Heritage Open Days returns 6-15 September 2024

Each September thousands of volunteers across the country invite members of the public to experience local history, architecture and culture. All for free.

Its so good to see so many almshouses have registered to open up their almshouses and gardens and welcome in members of the public to the homes that have been providing safe havens for people in need – century after century.

Take a look at the Heritage Open Days website here – How to get involved (heritageopendays.org.uk). It looks like you still have time to register if you have not done already – closing date is 8th August 2024.

There is currently so much interest in the almshouse movement and almshouses – old and new – so its important we grab every opportunity to raise their profile and showcase the good work almshouse charities are doing to ensure there are affordable homes for people in need in their local areas for many more centuries to come.

To see full details of all the almshouse charities on the Heritage Open Days website that have already registered, please click here

To all the almshouse charities getting involved, we would love to see photos from the day!

posted 22 July 2024

The Almshouse Association held its 73^rd Annual General Meeting on Thursday 27 June 2024.

Please see our summary below:

• Association Chairman, Willie Hartley Russell (WHR) presented an update on the current position of The Almshouse Association (TAA). He outlined the key issues, highlighting that heritage and conservation are an important aspect of TAA work. He confirmed that 2023 had been a good year for TAA, with increased users to our website, a bigger social media and national press footprint, engagement with MPs continuing at a pace and engagement with members though regional meetings. He spoke of the new Charity Health Check and Standards of Almshouse Management update and its recognition by The Charity Commission. We ended the year in a sound financial position with good progress on the TAA 5-year strategy. He went on to thank staff, trustees, ambassadors and members for helping make 2023 a very successful year.

• WHR was also delighted to announce that His Majesty King Charles III will continue as our Royal Patron and HRH The Duke of Gloucester will remain as our vice Patron.

• The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting held at One Great George Street, Westminster, London Thursday 15^th June, 2023, were voted on and agreed to be correct.

• Board Election – Clive Cook sought re-election to the Board of Trustees. This was voted on and confirmed.

• Presentation and Adoption of the 2023 Annual Report and Accounts: presented by Mr S J Ling (SL) – Honorary Treasurer
  • SL summarised the outcome of last year as an overall net deficit of £142,438 which was slightly higher than the previous year’s deficit. This deficit is stated before an increase in the value of our investments of £870,356.  Which more than reversed the reduction that occurred in 2022.
  • Much of the income and funds are restricted.  With regards to the day-to-day running of the Association, TAA relies on unrestricted income to meet staff salaries and other costs. In 2023 the total income was £893,469 with 18% restricted income and 82% from unrestricted income.
  • Expenditure last year was £1,035,907, 14% of that came from restricted funds.
  • Spending from unrestricted funds formed about 86% of the total, of which staff costs were 48% and other expenses 38% of the total.
  • TAA receives restricted income; and amongst other things this provides the funds out of which TAA provides interest free loans to members. Other expenses have to be paid out of the unrestricted income, therefore, it is important that TAA breaks even in this respect.
  • The Association continues to be financially strong and well positioned to continue to provide the support that its members need and expect.

• TAA Auditors, Buzzacott LLP, have signed off the financial statements with a clean report. The motion to adopt the TAA Annual Report and Accounts was proposed and approved.
  • The re-appointment of Buzzacott as auditors was voted on and approved.
• Any Other Business – none
• The Almshouse Association CEO, Nick Phillips (NP) gave thanks to staff and the Board for their support during 2023, confirming
  • TAA Standards of Almshouse Management manual is reviewed and updated so that it can continue to be trusted as robust and legally compliant.
  • TAA work with the government continues behind the scenes.  There is a need to continue to ensure almshouses are protected from the regulation. 
  • TAA strategy: to 2030 – Protect and Build are the two core elements.
  • TAA will provide dedicated resources to help members with the big challenges such as recruiting trustees and building robust boards. 
  • building awareness when talking to the Government. 
  • new charities to be encouraged to establish. It has been 40 years since the last new almshouse charity was introduced. 
  • TAA might need to look at a code of practice to persuade Government to recognise the model in planning terms.
• NP thanked all the almshouse charity trustees for the hard work that they put in.

• Full minutes of the AGM – click here
• A full recording of the AGM can be found here.

posted 18 July 2024

HM King Charles III delivered his speech to Parliament on Wednesday 17th July 2024.

Prior to The King’s Speech being read, it was suggested that the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) Guidance was to be reviewed. This aspect of planning, in itself, was not identified, however, there were some interesting aspects worth highlighting to members:

The Almshouse Association has long suspected a Private Renters’ Bill will come forward with the new Government and this was clearly referenced in the King’s Speech as a Renters Rights Bill here:

• Awaab’s Law, which forced social landlords to repair mouldy homes, will be extended to the private rented sector, along with a “decent homes standard” to ensure properties are “secure and hazard free”.
  
  Our Members will ask, “How does it affect us? We are not the Private Rented sector” This is true, but…our concern is that if we don’t gain Government and legislative recognition for the Charity status almshouses rightly hold close, we are at risk of being caught by one of these ‘scattergun’ Bills.
  
