More Comment – Page 3
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Comment
Is making New Homes Ombudsman Service membership compulsory really the best way to drive up quality?
The government last month committed to making the ombudsman’s voluntary services mandatory for housebuilders. Jonathan Webb questions whether the move wiil be beneficial
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Why was there so little to boost skills in the Budget?
We can’t address the housing crisis without a skilled workforce, argues Sian Webster
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Ministers must help the social housing sector rebuild financial capacity over the long term
The Budget showed positive signs of intent but social landlords need more than one-off funding boosts. Their approach must include the reintroduction of rent convergence, argues Ian McDermott
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Much in the budget was positive for social housing, but providers will need to review spending plans due to NIC changes
The first Labour Budget in 14 years was a bit of a curate’s egg, writes Duncan Short
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Have we reached the end of the decline of social rented housing?
As social rented stock levels rise for the first time in more than a decade and the chancellor pledges to focus on the tenure, John Perry asks if we have finally turned a corner
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Why we as Barratt Redrow expect to build 22,000 homes a year
Barratt and Redrow have cleared competition watchdog hurdles to complete the biggest housebuilder merger in years. Chief executive David Thomas explains the enlarged firm’s strategy
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Planning for new homes requires radical change, but do the government’s suggested reforms go far enough?
Planning reform in itself is not a silver bullet - we need a more holistic approach, argues Paul Dennison
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Labour can and should release the potential of modular housing
The UK leads the way in the field of offsite housing construction. It is time for the government to have some skin in the game, Ben Derbyshire writes
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Building 1.5 million homes: how do we ensure quality of life in the government’s housing drive?
As ministers seek to increase housebuilding they must remember that rapid construction without planning for sustainability and wellbeing leads to poor outcomes, writes Matthew Morgan
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The new government must allow developers to build upwards too
Keir Starmer’s government has made a good start now it must look at enabling liberal densification, writes Paul Smith
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Why convergence needs to be a part of any new social housing rent settlement
Rents in social housing are complicated and this must change over time, argues Andrew Cowan
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Next steps for business planning in housing associations
Financial reporting season has barely come to an end for English registered providers but work on next year’s budget planning and financial forecast returns (FFRs) will have to start within weeks. Helen Routledge provides tips for improvement
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Void re-let times are the highest they’ve been for a while. What can social landlords do about it?
Jonathan Cox explains why re-let times are spiking
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How our council found the social housing inspection process
Melton Borough Council was among the first landlords in the country to undergo a Regulator of Social Housing inspection under the new rules and achieved the second highest ‘C2’ score. The borough’s director Michelle Howard explains how it went.
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Starmer’s first 100 days: groundwork laid but now it’s time to deliver
The new Labour govermment has made a promising start, but will it provide the foundations needed for long-term reform? asks Gavin Smart
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To tackle social housing stigma we must root out unconscious bias in our own organisations
Social housing providers must be realistic about their own failings and how they might also be contributing to myths surrounding residents, argues Neal Ackcral
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Reflecting on an EPIC presidential year
Jill Murray’s Chartered Institute of Housing’s presidential term comes to an end next week. Here she reflects on the past 12 months
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Ministers must not overlook short-term measures to get housing associations building
Early signs suggests the new government is committed to boosting affordable housing development in the longer term, but they need to utilise quick fixes also, writes Paul Hackett
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How do we build the homes we desperately need without jeopardising our climate goals?
Keeping embodied and operational carbon low while building the homes we need is a formidable challenge. Fiona Fletcher-Smith argues collaboration and data-sharing is the key
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Could smaller section 106 deals help keep affordable housing delivery alive?
SME housebuilders could form partnerships to deliver section 106 homes to housing associations’ quality standards, argues Simon Corp