Housing Corporation News Release

11 February 2008       12/08

Streamlined Annual Efficiency Statements take burden off housing associations

The Housing Corporation today announced that housing associations will be not be required to complete an Annual Efficiency Statement for 2008.

The statement, which has been a sector requirement for housing associations over the past two years, will this year be collected from data supplied by housing associations in their Self Assessment Compliance submissions. 

The AES was originally introduced by the Housing Corporation in 2005 in response to Gershon targets placed on the public sector by central government. Associations will be asked to report on how they have delivered on the figures they forecast for 2007-08 which they reported on in their 2007 return.

The change in procedure follows Ruth Kelly's announcement at the 2007 Charted Institute of Housing conference in Harrogate and is another example of the Housing Corporation's commitment to streamlining processes and reducing regulatory burdens on housing associations.

Housing Corporation Deputy Chief Executive Peter Marsh said, "Housing associations have exceeded the Gershon efficiency targets year on year and we are delighted to have secured the Government's agreement to reward strong performance with a lighter touch data gathering regime which will free up more time for Registered Social Landlords to focus on continuing to drive up performance."

Data from the 2008 reports will be compiled with data from 2006-07 and used to report on the sectors achievements over the three year programme of Gershon targets.

Ends.
 
For more press information please contact Nicole Davey on 020 7393 2118.

Notes to editors:

1)The Housing Corporation is responsible for regulating housing associations, which provide some two million homes across England. 

2)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 Corporation's £8 billion investment programme for 2008-11 is its biggest ever. Its previous investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 is funding 84,000 homes; 49,000 of these are for affordable rent, and 35,000 are for affordable sale through the Government's HomeBuy initiatives, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

3) The Housing Corporation is working with English Partnerships and Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed Homes and Communities Agency and Office for Tenants and Social Landlords.