NHC calls for further reform to Right to Buy to limit loss of social housing 

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The NHC responded to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s consultation on the proposed reforms to the Right to Buy. We called for changes to limit the loss of social housing, including more control to be given to local authorities. 

While the Right to Buy scheme has benefited some tenants, it has also led to a significant loss of social housing.  

Far more social homes are lost each year through Right to Buy, than are built, and these losses are accumulating. 32,559 homes in the North that have been sold through Right to Buy since 2012/13 and there have been only 4,737 starts and acquisitions in the same period. This is a replacement rate of 1 in every 7. 

With an ongoing depletion of social housing, it is crucial to take stronger measures now to prevent further losses and ensure that essential homes are preserved for those who need them most.  

Unfortunately, this loss of social housing has not always led to home ownership. Nationally over 40 per cent of Right to Buy homes have gone into the private rented sector, often at unaffordable rent levels. 

To effectively tackle the housing crisis and help the Government reach its goal of “delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation”, our response to the Right to Buy consultation asks for a major overhaul to prevent further loss of social rented homes. 

Our key points are: 

  • A longer qualification period is required  before tenants qualify for Right to Buy. 
  • New build housing should be permanently exempt from Right to Buy, to protect the new homes which are desperately needed. 
  • We’d like to see more control given to local authorities. They should be able to set discounts at a level which will allow them to replace homes or use alternative means to retain social housing, such as portable discounts. In areas facing the most acute housing shortages for certain types of homes, local leaders should be able to suspend the programme. 

The NHC welcomed the changes already made to the Right to Buy policy, including the flexibilities introduced in July 2024 and the measures effective following the Autumn Budget. It’s clear that a more radical change is needed to reverse the loss of social housing and provide a fairer system to help more people achieve their ambitions of home ownership. 

Our detailed response can be read here. 

New NHC research to support regeneration  

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Thank you to all the members who took part in our research looking into the proportion of social housing which is reaching the end of its serviceable life. Through this work we hope to improve the sector and the Government’s understanding of the need for funding for housing-led regeneration over the next 5 to 10 years.  

The information submitted by members has been collated and anonymised and sent to officials in the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, ahead of the government spending review. It will inform the NHC’s spending review submission, as well as a policy paper on housing-led regeneration and the need for future funding streams.  

We’re incredibly grateful to those who participated in this work and provided valuable information which will help inform future policy around housing and regeneration. This is an area of work that we will continue to develop in the coming months. 

Any members who wish to participate further or to discuss issues such as the North’s ageing housing stock, emerging regulatory requirements and the need for regeneration funding, please contact Tom.kennedy@northern-consortium.org.uk 

NHC responds to rent policy consultation

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We recently responded to the Government’s consultation on future rent policy. The Government initially proposed a new rent policy of ‘CPI+1%’ for five years from April 2026. They sought views on extending the rent settlement and wider potential changes to social housing rent policy, through the consultation.

As part of our response, the NHC, Chartered Institute for Housing, National Housing Federation, Local Government Association, Association of Retained Council Housing, the National Federation of ALMOs and the Councils with ALMOs Group, commissioned analysis by Savills Affordable Housing demonstrating the impacts of different rent policy proposals.

This analysis, as well as a joint letter, has been shared with the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

A summary of our response is below:

  • We argued that the proposed rent policy of CPI +1% for five years would go some way to improve the finances of the housing sector and maintain current levels of delivery, although this has been undermined by the increase in employer national insurance contributions. If the government wants the housing sector to go further on delivering new homes, improving housing quality and energy efficiency, then this settlement will be insufficient.
  • Instead, the NHC believes that the government should extend the proposed rent settlement of CPI+1% for 5 years to 10 years. This will increase the capacity for investment in new and existing homes by reducing the cost of debt faced by affordable housing providers, allow them to plan investment and development programmes with greater confidence, and provide the affordable housing providers in the North with an additional £18.68 billion of income to invest in homes over their 30-year business plan period.
  • Furthermore, we believe that there is a strong case for government to reintroduce rent convergence at either £2 or £3 per week, as part of the next rent settlement. This would provide additional income for providers, especially local authorities, to invest in homes and ensure that affordable homes are let at the correct rent levels. This will also put the housing sector’s finances on a more sustainable footing in the longer term, significantly improving the position of Housing Revenue Accounts and housing association interest cover.
  • It is also important to highlight that if these changes were implemented, social housing rents in the North would remain affordable for tenants, while the housing sector would be in a significantly stronger position to meet the multiple challenges it faces, and to support the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million new homes across this parliament. Social rents in the North would still be significantly lower than their equivalents in the private rental sector, especially in major cities and areas with acute affordability issues.