  The devil is in the detail; as we have seen with the Social Housing Act, there were a few details that didn’t quite work with the almshouse charity model and we will be alert to that during the development of these new Bills, but let us assume for now that we will be affected either directly or indirectly by some of these proposals.
  
  If your charity is Regulated (i.e. your Charity is a Registered Provider) you will already be affected by the Social Housing Bill. If your Charity is not registered (with the Regulator of Social Housing), the charity may – only may – be affected by this Bill – we just do not know for sure yet – it will all depend on the drafting of the Bill.
  
  Our good practice guidance in Standards of Almshouse Management covers many aspects of this Bill as indicated, so please do not worry unnecessarily – you are no doubt doing the right thing already. The Bill is, however, likely to have a specific set of procedures to follow and we will keep you informed.
  
  The key message in the interim is to make sure your Risk Assessment process is robust; if it is, it will pick up on any issues such as damp and mould that have the potential to affect the health of residents.

More details will follow after meetings with Civil Servants and as Government policy develops.

posted 18 July 2024

Policy and Governance Update from The Almshouse Association

Recognition as Affordable Housing

Key Messages – In our mission to see the almshouse model recognised as the exemplar form of community housing, we firstly need to have almshouses recognised as proper affordable housing under English Planning guidance (the National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF)).

This recognition would allow almshouse charities (those that are not Registered Social Housing providers) that are restricted by charity legislation to provide housing for those in need:

• access to Section 106 funds
• and cease to be charged a S106 levy for developing more affordable homes for those in need.

Our strategy to do this – There is strong local and national support from all parties to see almshouses recognised as affordable housing in the NPPF guidance, however, as charities we may need to provide greater assurance to Government of the provision of warm, safe, secure homes. This may need to take the form of an accreditation/Charity Health Check. We are working with Government and our members to explore this option.

APPG on Almshouses (All Party Parliamentary Groups)

APPGs are currently restarting after standing down during the election. Although our own APPG on Almshouses is set up and a viable option that affords us some voices in the Houses of Parliament, we have been asked to join other APPGs to help influence charity and older peoples housing based on the success of the almshouse model. We are currently exploring all options within our capacity.

Meetings

In the last few months, The Almshouse Association CEO, Nick Phillips has met:

• The Senior Planning and Housing Team from The Welsh Assembly to discuss
  • access to support for new build and refurbishment of our Welsh member charities, and
  • to confirm that almshouse charities that operate under an Almshouse Letter of Appointment and are registered as almshouses DO NOT fall within the scope of the Rent Smart Wales program.

• Met the Regulator for Social Housing to
  • request lower fees for those members who are Registed Providers, that better fits with the scale of almshouse charities.
  • ask for guidance on ‘proportionality for returns’ for small scale almshouse charities, and
  • to seek guidance on what form of accreditation would be supported in order for almshouse charities to be recognised by Government as proper affordable housing.

• Met National Housing Federation to discuss our approach to Government. The NHF supported our approach and made their own supportive request to ministers.

• The CEO of The Housing Ombudsman Scheme to
  • see support for almshouses to be recognised as affordable housing, and
  • see how the new Complaints Policy could work with the almshouse charity model. Richard Blakeway was very supportive and helpful in both matters.

The Almshouse Association has also requested meetings with:

• the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, previously known as The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Our thanks go to all the members who responded to our request to send letters to the local MPs. Since the election, over 100 letters have been sent to MPs supporting the almshouse model, inviting MPs to visit almshouses and seeking proper recognition under S106.

Please contact Nick Phillips on any policy or political matter via email at nickphillips@almshouses.org

posted 11 July 2024

Dear Members

The general election for the next Government will soon be over and we want to take advantage of the enthusiasm of new MPs to set certain records straight, to make inroads in the affordable housing shortage and show they are leading change in the affordable housing world.

I would like to take this opportunity to try and correct the planning guidance definition of affordable housing and see almshouses recognised in the NPPF as affordable housing. This change would have a number of specific benefits to the almshouse charities over the coming decades.

• It will allow local councils to use Section 106 (or its equivalent) money to help almshouses expand – particularly on small sites.
• It would exempt almshouse charities from being charged the S106 levy (unbelievable but it is happening!)
• It would allow local almshouses to take advantage of the Rural Exception Scheme
• and it would go some way to help enable Homes England to fund almshouses to build new homes without the need to be Registered Providers.

We may have to offer further levels of assurance to the Government but at this stage we want to get almshouses back on the Government agenda – early.

Can you help?

Could you consider engaging your newly elected MP by making contact and letting them know that almshouses are not only part of the affordable housing solution but a very valuable and unique community housing model that would benefit from appropriate support?

I have composed a suggested letter, but please amend or change as you see fit.

Thank you for your help and lets see if we can get this change through in this parliament.

Best regards

Nick Phillips – CEO

posted 4 July 2024