social housing

As social housing becomes increasingly airtight to improve energy efficiency, more homes are being blighted by condensation, mould and the associated problems they bring. And as the weather cools, residents are more likely to keep windows closed eliminating natural ventilation and allowing condensation to thrive. With the condensation and mould season now upon us, social housing providers will be pleased to know that Airtech has developed a comprehensive service over the last 25 years to offer landlords solutions to overcome this problem and help create healthy homes for residents.

Condensation and mould can wreak havoc. Not only does it create the need for redecoration, it can cause costly damage to the fabric of the building. Add to this the fact that it leads to poor indoor air quality (IAQ), which can have health consequences for households, and landlords can have a serious problem on their hands. In the English Housing Survey 2016: stock condition by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, the report found that the most common type of damp was serious condensation and mould.

An industry report has predicted the number of connected devices being used worldwide will grow to 20.8billion by 2020*. What opportunities could this present for social housing providers and landlords?
Nick Rutter, Chief Product Officer for FireAngel, explores the latest connected safety solutions and how they are transforming the capabilities of fire safety technologies…

Over the last decade the development of internet of things (IoT) and the notion of a ‘connected home’ has undergone significant developments. Initially starting as a rather fantastical concept, today’s IoT technology is relevant to everyday life, primarily designed to ‘make life easier for the user’.

Louise Drew, head of real estate at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, gives her insight into Voluntary Right to Buy…

The Voluntary Right to Buy (VRtB) pilot has now launched across the Midlands, giving social housing tenants the opportunity to purchase their homes at a discounted price, while enabling registered providers (RPs) to renew their stock. The scheme is widely seen as a positive step, providing welcome rejuvenation for the social housing sector, which has been suffering from a dramatic lack of supply. However, there will likely be a learning curve for RPs, so how should they prepare themselves in order to make the most out of the scheme?

At least 1 in 10 rental properties in England are likely to be advertised unlawfully by explicitly discriminating against people who rely on housing benefit, new research from the National Housing Federation and Shelter shows.

The analysis of around 86,000 letting agent adverts on Zoopla shows that 8,710 adverts for different residential properties in England say ‘no DSS’ or ‘no housing benefit’.

In January this year, the Regulator of Social Housing was borne out of the ashes of the Homes & Communities Agency. The new editor of Housing Association magazine, Victoria Galligan, asks: what has been done so far in 2018 to increase the number of social and affordable properties available?

There’s no doubt that demand for affordable housing has far outstripped supply, especially over the recent years of austerity. And with homes being taken out of local authority control through disposals, Right to Buy (RTB) sales and town regeneration schemes, the need for new social housing has arguably never been so high.

Airtech Environmental Systems, the ventilation specialists, is delighted to support UK Radon Awareness Week (5-11 November 2018.) Run by the UK Radon Association the theme for the 2018 campaign is Healthy Living with the focus being on raising awareness of how radon can affect all aspects of life, from home to workplaces.

Airtech, offers social housing providers a complete solution to help protect residents from the risks caused by Radon gas in the home. Domestic exposure to radon increases the risk of lung cancer, with 1,000 to 2,000 deaths each year estimated to be caused by exposure to the gas. Since Landlords have a responsibility to their tenants under Duty of Care and the Housing Act to provide a safe home, radon is a major consideration for social housing providers.

Gypsum plaster is one of the most extensively used materials within social housing but is it always the right solution? Matthew Allen, Business Development Manager for Tarmac’s Limelite product group, puts a case forward for the Limelite Plaster system as an alternative solution.

With the UK’s population rising, so too are the number of families and young people living in social housing. In the main, properties owned by housing associations have gypsum plaster applied to the internal walls. This is due to the ease of application and low-cost. Gypsum plaster has long been the ‘go to’ choice of professionals across the UK building industry, but possesses some inherent weaknesses which have been thrust into the spotlight in recent years, bringing into question its long-term suitability.