23rd December 2019
Grenfell fire chief confirms resignation
Shelter chief calls out chancellor over homeless numbers Shelter chief executive Polly Neate strengthened the case for more social housing in calling chancellor Sajid Javid out over his calculations on homelessness numbers – exposed as not adding up. “When the chancellor of the exchequer says that homelessness has halved since 2008, it’s important to highlight this as inaccurate,” said Neate. In a round of interviews, Javid said homelessness reached its peak in 2008 under the last Labour government and had fallen by half since.
With London Fire Brigade (LFB) accused of “institutional failure” over the Grenfell disaster, commissioner Dany Cotton has confirmed her resignation – as bereaved families and survivors pressed for her to go. Cotton will step down as soon as New Year’s Eve, having intend to retire in June. Read more
Housing charities and food banks report spike in donations after Tory win
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Housing associations told to make a joined-up case to HM Treasury Social housing providers need to take a joined-up and “cross-cutting” approach if they want to have influence with HM Treasury, according to former government advisors. Poppy Trowbridge, former special advisor to the chancellor of the exchequer, argued that the Treasury is the most important department for the sector to reach. Read more
Queen’s Speech On-The-Day Briefing The Queen has set out the majority Conservative Government’s proposed legislative agenda. Key commitments in the Speech included: • • •
Leaving the EU institutions by 31st January Legislating for the Conservative Party’s NHS funding package A commitment to seek a long-term cross-party consensus on social care.
Items of particular interest include the Building Safety and English Devolution measures previously announced in October; and new announcements on Renters Rights, Planning Reform, Home Ownership and Decarbonisation. Read NHC briefing
Charities helping the most vulnerable in society have reported an increase in support after the Conservative victory in the general election. Shelter, Refuge, the Trussell Trust and the Biscuit Fund have all confirmed they have seen a sharp increase in donations and/or registered supporters as a result of the election outcome. While unable to give exact numbers, the UK homelessness and housing charity Shelter said it had seen an increase in the number of people signing up as supporters since the result. Refuge, which helps victims of domestic abuse, said there had been a 52% increase in donations since polling closed, from £144 an hour to £220 an hour. Read article
The top five must read housing reports of 2019 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Tackling the UK Housing Crisis Building for our Future: a Vision for Social Housing The Homelessness Monitor: England Understanding Local Housing Markets Additionality of Affordable Housing