Industry news
HAs to scrap fixed-term tenancies H
ousing Associations are turning their backs on fixed-term tenancies and returning to the previous regime of
granting permanent tenancies to their residents. L&Q was the first major social landlord to make
the decision, converting all of its existing 8,500 fixed-term tenancies to lifetime tenancies. Its chief executive David Montague, said that fixed-term tenancies were a “crude tool” that caused “unnecessary worry” for residents. That decision has sparked a flurry of debates
among the boards and executive teams at many HAs. Fixed-term tenancies were introduced by the
Localism Act in 2012. Typically these last for one, three or five years, with options for them to be renewed if the property is still appropriate for the tenant’s circumstances. However, not all HAs are expected to follow the
example of L&Q. Kate Davies, chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis and Mark Henderson, chief executive of Home Group, have both said their organisations would not be scrapping fixed-term tenancies. “I don’t think it does make people feel unsettled.
You have to give that good quality housing management a caring and compassionate approach. I don’t think the idea that we’re going and telling
people they’ll be out in five years has ever been our way of using it,” said Ms Davies. Mr Henderson said the system was under
“constant evaluation” but added: “We haven’t picked up concerns from our customers because we’ve been very clear that if you pay your rent, don’t commit anti-social behaviour, then there’s no issue with renewing your tenancy. It works pretty well for Home Group at the moment.” During the launch of consultation on the Social
Housing Green Paper, the Government announced it was dropping its proposal to scrap lifetime tenancies in favour of rolling fixed-term tenancies for all new social housing tenants
More HA mergers proceed
The trend for housing associations to merge in a bid to reduce their costs and increase the amount of new housing they can build, shows no sign of abating. In the Midlands a new 45,000 home landlord
called Platform Housing Group has been formed as a result of Waterloo Housing Group and Fortis Living joining forces. The new organisation has a development pipeline of 18,000 homes to be built over the next ten years. Meanwhile Metropolitan and Thames Valley
have also completed their merger, bringing some 57,000 homes together. They hope to build 2,000
new homes a year, adding to their existing stock in London, the south east, east of England and the East Midlands. In London and the south east Catalyst and
Aldwyck are in talks to form a 30,000 association with a completion date of next April. As a combined landlord they hope to build at least 1,300 homes a year across the capital and the home counties. Aldwyck took over Cambridgeshire based King Street Housing earlier this year. Interestingly or coincidentally two of the
mergers involve chief executives who have been bosses at both organisations involved. Geeta Nanda
was CEO of Thames Valley before moving to Metropolitan, while Ian McDermott recently left Aldwyck to take over the leadership of Catalyst from Rod Cahill.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMM November 2018 | 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