Our full response can be accessed here.

Please contact tom.kennedy@northern-consortium.org.uk if you have any questions.

 

 

New research from the Fabian Society about housing quality

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The Fabian Society has launched Home Comforts: a plan to eradicate poor quality rented accommodation. The research showed that half a million children live in ‘non-decent’ private rented homes in England and there is a north-south divide. In the North 27 per cent of private rented homes are ‘non-decent’ compared to 17 per cent in the South.

The Northern Housing Consortium has supported this independent research, because the quality of existing homes is a critical issue for the North and is something we have long campaigned on.

The North has more than its share of older, colder homes and, as this research shows, the private rented sector is in a particularly poor state. Our recent  Northern Housing Monitor report showed this is increasingly where people and families on lower incomes are living because of the chronic shortage of social housing.

Executive Director of Policy and Policy and Public Affairs Patrick Murray said: “We were happy to support the Fabian Society in their project as there is a need for new ideas about how longstanding quality issues can be tackled. It will offer the opportunity to engage with politicians and make sure that quality and regeneration are at the top of the Government’s agenda, alongside building new homes.

“The report discusses a range of approaches for improving the quality of rented homes. We support the recommendation for housing replacement and regeneration funding. This is essential to create homes that are fit for the future and support thriving communities across the North.

“It echoes our calls for a refreshed decent homes standard to be applied to all rented homes and for councils to more tightly regulate the private rented sector, with new powers and funding to support this. It also found that the certainty of a ten-year rent settlement, something the NHC and other sector bodies are campaigning on, would help social housing providers plan investment in their homes.”

You can read the full report here.

Northern Housing Consortium welcomes English Devolution White Paper

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The English Devolution White Paper published this week, is big news for the North.

Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium Tracy Harrison said:

“Since the Commission for Housing in North in 2016, we’ve been calling for more local control to drive growth and opportunity in the North, and to make sure the diverse needs of communities across the North are met.

“Deeper devolution – including planning, skills and transport – to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), is very welcome. MCAs are well set up to convene and work with partners, including local authorities and housing partnerships, so it will help our members be part of joined-up, place-based approaches.

“The paper proposes giving MCAs more power and control over housing, regeneration and retrofit funding – something we’ve argued for strongly in our recent papers on brownfield redevelopment and warm homes. We found that centralised funding models were a barrier to MCAs delivering the change needed in their local communities.

“It also talks about local regeneration and a new version of the Long-Term Plan for Towns drawing on the New Deal for Communities. We look forward to working with NHC members to help shape and deliver this.”

We will share a more detailed briefing about the White Paper in the New Year, but our initial reflections are that it offers lots of opportunities for members to make a bigger difference to the communities they serve.

You can read the English Devolution White Paper here.

NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire

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 NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire

We had a fantastic day visiting some great examples of brownfield development and regeneration in West Yorkshire with Emma Fraser (Director, Housing Markets & Strategy) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Emma is the senior official responsible for MHCLG’s approach to housing in the Spending Review and the Long-Term Plan for Housing that will be published alongside it.

Emma is also the Department’s sponsor for Homes England and sits on their Board. The visit was part of NHC’s programme of taking senior civil servants out to see the issues on the ground ahead of important Government decisions on spending next year. 

 

First stop: Yorkshire Housing’s Moorfield Road Site

The first stop was a Yorkshire Housing development of 50 affordable and sustainable homes on the site of a former factor in Armley.

The site was derelict and had been vacant for almost 20 years prior to its sale to Yorkshire Housing. They are developing it for a 100% affordable and energy efficient housing scheme.

 

Next up: Holbeck Urban Village and the South Bank

These three sites sit closely around Leeds City Centre and are a great example of the old sitting alongside the new. These sites have created a new sustainable community, which was built using the latest green technology on brownfield land.

