Housing Corporation News Release

Thursday 18 September       66/08

Building for Life guidance launched

New guidance, released today (Thursday 18 September) at the annual National Housing Federation conference by Building for Life Chair Wayne Hemingway, explains how to implement Building for Life standards in new affordable housing developments.

Building for Life is the national benchmark for housing developments in England, developed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). Assessment against these standards is a requirement for affordable homes built with investment from the Housing Corporation’s £8.4 billion 2008-11 National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP).

The new guide, ‘Achieving Building for Life’, explains the technical terminology, concepts, and processes in clear language to help development directors procure the quality they require. Published by HATC, it has been developed with input from CABE and affordable housing providers themselves, to ensure it meets their needs.

Housing Corporation Chief Executive Steve Douglas said, “Reaching high quality design standards is a central requirement of the Housing Corporation’s investment programme and a core objective of the new Homes and Communities Agency. ‘Achieving Building for Life’ is an invaluable resource. It will help affordable housing developers take the lead in procuring well-designed developments now and in the future.”

Building for Life Chair, Wayne Hemingway said, “I am pleased to endorse this important new publication that will assist housing association development staff and others in taking the lead in delivering great places to live, work and play.”

‘Achieving Building for Life’ was produced with Innovation and Good Practice grant support from the Housing Corporation and written by Andrew Drury and Lesley Johnson of HATC.

Ends.

For more press information please contact Terry Sefton on 020 7393 2118.

Notes to editors
 
1) The Housing Corporation is the Government's national affordable homes agency, responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating nearly 2,000 housing associations across England. The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships, the Academy of Sustainable Communities and the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the two new bodies, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Tenant Services Authority (TSA), which are due to launch this December.