Housing Corporation News Release

Housing Corporation and Local Government Association sign national protocol agreement

07/12/06     

Media Contact: Sandra White 020 7393 2094       

ref: 122/06

Enabling local authorities across England to give feedback on the performance of housing associations in their areas will form part of a groundbreaking housing protocol agreement between the Housing Corporation and Local Government Association (LGA).

Housing Corporation Chairman, Peter Dixon and LGA Environment Board Chair, Cllr Paul Bettison have signed the agreement which sets out how the bodies will work more closely together to promote the building of new homes and strong communities throughout the country.

Signing the document, Housing Corporation Chairman, Peter Dixon said, "This agreement further underlines our commitment to deepening our relationship with local government.   Local government has a key role to play in the delivery of affordable housing and building strong communities. 

"This national protocol we are signing will play an important role in the delivery of more and better affordable housing in communities where people want to live today and in the future."

Cllr Paul Bettison, LGA Environment Board Chair said,"There is no question that the supply of affordable housing must be increased, but new homes do not in themselves make communities. Alongside new homes needs to come a raft of vital supporting services and a balanced approach to how new housing relates to existing villages, towns and cities.
 
"Local councils strive to create places where people can thrive, and are best placed to appreciate both of these challenges - seeing that growing communities have the infrastructure and services they need to prosper whilst ensuring that existing communities benefit from development."

The jointly developed protocol sets out a range of issues which the Corporation and LGA have agreed to work on including:

• ensuring the planning service supports and prioritises the provision of sufficient new build scheme opportunities for affordable housing against local plan targets;
• prioritising  funding to meet housing need;
• undertaking long term planning of affordable housing supply to ensure a planned throughput of projects and reliable delivery against those plans;
• co-ordinating  the prevention of homelessness;
• co-ordinating  the promotion of choice based letting;
• aligning the provision of new supported housing to Supporting People's strategies and resources.

The Corporation has also been rolling out local pilots of the national agreement across the country with Derby City Council becoming the first authority to sign an agreement last month (Thursday 9 November 2006).

The national protocol can be updated as necessary to meet new legislation, guidance and opportunities.

Ends.

Notes to editors:

• Pictured left to right, Housing Corporation Chairman, Peter Dixon and LGA Environment Board Chair, Cllr Paul Bettison.

• The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing association across Britain.  It biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 will fund 84,000 homes; 49,000 of these will be for affordable rent, and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy  initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.

• The Local Government Association (LGA), formed on 1 April 1997, promotes the interests of English and Welsh local authorities - a total of just under 500 authorities. These represent over 50 million people and spend around £74 billion a year on local services.