Opinion

Asylum seekers live in some of the poorest housing Britain has to offer. They have no say in the location or type of accommodation provided, and they have no security of tenure. So what rights do they have? More than you’d think, says Russell Campbell

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The Mayor of London sets out his vision for London as a great world city: future economic growth, transport improvement and a rising population. But the vision can only become a reality if the number of new homes being built in the capital more than doubles, says Chris Holmes

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The inability of social work and housing departments to work together is, in many instances, exacerbating housing problems and causing unnecessary homelessness. Although corporate strategies are in the pipeline, Adrian Stalker sees little prospect of them bridging the divide

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Cutting-edge design is the only way to solve the housing crisis, says Sir Stuart Lipton, chairman of the influential government-backed urban design watchdog CABE

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Housing could certainly fit into a regional agenda defined mainly in terms of identification of strategic goals but housing transfers will remain the government’s main plank of policy, says David Curry

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The development of housing law over the last century has led to a complex set of rules which few tenants or landlords can understand. Russell Campbell looks at recent proposals for simplifying the law in England and Wales

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The Human Rights Act has, since October, allowed rights to be directly enforced through the UK courts. A number of notable cases have already made the headlines. Russell Campbell looks at the Act's early impact on housing law.

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The Scottish Executive has missed the opportunity to strenghten the protection offered to private sector tenants against harassment and eviction. Adrian Stalker believes the only way to effect a change is a research driven campaign against illegal eviction

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A comprehensive network of legal services to match each area’s local needs – that is the goal for the new community legal service. Russell Campbell looks at how the service is matching up in practice – and warns against too narrow a remit.

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Half of the poorest people in Britain are home owners, yet they get only 8 per cent of government housing support. It is time to end discrimination on the basis of tenure, says Steve Wilcox

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Second homes are traditionally seen as being the play thing of the rich at the expense of the local or indigenous population – especially in the Highlands of Scotland. But Angus MacNeil says solutions are not as obvious as any glib condemnation might suggest

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Backbench view: David Curry MP

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Changing the rent regime to reduce annual increases from RPI plus one per cent to RPI only will devastate stock transfer landlords’ ability to repair and build houses, argues Barry Thompson. Could abolition of real rent increases spell the end of transfer-led housing?

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No London mayor can stand by and watch their city’s housing and labour markets interact so badly. There will be no return to the days of the old GLC housing department. But a city-wide assessment of the need for affordable housing and ways it can be funded is long overdue. Mayor of London Ken Livingstone explains how this new housing commission will address the issue

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Homeless people already stand to benefit from the housing green paper’s proposals to reform the law in England and Wales. Russell Campbell sees a window of opportunity to tackle fundamental flaws in the review and appeal procedures as well.

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