Location: HQN event –
Virtual
14 March 2024 – 9:30am – 1:30pm
Strategic Network news feed
Course of the week
Condensation, damp and mould for non-technical officers: 13 February – Live virtual training Condensation, damp and mould if left untreated can have profound consequences on quality of life and health as well as the fabric … Read more
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Fix £4bn council funding hole or risk further bankruptcies, government warned
The government must fix the £4bn hole in council funding arrangements for 2024-25 or risk severe impact to council services and the prospect of further councils in England facing effective bankruptcy, the Levelling Up, Housing … Read more
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Three million households ‘will be trapped in fuel poverty by 2030’
Three million households will be trapped in fuel poverty by 2030, according to a new report. Launched this week by National Energy Action (NEA), the UK Fuel Poverty Monitor report also warns the UK government … Read more
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Government launches consultation on social housing allocations revamp ‘to make system fairer’
An overhaul of how social housing is allocated, which the government claims will make the system fairer and not available to those who abuse it, has been announced today. Much-trailed ‘three strikes and you’re out’ … Read more
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Course of the week
Customer complaint handling workshop: 28 February – Live virtual training The Housing Ombudsman says that 2 of every 3 complaints they see could have been handled better by the landlord. Getting complaint handling right saves … Read more
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HQN Training – new for 2024
New for 2024 all of our courses are now certificated with professional development hours. View all our upcoming public courses here. Further details on professionalisation requirements and the competency and conduct standard for the social … Read more
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Housing Quality Magazine January 2024
Welcome to the January 2024 edition of HQM. We start the year with a look at the planned 2024/25 rent increase and its implications for both landlords and residents. We also ask some of the … Read more
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Opinion: The good of small things
By Keith Cooper Here’s three bits of news you might have missed amid the Christmas hubbub – and a New Year’s resolution to consider which won’t break the bank. The first snippet is an update … Read more
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Opinion: Give boards a bigger range of voices – and stop worshipping the governance gurus
By Alistair McIntosh, HQN CEO If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Why does no one ever follow that advice? A year or so ago I was on the train and got talking … Read more
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HQN appoints Chloe Fletcher as new director
HQN is delighted to announce the appointment of Chloe Fletcher as a new director. A well-known and highly regarded figure in the social housing sector, Chloe joins from the National Federation of ALMOs, where she … Read more
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Manchester mayor launches Good Landlord Charter consultation
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has launched a consultation on the Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter – the first of its kind in the UK which aims to bring landlords and renters together … Read more
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RSH confirms social housing rent levels for 2024/25
The Regulator of Social Housing today confirmed rent levels for 2024/25. Following much conjecture about the repeat of a rent cap, the government has decided to revert to its old rent setting formula for 2024/25 … Read more
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HQN’s housing regulation quiz 2023
Who doesn’t look forward to a housing regulation quiz at this time of year? And we have one for you that gradually gets harder to really test hardcore regulation fans! If you don’t get 100%, … Read more
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Sustainability programme to support councils tackle climate change
A new sustainability programme has been launched to support councils to reach their local carbon reduction and adaptation targets. Read more here.
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London Councils’ briefing on the 2023 Autumn Statement
London Councils has published its initial response to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, which saw Local Housing Allowance raised for the first time in a long time, and the Local Authority Housing Fund extended again to … Read more
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LHA freeze will make 60,000 Londoners homeless, warning
Almost 60,000 Londoners living in the private rented sector are likely to become homeless over the next six years if the government maintains the freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA), London Councils has said. According … Read more
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Stop housing children in temporary accommodation, urges commissioner
Children in Scotland who are homeless or seeking asylum must not be housed in unsuitable accommodation such as hotels, hostels, B&Bs, cruise ships or barges because their human rights may be violated, according to a new … Read more
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Homes England launches new homes facts sheets and capacity analysis tool
The government’s housing and regeneration agency has launched two new resources to support local government capacity. Homes England’s New Homes Fact Sheets have been designed to support local government in conversations with local communities. It consists of a … Read more
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Housing Quality Magazine October 2023
The autumn edition of HQM features a big interview with Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, in which he shares his insights into the service’s progress and his views on everything from leasehold to mergers. Lara … Read more
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£500m shortfall leaves London borough budgets on ‘knife edge’, warning
London’s boroughs will need to make over £500m of savings next year to balance their budgets, new analysis has revealed. Based on its latest survey of council finances, cross-party group London Councils is warning that … Read more
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Data breaches put domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk, commissioner warns
Data breaches are putting the lives of domestic abuse victims at risk, the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has warned. The warning comes after the ICO reprimanded seven organisations in the past 14 months for data … Read more
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Later living developer reveals plans for 25 Net Zero developments
A leading later living developer and operator, Inspired Villages has launched its latest annual Impact Report detailing outputs in 2022 and its ambitious future commitments, as it strives to be completely Net Zero by 2030. Inspired Villages … Read more
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HA secures almost £400m in ‘transformational’ refinance exercise
A housing association has undergone a ‘transformational’ refinance exercise, securing a total of £399m funding with multiple lenders to support investment plans for homes and support residents. West Kent Housing Association’s refinancing and debt restructuring … Read more
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HA secures £370 Million in refinancing and bond sales, will invest in new and existing homes
One of the largest providers of affordable homes and support services in the East Midlands has completed the refinancing of its debt. It refinanced £270 million bank facilities, including new finance of £90million, and successfully … Read more
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Latest member question: adaptations moral dilemma
We’re a Local Authority delivering adaptations for residents within our housing stock and we have a moral dilemma which I’m sure a lot of organisations are experiencing. We have a number of residents who have … Read more
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Funding boost will see thousands more beds for rough sleepers
Funding to provide up to 4,300 additional beds to help people off the streets has been announced as the government marks the anniversary of its Rough Sleeping Strategy. The cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy – backed … Read more
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Specialist supported housing provider launches in Wigan
A new specialist supported housing provider has launched its first home for people at risk of homelessness in Wigan, coinciding with the National Housing Federation’s (NHF) Starts at Home Day. House2Home has developed a good … Read more
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Almost 300,000 households sought government homelessness help in 21/22 – research
New research from the homelessness charity, Crisis, shows that nearly 300,000 eligible households sought help from local authorities due to homelessness in 2021/22. The research showed that while the number of households assessed as homeless … Read more
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Government to reform ‘defective’ laws, enabling 100,000 new homes
Over 100,000 homes held up due to ‘defective’ EU laws will be unblocked between now and 2030, delivering an estimated £18 billion boost to the economy, the government has announced. Currently, legacy EU laws on … Read more
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HQN launches updated social housing regulation toolkit
HQN is delighted to announce our updated social housing regulation toolkit. The toolkit will help you to get ready for the start of what the minister says will be “Ofsted-style” inspections for housing. Every member … Read more
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Location: HQN event –
Virtual
06 March 2024 – 10:30am – 1:00pm
Location: HQN event –
Virtual
14 March 2024 – 9:30am – 1:30pm
Location: HQN event –
Virtual
14 March 2024 – 9:30am – 1:30pm
Location: HQN event –
Virtual
11 April 2024 – 9:30am – 1:30pm
Public training –
Live virtual
28 February 2024 – 10:00am – 1:00pm
Public training –
Live virtual
16 April 2024 – 9:30am – 3:00pm
Public training –
Live virtual
24 April 2024 – 10:00am – 1:00pm
today