social housing

Joe Bradbury of Housing Association magazine asks whether we need a new approach to social housing as well as more money?

As part of the Government’s commitment to transform housebuilding, the Prime Minister recently announced £2 billion in new funding to give housing associations the long-term certainty they need to deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes needed in Britain today.

With energy prices rising for the second time this year, Max Halliwell explores the impact this is likely to have on fuel poverty and looks at what can be done to help.

As we move from a scorching summer towards the cold of winter, the price of energy is in the news again as Ofgem, the industry regulator raised the cap on prices for the second time this year to cover higher wholesale costs that the energy suppliers are facing.

Scottish Power announced an increase of 3.7% or an average of £46 a year for just under a million customers and this news follows similar rises from British Gas with both companies blaming the continuing increases in the price of wholesale energy in the market.
 

The cap on fuel prices will rise in October, increasing the gap between the cost of energy and what people can afford by 9%. This will undoubtedly worsen the issue of inadequately heated homes nationwide.  What can social housing providers do to help their tenants avoid falling into the fuel poverty trap? Joe Bradbury of Housing Association Magazine discusses:

Rising costs
It has now been confirmed that annual energy bills for five million vulnerable households will increase by up to £47 after the UK industry regulator raised the cap on prices for the second time this year on the back of higher wholesale costs.

Secretary of State for Communities, The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has confirmed a massive funding boost for social housing across the country.

Over £1bn has been secured in the social housing deal, which will deliver 23,000 affordable homes across the UK through a new generation of council housing. The funding is aimed at helping solve the housing crisis and provide the country with the homes communities need.

Some £1.67bn will be invested in providing more than 23,000 new affordable homes, including at least 12,500 social rent homes in high cost areas in a move to support families struggling to pay their rent.

Social housing professionals invited get to grips with growing issue of moisture in properties at trade body event

Housing association and local authority professionals can take advantage of a trade body conference, to get the inside track on how to tackle excess moisture in their property stock.

The Property Care Association has brought together industry experts, academics and practitioners from across the world to share best practice at the 2018 International Residential Ventilation & Preservation of Buildings Conference.

The most recent sign of Britain’s ‘cost-of-living crisis’ is rarely out of the headlines; reports of damp and mould in social housing and privately rented properties are on the increase. A key contributing factor to this growing concern is that tenants have been struggling to afford to heat their homes to a reasonable temperature while maintaining adequate levels of ventilation.

Considered only a marginal issue for landlords up until last winter, social housing providers are now facing an increasing number of legal challenges from tenants as a result of a new condensation ‘damp phenomenon’. The problems surrounding damp and condensation, such as asthma, allergies and overall negative impact on well-being are said to be a direct result of rising energy bills and increasing levels of fuel poverty.