Traveller caravans
The total number of Gypsy and Traveller caravans in England in July 2011 was approximately 18,600.This is about 400 more than the total in July 2010
Scottish Government: help for fuel poor
The Fuel Poverty Forum will look at the how Local Authorities fuel poverty initiatives interact with Scottish Government's schemes in its review of fuel poverty strategy
Housing demand will exceed the size of Birmingham by 2015, warns FMB
Report also states that the number of small house builders is at the lowest since 1982 because of escalating costs and regulatory burdens
House hunting heroes in government's sights
Minister makes pledge to our men and women in uniform to pull out all the stops to give them the support they need
Council of Mortgage Lenders: 9,200 homes taken in to possession
Council expects the number of repossessions in 2011 to be lower than their original forecast of 40,000
Northern Ireland HE: amendments to the HMO registration scheme
Proposed amendment to make clear provision for payment of the registration fees on the first registration of relevant houses, or on renewal of registration
Centre for Social Justice mental health report
Completing the revolution – transforming mental health and tackling poverty
Local authorities challenged to do better on adoption
Government publishes performance tables for children in care for the first time
HomeSwap Direct to offer fresh opportunities for social tenants
Scheme to give greater choice over potential swaps by allowing them to see a much wider selection of properties
Promoting independence: the future of housing related support
A Local Government and Information Unit and Circle publication
Rent rises hit home
Shelter research reports unaffordable private rents in 55% of local authorities in England
Scottish Government: more help for first time buyers
Extra £4.65 million has been allocated to the Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme to help those on low to moderate incomes into home ownership
HCA announces successful bidders for Homelessness Change Programme funding
£37.5m funding allocated to 37 projects to improve facilities for rough sleepers and provide 1,200 extra bed spaces
Prime Minister outlines new measures on immigration
Changes to work, student and family migration routes to tackle abuse and ensure that those coming to Britain will be good for the country and drive economic growth
Care Quality Commission consultation: regulatory fees scheme consultation
Comments sought by 28 December 2011
Evaluation of the teenage parent supported housing pilot
Department for Education report evaluating enhanced support packages
Prevention best course of action, Minister tells housing conference
Early intervention key to tackling homelessness in Wales, Housing Minister Huw Lewis has told the Cardiff Homelessness Conference
Care Quality Commission consultation: judgement framework and enforcement policy consultation
Comments sought by 9 December 2011
FirstBuy already helping our military families
Grant Shapps has today congratulated the first member of the Armed Forces to benefit from FirstBuy
Department of Health discussion – Caring for our future: shared ambitions for care and support
Comments sought by 2 December 2011
Government response to article in Financial Times on homelessness
Housing Minister Grant Shapps claims the article is misleading
Tackling homelessness and exclusion: understanding complex lives
Discusses how policy and practice can more effectively tackle homelessness
National statistics on statutory homelessness for April to June 2011
11,820 applicants accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the last quarter, 17% higher than the same quarter last year
Call to arms on tackling homelessness
Grant Shapps has called on the country's top 50 housing associations to use their expertise and wide-ranging experience to bolster government-led efforts to tackle homelessness
Helping to prevent homelessness
£500,000 from the Scottish Government to cover staff training and service development
Homelessness prevention and relief: England 2010-11
Experimental stats release – 188,800 cases of prevention or relief estimated to have taken place outside the statutory homelessness framework in England
Social mobility and child poverty review – call for evidence
Responses sought by 16 October 2011
Procedure for the transfer from custody of children and young people under the Mental Health Act 1983 in England
Department of Health guidance and flow chart
Ofsted consultation: arrangements for the inspection of LA children’s services
Unannounced two-week inspections a possibility – comments sought by 30 September
Working for personalised care: a framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care
Sets out an approach to enable support for an evolving PA workforce and their employers over the coming years
Scottish Government research in to relative child poverty in Scotland and England
Summarises the results of an investigation into the differing trends in child poverty across the UK between 1998/99 and 2008/09, focusing on the difference between Scotland and England. It explores the extent to which this difference can be attributed to government policy
Department of Health consultation: proposed changes to regulations for Care Quality Commission registration
Comments sought by 7 October 2011
The Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework – handbook of definitions
Sets out the technical detail of each measure in the ASCOF, with worked examples
NIHE 2011/2012 District Housing Plans released
View or download the plans for each of the 26 District Councils
Ministerial working group on homelessness: vision to end rough sleeping
Plan detailing six joint commitments to get government departments working together to tackle rough sleeping
Commission on funding of care and support
Dilnot recommends consistent threshold for social care provision between individual councils
Age UK report: Councils’ planned spending on services for older people will reduce by 8.4% in 2011/12
Download the Age UK Care in Crisis report here
Scottish Housing Regulator report: priorities of homeless people
The report gives a clear picture of what homeless people want and what they value in services from local authorities
Scheme to offer first-time buyers an alternative to the Bank of Mum and Dad
Call for first-time buyers to support FirstBuy
National statistics on statutory homelessness for January to March 2011
11,350 applicants accepted as owed a main homelessness duty during the last quarter, 18% higher than the same quarter last year
Over 800,000 elderly people not getting social care they need, claims Age UK
New report claims that by 2014, England will be spending £250m less on older people's care than in 2004