Holbeck is in the South Bank of Leeds City Centre, an area which is undergoing significant change and housing growth and a key part of the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership.

The Climate Innovation District in Leeds is developer Citu’s flagship development, exemplifying their vision for sustainable communities.

When complete, the Climate Innovation District will consist of 955 houses and apartments, workplaces, leisure, retail, and a net-zero, multi-generational building.

These houses are the first to be built in Leeds City Centre for over 100 years.

Time for Lunch with Nick Atkin and the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership

Over lunch we heard from West Yorkshire Housing Partnership vice chair and Yorkshire Housing CEO Nick Atkin about the work of the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership.

Nick Atkin said:

“It’s been a pleasure to welcome Emma Fraser from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to see first-hand how we’re delivering the affordable homes people need, and to also understand some of the barriers we face in doing even more.”

“With around 85,000 households on housing waiting lists across West Yorkshire, the desperate need for more homes like these is clear.”

“Housing associations across the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership are making a real impact in tackling the housing crisis, but we can only continue to do so with a significant increase in long-term funding.”

“Reclassifying housing investment as infrastructure spend would provide the long-term certainty of funding, we need to help deliver the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes.”

“We’ll also continue to make the case for a 10-year rent settlement to give housing associations confidence to bring forward larger schemes and deliver more high quality, affordable homes for people across West Yorkshire.”

 

Onwards to: WDH’s Saxton House

At WDH’s Saxton House in Leeds, we saw how they are building 207 affordable 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments on the site of an old garage. This development, which was originally earmarked by the developer for private rent, will offer a diverse range of residents a home on the edge of Leeds City Centre.

 

Last but not least: Leeds Federated, Sugar Hill Close

Leeds Federated have replaced 1940s prefabricated Airey homes which were owned by a private landlord. We had the pleasure of meeting two longstanding residents who had just moved into their brand-new home from one of the prefabs.

It was a great day! Thank you to all those involved. We love showcasing the work of our members to government officials and hope it will help our members to work with government to transform communities across the North. Thanks to supporter member Ward Hadaway for hosting us.

 

 

NHC’s Tom Kennedy runner up in Thinkhouse Early Career Researcher’s Prize

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Our Policy & Public Affairs Manager, Tom Kennedy, has come runner up in the Thinkhouse Early Career Researcher’s Prize for his work on our ‘Brownfield First’ report.

‘Brownfield First – how devolved brownfield funding can build a new generation of homes in the North’ looked at why long-term funding for brownfield development is needed, and how devolution can increase the impact. The research included discussions with Mayoral Combined Authorities across the North of England.

The research found that there is capacity for up to 320,000 new homes on brownfield land in the North. A10-year £4.2 billion funding programme to remediate all the North’s brownfield land is needed to make these homes a reality.

Patrick Murray, NHC Executive Director for Policy & Public Affairs said: “I’m delighted that Tom has earned some well-deserved recognition for his work on Brownfield First from the prestigious Thinkhouse ECRP.

“His excellent research for Brownfield First was timely with the government aiming to build 1.5 million new homes this parliament. The Devolution White paper has also confirmed that Mayors will play an increasingly central role in housing delivery including more control of grant funding to support regeneration and housing delivery, something that the paper made a case for. The findings from the research are actively shaping government policy on brownfield housing development.”

Read Brownfield First here.

We welcomed the recent allocation of almost £30m in funding through the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land fund for Bradford City Council’s ‘Bradford City Village’ project, which will deliver 1,000 new homes in the city centre. This year we organised a visit with senior civil servants responsible for brownfield land funding to see the plans for this exciting project.

Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities Goes National

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Last month the Northern Housing Consortium and partners presented the findings of Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities to a national online audience of around 400 people. The session was organised as part of the Homes England Autumn Learning Programme. Organised by Homes England’s Local Government Capacity Centre, the periodic learning programmes aim to support Local Governments, Housing Associations, and wider partners to create thriving places through knowledge exchange and sharing good practice.

As part of the session, the NHC discussed the continuing relevance of ‘pride in place’ and the interrelationship between physical and social regeneration, community empowerment, and how they both relate to identity and belonging. In taking part in the Learning Series, the NHC underlined the importance of its membership of Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Combined Authorities, and ALMO’s to Homes England’s Mission of creating high quality homes and thriving places; supporting greater social justice and creating places people are proud to call home.

