ROOF Blog

New publicly funded homes built in the London will have to comply with minimum internal space standard major Boris Johnson said. The London housing design guide established six key areas of design that new development will have to incorporate from 2011, including minimum space standards around 10 per cent higher than the Parker Morris benchmark, better integration of developments with the space around them and to reduce crime; and a greater mix of dwelling types to care for London’s diverse living needs.

Shelter has published a report promoting different ways to increase the development of affordable housing. A range of contributors cover a number of subjects including how to attract development finance to the industry, flexible tenure and the private rented sector.

An independent report has found that a government programme providing housing support to vulnerable and homeless people has resulted in ‘significant’ savings in the cost of other services. The report said the £1.6 billion invested through Supporting People has saved other services more than £3.4 billion through reduced costs in homelessness, tenancy failure, crime, health and residential care. It has also lead to other benefits including reducing the risk of social exclusion, increasing educational chances for children and improving the quality of life for vulnerable people.

Michael Portillo former Conservative front bencher has called for an end to security of tenure, saying there are not enough social houses to keep giving people a home for life. He wants to give property to those who have connections with their local area, over new immigrants.

The law has been changed so that no more tolerated trespassers can be created and all existing tolerated trespassers will be given a new tenancy. Before the amendments to the Housing and Regeneration Act and the successor landlord order came into force yesterday thousands of council tenants had lost their housing rights, even if they complied with any conditions imposed by the courts. Though they continued living in their property they could not require their landlord to carry out repairs, exercise their right to buy, or ensure a spouse or family member could succeed to the tenancy if they died.

Rents are cheaper than a year ago, but rents on larger houses are increasing because of a lack of supply. In figures from website findaproperty.com, the average rents stood at £819 a month in April, down from £827 in March and £873 a year earlier. The growing supply of flats on the market – increasing for the sixth month in a row – has pushed down prices. The overall number of properties available to rent has fallen for the second month in a row. On average a property was on the market for an average of 63 days, 15 days longer than a year ago.

A test case is being heard in the High Court to decide the legality of renewal fees charged to landlords when tenants stay on after their assured shorthold tenancy comes to an end. The challenge by the Office of Fair Trading against Foxtons will affect how future letting agency agreements are drawn up and whether agents will be able to enforce renewal fees in current contracts with landlords.

The right to buy for newly built affordable homes in Scotland will be abolished by the Scottish government. Under a draft housing Bill, the government is also consulting on a proposal to block tenants moving into existing affordable homes from exercising the right to buy. This move could mean 18,000 homes were kept for affordable rents for the coming decade. Shelter Scotland has welcomed the move, calling it the ‘death knell’ of an outdated policy.

Fundamental reforms in social housing are needed to tackle concentrated areas of deprivation, a report from Localis has said. The report said that councils and registered social landlords need to fix broken neighbourhoods and should be given the ‘right to manage’ their housing stock. It also wants the role of social housing to be better defined – separating a ‘duty to house’ and a ‘duty to help’ - and called for an end to the varying tenures and rent levels between the private and social rented sectors.