We welcome the Select Committee’s report into shared ownership affordability. We agree fully with the Committee’s conclusion that shared ownership products can often become unaffordable over time as shared owners have to pay for 100% of repairs and maintenance costs despite only owning a proportion of the property. Clearly, this is unfair.
Continue reading “Our statement on the LUHC Select Committee Report on Shared Ownership“
On 19 December 2023, Secretary of State Michael Gove wrote to all registered providers (e.g. housing associations) to let them know about changes the Government has made to relax rules on subletting and funding available for buybacks of shared ownership properties. He also asked registered providers to publish their policies online.
Continue reading “Are shared owners in London being left behind?”
In July 2023 the Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee initiated an inquiry into shared ownership to examine the challenges associated with the scheme, including barriers to achieving full home ownership and whether shared ownership is genuinely an affordable route to owning a home.
Continue reading “Our written evidence to the Commons LUHC committee inquiry into shared ownership”
We met with Housing Secretary Michael Gove on 11th January – this was our fourth meeting with him since his September 2021 appointment and the first since his return to the role in late October 2022.
Continue reading “Our meeting with Michael Gove”
We met with the Deputy Mayor of London, Tom Copley, this summer, to discuss our ‘Dereliction of Duty’ report published earlier this year. The report explains how housing associations failed their leaseholders and shared owners trapped in the building safety crisis. During the meeting we also discussed a range of urgent issues – more on this soon.
Continue reading “Mayor of London responds to our ‘Dereliction of Duty’ report”
We recently met with Kate Henderson, CEO of the National Housing Federation (NHF) and Geeta Nanda, Chair of the G15 and CEO of MTVH to discuss our ‘Dereliction of Duty’ report.
Continue reading “Our meeting with the G15 Chair and NHF CEO”
A few weeks ago we met with Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, to discuss the recommendations in our ‘Dereliction of Duty’ report. The Ombudsman has the power to investigate complaints about housing associations (HAs) and other registered social landlords, and can make recommendations, but unfortunately he does not have the power to enforce these recommendations.
Continue reading “Our meeting with the Housing Ombudsman”In the light of significant and recurring concerns leaseholders were raising about housing associations, we conducted a survey in November 2021 to gather data and document the nature and scope of those concerns. The resulting report, published today, shines a light on leaseholders’ experience and highlights systemic issues that need to be urgently addressed.
Continue reading “Dereliction of Duty – Our new report shows housing associations have failed leaseholders”