Through Pride in Place, the NHC and partners brought together social and private rented sector residents to discuss what makes a great place to live, and how residents, NHC members, and other stakeholders can work together to deliver on local priorities. Attendees heard how participants identified the following priorities:

Public Spaces and Opportunities for Neighbourliness

Residents wanted to see their areas celebrate the local community.

This meant making the most of an area’s heritage. Ensuring historic buildings, landmarks, and green spaces were not just well maintained but enhanced as public spaces for people to use and enjoy.

It meant getting to know people in an area and building on history with a celebration of different cultures as well. Diversity of the local population was consistently cited as one of many reasons people were proud of their area. Whilst concerns over integration were raised, this fuelled a desire on the part of residents to see more opportunities to bring different cultures together.

Together, it was felt that these things would promote community spirit across generations and cultures, increasing social connection but also tackling loneliness and isolation.

Sense of Community and Decision Making

Residents saw clear roles for national and local government, civil society, and communities themselves in how areas were governed. But wanted to see more cohesive joint working between each and told us further support was needed to truly empower residents to set and deliver on their priorities.

Participants wanted improved dialogue with anchor institutions like Housing Associations, Councils, or other public services. They felt better joint working and outreach to residents could provide clarity on how and where communities could be more involved in their areas.

In doing this, neighbourhood groups could expand, or be established, to play a leadership role, upskilling residents and opening up funding opportunities in the process.

A Foundation of Decent Housing and Decent Public Services

Finally, as much as people had a desire to be involved in how areas could be improved, they were clear that a starting point for their quality of life was the ability to access what they saw as the fundamentals; decent affordable housing in clean, safe neighbourhoods, employment opportunities, and healthcare; all part of a wider public service system they currently saw as fragmented, under-resourced, and not visible in the community.

In reflecting on this, the devolution agenda was identified as being central to delivering on the priorities people had for their areas: encouraging sustainable funding for key institutions and their efforts to build homes and regenerate neighbourhoods, supporting greater collaboration in the way local stakeholders work together, and opening a path for the double devolution of powers and responsibility through to communities themselves.

Overall, Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities underlined the important role NHC members play in their areas. Not just in building homes and regenerating neighbourhoods but ensuring residents can enjoy their lives in well-designed place with access to the kinds of employment, wellbeing, social and cultural opportunities that make an area thrive.

The session highlighted good work already taking place and underlined what an ambitious sector, backed by Government, could achieve both directly and through empowered communities.

 

 

Fantastic fundraising event celebrates Unlocking Success bursary recipients

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Over 300 people attended a fundraising lunch to raise money for our Unlocking Success Bursary scheme, which supports people living in social housing to access training and employment opportunities.

The event raised a total of £12,860, including a £3,000 donation from procurement partners Prosper. The money will be used to fund next year’s scheme which provides people living in social housing with £500 grants to cover expenses including course fees, travel, equipment, childcare and even living expenses.

This year’s Unlocking Success bursary scheme was our biggest ever with 35 bursaries awarded. Bursary recipients Sarah Wingfield and Naomi Taylor, both Livin tenants, and Karla Valencia Herrador, a Believe tenant, attended the event as guests of honour and shared their stories.

Sarah said:

“I am profoundly grateful to Northern Housing Consortium for this incredible opportunity. Their support has not only enhanced my business but also given me hope for continued growth and success. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in my journey.”

Also in attendance was Katie Spittle, from Riverside, who was awarded a funded place on the GEM programme, to celebrate the NHC’s 50th anniversary. To be eligible applicants had to work for one of our members and live in social housing.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“I’m really pleased we had such a fantastic turnout. This event funds our bursary scheme. It was fantastic to hear from Sarah, Naomi, Karla and Katie about the difference it’s made to them.”

A powerful poem Open Yer Eyes , created in the wake of last summer’s riots, as part of a project by Sunderland College, was shared. It reminded everyone of the positives in our communities, despite the troubling events earlier in the year.  Two talented Sunderland College students also brought some festive cheer to the event by singing Christmas songs.

Also at the event was Newcastle Eagles player coach Chloe Gaynor who got everyone moving with a bounce and clap exercise.

If you were unable to attend the event but would like to support the Unlocking Success Bursary you can donate here.