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Features this month Air Conditioning & Ventilation Bathroom Refurbishment Doors, Windows & Glazing Floors & Flooring Insurance Solar Energy
News Build to rent schemes to provide 1,000 new homes in London
New law could ban letting fees
Evictions threat to hundreds of thousands
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For more information, go to page 48. Steady as she goes?
Patrick Mooney, News Editor
The official reaction to the EU Referendum vote appears very similar to the message Corporal Jones used in every episode of Dad’s Army – “Don’t panic Captain Mainwaring.” Younger readers might be more familiar with the slogan “Keep calm and carry on”. At least for the time being, anyway! Despite huge uncertainty over what the Leave vote means for us all, most public figures are telling us to not
overreact in the face of falling stock markets and a plunging pound. This message has been echoed by senior housing figures like Terrie Alafat from the CIH, the NHF’s David Orr and Richard Lambert from the NLA. And in some respects I can see where they are coming from – at least in terms of the rented housing sector. After
all, the Government is not changing, although a number of key individuals will be changing their jobs. Personally I cannot see the Government changing its plans to cut welfare expenditure on housing benefit and the like. If anything it’s possible the cuts could be made deeper or even speeded up, if public finances require it. The ink is still wet on the Housing & Planning Act and we wait to see what the detailed regulations say on things
like the prosecution of rogue landlords and how improved electrical safety is delivered. Council landlords are protesting about the short timetable and extra workload for implementing ‘Pay to Stay’ so better off tenants are forced to pay a higher rent, but this and other measures were not that contentious in the House of Commons and are likely to survive. The only way for significant changes to be made to the new Act is if a General Election is called in the next few months and the current Government is booted out of office. The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has played a huge part in formulating housing policies in
recent years, particularly in the various initiatives to encourage and support home ownership schemes. Alongside this he has tried to discourage the exponential growth in buy to lets. The emergency Budget, which the Chancellor had threatened us with just a few weeks ago, has been shelved now that we have a new Prime Minister. This will allow more careful thought to be given to what the Brexit vote means for us all. The big fears are that interest rates (and mortgage rates) will be forced up to defend the pound; that investment
for building new housing is cut, that the budgets of all landlords are hit and cutbacks result in fewer jobs and support services to tenants being reigned back. The credit rating for the country has been downgraded by both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, which could
make the borrowing costs of the Government, HAs, councils and private landlords more expensive. So throwing more money at various housing for sale initiatives might not be the wisest action to take and it could represent very poor value for money. But wouldn’t it be interesting if the Government took an unexpected turn in terms of its support for rented
housing – both social and private – and find ways to encourage its construction and to fund improvements in property conditions and management practices. Rented housing should not be the housing of last resort, the poor relation that is only for those who cannot afford to buy their own home. Well managed and well maintained homes for rent can and does play a valuable role in the smooth functioning of successful communities. As a sector it can make a huge contribution to improving the health and well-being of the population, providing an affordable and stable base for its occupants. The potential benefits go well beyond bricks and mortar.
Patrick Mooney News Editor
HOUSING& July 2016 On the cover...
The July issue of Housing Management & Maintenance features VM Zinc - Photographed by P Koslowski
An £18m refurbishment of Newcastle College’s Parsons Tower will extend the usable life of the 60s block by around 40 years. Pre-weathered standing seam VMZINC® ANTHRA-ZINC® and QUARTZ-ZINC® facades and roof from VMZINC have given it a distinctive visual aesthetic.
4 | HMM July 2016 |
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