Simon Dow, interim Chair at the Regulator of Social Housing has told housing associations that they must carry out stress-testing and prepare for worst-case Brexit scenarios.Speaking at the Social Housing Conference, Mr Dow referenced the recent Bank of England’s predictions for what would happen to the economy in the case of a “disorderly Brexit”.Projected worst-case scena...
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Housing associations told to be prepared for a "Disorderly Brexit”
over 5 years ago -
Latest figures show affordable housing levels up 12%
over 5 years agoThe need for more housing, especially more affordable housing, is probably something nearly everyone, including all the political parties, can agree on.When Prime Minister Theresa May announced in a speech, given to the National Housing Federation in mid-September, that the UK government would be spending £2bn to boost the country’s affordable and social housing supply the i...
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Stamp duty branded as broken
over 5 years agoStamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has always been a controversial topic and drawn many a comment from MPs, experts and campaigners.Indeed, recent speculation on the topic focused on the belief that the Government would announce an overhaul of the tax in the recent budget.An overhaul didn’t materialise however and the changes that were made, no Stamp Duty for first-time buyers on h...
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Earn even £bigger rewards for new candidate referrals from now until the end of December
over 5 years agoWe are busier than ever and facing exceptionally high demand for experienced Sales Negotiators and Sales Managers. Talented candidates are required immediately for current permanent vacancies and to further strengthen our temp team in key areas. We are offering increased rewards under our referral scheme for a limited time only.(*T&Cs apply see below).Earn up to £100.00 wo...
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Housing Minister warns housebuilders not to become obsolete at HMI conference
over 5 years agoSpeaking at this year’s Housing Market Intelligence (HMI) conference in London housing minister Kit Malthouse has dramatically warned housebuilders not to become “the Kodaks” of the industry, referencing film forerunner Kodak’s perceived slowness in recognising the impact of digital photography which culminated in the firm filing for bankruptcy protection in the US in 2012....
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The UK’s second largest housing association to only offer lifetime tenancies to their resident
over 5 years agoLondon’s largest housing association London and Quadrant (L&Q) Housing Trust has announced that after conducting extensive research and consultation with its residents they have decided to scrap Fixed Term Tenancies (FTTs) for all of their tenants.The association currently houses approximately 250,000 people in more than 92,000 homes mainly throughout London and the South E...
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Rejected after a job interview? How to learn from it
over 5 years agoSo, you didn’t get your dream job or even the one you weren’t that bothered about? It’s certainly never a great experience and can leave you despondent and demotivated to try again.But, try again you must; the old phrase really does say it best: “If you fall of the horse, you need to get straight back in the saddle.”In fact, when the rejection is fresh in your mind it’s the...
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First-time buyer numbers reach highest level in a decade
over 5 years agoDuring the first half of 2018 the number of first-time buyers has reached its highest level in a decade, according to the latest figures.Data compiled by the Halifax and compared to average earnings statistics from the Office for National Statistics and mortgage and deposit data from UK Finance, highlights that the number of first-time buyers has increased by 21% in the pas...
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Latest survey states that the over 65S are the solution to the housing crisis
over 5 years agoThe recent publishing of retirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone’s third annual Retirement Confidence Index (RCI), produced in conjunction with YouGov and which saw a nationally representative sample of 3,000 UK adults aged over 65 and 700 adults aged under 30 surveyed, has certainly made for some interesting reading.Indeed, many are even claiming that it highlights that t...
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Skills shortages in the construction industry could impact the housebuilding sector
over 5 years agoWith Theresa May’s pledge to personally take charge of fixing the housing crisis in the UK still ringing in our ears we should all be feeling more positive. The government is attempting to tackle financing and planning restrictions and is even looking at freeing up more land, previously protected, for house building. However, although things are looking optimistic for the i...
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New report from MPS calls for new homes ombudsman to resolve disputes
over 5 years agoA new report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment has led to pressure being placed on the government to set up an independent new homes ombudsman.The report, Better Redress for Home Buyers highlights the problems and confusion new home buyers can face when trying to resolve building defects, especially by a plethora of warranties, h...
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Homes England agrees to £590M funding of strategic partnerships with eight housing associations
over 5 years agoThe Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire announced at the Local Government Association’s annual conference, that a £590m fund is to be given to Homes England to help housing associations accelerate the delivery of affordable properties communities need.Homes England, the new national housing agency launched in January will fund ...
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New radical report aims to fix broken housing market
over 5 years agoHowever, a radical new report entitled, “Green, pleasant and affordable” claims that the growth of the buy-to-let market in recent years has prevented two million families from becoming homeowners and calls for government action to stop people buying homes as an investment by abolishing tax relief for landlords and clamping down on overseas buyers.Conservative Think Tank, O...
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London mayor gives cash boost to hiring associations
almost 6 years agoLondon mayor, Sadiq Khan is offering increased grant rates for housing associations willing to boost their delivery of affordable homes.The move comes after they told him that they are reaching the limits of what is possible by cross-subsidising affordable housing through market activity.In an attempt to tackle the problem, the London mayor is putting some of the additional...
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61% of planning committee members believe housing crisis is getting worse
almost 6 years agoA recent survey of local government planning committee members has revealed that a significant 61% of councillors consider that the housing crisis is getting worse, with just 8% believing that it was improving.The survey polled 5,500 planning committee members across England, with 670 councillors responding to questions on a range of issues facing the housebuilding industry....
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Figures reveal brand new homes cost 16% more than existing properties
almost 6 years ago The latest monthly house price index from LCPAca Residential Index, highlights today that new-builds are far more expensive than existing homes that are sold.The LCPAca Residential Index was launched by London Central Portfolio (LCP) in conjunction with independent analysts Acadata and is designed to provide comprehensive data that tracks residential property prices and vo...
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Government calls on house builders to embrace technology for good quality homes
almost 6 years agoAs we see even more change within the government’s housing department, saying goodbye to Sajid Javid as he becomes Home Secretary and hello to James Brokenshire as the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), we can only wonder what impact this will have on the government’s ambitious housing plans.Indeed, only last week we saw MHCLG mini...
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Labour promises to build 1 million "genuinely affordable" homes in 10 years
almost 6 years agoHousing has become a political battleground as younger voters become more and more frustrated at increasingly being shut out of the property market due to a lack of affordable housing to buy or rent.Indeed, government statistics show the number of homeowners under the age of 45 in England has dropped from 4.46m in 2010 to 3.56m in 2015 - 2016.Therefore it was no surprise...
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Lack of properties impacting on spring house market
almost 6 years agoThe spring weather often brings with it the start of the house-selling season, although things appear to be off to a slow start this year.The latest survey, from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has highlighted that demand from buyers, and new instructions from sellers, are down again, with figures showing the flattest period in the last five years in the...
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East Midland house price growth could surpass London says new KPMG report
almost 6 years agoA new report produced by KPMG and analysing the latest house price projections, has shown that house price growth in the East Midlands could surpass London over the next five years.The analysis revealed that the house price growth in the East Midlands region was projected to grow at an average of 3.4 per cent over the next 5 years. Meanwhile, the North East and London were ...
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