GERA DRYMER STRATEGY MANAGER March 2011

Affordable rent programme Existing stockLand and regeneration HCA role An enabling and investment agency Responsible for: “I see (the HCA) as an enabling and investment body. Or in plain English, the people who help to get things done.”

The HCA will provide three types of investment Affordable housing Existing stock Land and regeneration  A new affordable housing programme, up to 150,000 affordable rent units  We will also complete existing commitments under the NAHP  Total investment of £4.5bn over the spending review  The HCA will provide efficient delivery systems and drive overall value for money and quality  The policy aim, consistent with localism, is to achieve a self- financing settlement for local authority social housing  The HCA will manage a £2.1bn programme of investment needed to deal with repairs to a point where self- financing becomes viable  We will also enable local authorities to connect this investment to other opportunities, especially around energy efficiency  The HCA will work in partnership with other public agencies to deliver value and benefits for local communities from public land assets  This will include a central role in realising benefits from the land assets left by the abolition of the RDAs  The HCA will also complete existing long- term regeneration commitments that are high priorities for local areas These programmes will be at the heart of the new HCA

Affordable homes – Spending Review outcome  Government investing over £6.5bn in housing, including over £2bn to make existing social homes decent and £4.5bn to fund new affordable homes  £4.5bn includes provision for: – Affordable rent – Bringing empty homes back into use – Mortgage Rescue – Places of Change – Gypsy and Traveller sites

EH in strategic context EH can:  Add to supply to meet housing need  Improve housing conditions  Regenerate blighted areas  Increase the Council Tax collection rate  Produce savings on TA expenditure  Produce savings on health, crime, tackling arson  Assist in managing urban areas  Integral to asset management strategies  Produce better relations between local authorities and the private sector.

HCA Contributions  TSHG – over £2.2m for 695 units as at mid Jan 2010  HMR Pathfinders  Decent Homes  Part of the HCA local investment plans work with LAs and partners  Regeneration and new supply; community benefit and well-being  HCA resources

Challenges  Economic downturn and pressure on LAs budgets poses risk to the empty homes agenda  Risks of loss of capacity  Similar financial pressures on the civic sector; threat to viability of skilled organisations and the overall capacity to contribute to the empty homes agenda  Proposed changes to LHA; risk of negative impact on empty property owners’ engagement, AND  CT Data: Section 85 of the Local Government Act 2003 allows Council Tax to share information on empty homes with other sections of an authority.

OPPORTUNITIES  Ministerial priority  £100m Affordable Homes Programme  New Homes Bonus  Localism  Changes to EDMOs framework (neighbourhood support)  Current capacity  HCA enabling role – Bespoke training – GIS mapping of long term EH – Web based knowledge hub

AHP 2011/12 – 2014/15  £100m / 3,300 homes  Blighted homes, not back into use without intervention  Through any of the product options available in the AHP  LAs strategic leadership role and support  Community sector involvement  LIPs

HCA Enabling Offer  Capacity building: – >260 LAs at end January 2011 – 17 LAs bespoke training – EH On-line Debate: feedback shared with DCLG  GIS mapping – Long term EH / private ownership – Cross-analysis tool  EH Toolkit – Feedback from EH On-line Debate – Pooling EH info under one roof – Case studies

Conclusion  Ministerial priority  Potential: housing needs and homelessness  Part of asset management and housing strategies  Role in regeneration  Impact of HB reform  Impact of lower levels of public investment  HCA investment and enabling role 

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