raising the profile of housing in the british isles

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Raising the profile of housing in the British IslesGavin Smart, Deputy Chief Executive


Overall context

Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us | www.cih.org 3

Recovery - A long haul

Source: NIESR


Unequal recovery?


A nation of borrowers


Growth of market renting


House prices


Housing Affordability


Government housing investment


Housing policy in the nations


Scotland• New Housing Act 2014• Abolition of RTB - two year ‘notice period’ for existing

eligible tenants - RTB ends 2016• Bedroom tax – transfer of DHP with a view to “full

mitigation”• Continuation of social rent• Housing, health and social care integration• All unintentional homeless entitled to secure

accommodation – homelessness applications down 40%• What happens post-referendum?


Northern Ireland• Continuing debate around future/reform of NI

Housing Exec• Possible introduction of planning gain for affordable

housing• Northern Ireland RTB equivalent scheme in Housing

Executive or HA tenants max discount £24,000• Reductions in investment in affordable housing• Political appreciation of role of affordable housing• Major institutional reform – move to “super councils”


Wales• First Housing (Wales) Act next month

National PRS licensing scheme New stat. duty to provide homeless prevention service for all

• “Welsh solutions for Welsh problems” Welsh housing bond 10k Affordable homes target Focus on developing cooperative housing Renting homes act for whole-scale tenancy reform Collaboration and coproduction - One-housing system under welsh

government ‘system stewardship’ Housing led regeneration HRAs end March 2015

• RTB max discount £16k suspension allowed in areas of housing pressure for up to five years


England• 65% cut in Affordable Housing Programme & affordable rent• Increasing use of guarantees and financial instruments

£1bn to kick start institutionally funded market rent development Also affordable housing guarantee

• Welfare Reform – without mitigation• Localism• Strong focus on supply• Preference for incentives• Concentration on home ownership• Help to Buy – 1 and 2 • New regulatory framework• HRA reform - £300m extra, but caps in place


UK wide

• Austerity – further cuts to come? £12bn more from welfare?

• Welfare Reform – with some local variation• Social Security total spend• Financial Regulation e.g. Mortgage Market

Review & Bank regulation• Interest rates


Conclusions• Devolution of housing policy is increasingly marked• Something of an England vs Devolved Nations

flavour? English housing policy very market driven with preference

for “small state” approaches where possible NI closest to English approach?

• Devolved nations are not homogenous, but sense of similarity of approach/philosophy

• Critical related policy and economic levers remain non-devolved


Housing and public opinion


The big issues today


The big issues long term


Where is housing?


Don’t (always) believe the papers - 1


Geographical differences


Housing and the Westminster election


Westminster election – some thoughts

• Post-devolution Westminster relationship to housing beyond England indirect & harder to understand

• But it can set the context• England can still export ideas elsewhere e.g. Welsh

experiments with something like affordable rent• Currently less traffic the other way• Housing will be a key topic• Some English housing policy decisions will have Barnet

consequences• Westminster still controls welfare, economics and tax & spend

envelope


What happens after May 2015?

• Differentiation continues• Continued “marketisation” in England?• Revival of social housing in England if Labour

win?• Austerity remains• Wales & Scotland continue direction of travel

Does referendum adjust pace in Scotland? Or direction of travel too?

• NI – big decisions still up for grabs


CIH & the Westminster election


Some headline asks from CIH• Increasing supply is critical• Great variety of products at more price points needed

Clear role for LCHO & social rent• Capital investment by government works• LAs can do more – borrowing caps raised or abolished• Standards are as important as numbers

Lifetime homes, wheelchair standard• We need new entrants to the market• Regeneration & neighbourhoods need more attention• PRS is critically important – policies needed to incentivise standards &

reward performance• Bedroom Tax needs to go• Greater focus on older people & specialised housing more generally


How do we make the case for housing?

• Clear, high level asks & easy to understand messages• Work together – concentrate on what we agree about

Homes for Britain• Demonstrate the problem and the consequences• Show what housing achieves

Outcomes matter Housing supports other policy goals e.g. economic growth, health,

education etc. Good evidence is critical

• Make the case yourself! Be a local advocate for housing• Engage with voters & with politicians


Conclusions


Conclusions• There is work to do in every part of the UK• Our national housing systems are related and still do

not work well• Policy is increasingly differentiated

But we still speak broadly the same policy language• The public do care about housing – but they worry

about it too…• Westminster election is important for housing • We can do more to make the case• And there is everything to play for!


Thank you

[email protected]

Follow me on Twitter:

@GavinSmartCIH

raising the profile of housing in the british isles

Documents

housing act

housing system

housing investment

housing executive

profile of housing

housing wales

areas of housing pressure

rtb max discount