P&G update: 13.12.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

HOUSE OF COMMONS QUESTION: RENTERS REFORM BILL

It is clear from the answer to a question tabled in The House of Commons yesterday that the new Renters Reform Bill carries implications across the housing sector, and could include almshouses. We will monitor the situation closely and engage with any further consultation.

QUESTION:

Julian Sturdy (Con) (York Outer): (100940) To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if the Government will set up an independent review of the living standards maintained by housing associations.

RESPONSE:

Dehenna Davison (Con) (Bishop Auckland): This Government is clear that all social landlords have a legal obligation to ensure their homes are decent and fit to live in under the Decent Homes Standard which we have committed to reviewing. We will also introduce a Renters Reform Bill in this Parliament and we will legislate to introduce a legally binding Decent Homes Standard for the first time. We have consulted on this proposal and are currently reviewing the responses. This is a key plank of our ambitious mission to halve the number of non-decent homes across all rented tenures by 2030, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.

Our Social Housing Regulation Bill will bring in a rigorous new regime where the Regulator of Social Housing will proactively inspect landlords and will have the power to issue unlimited fines. It will be able to intervene cases where tenants’ lives are being put at risk and, in the very worst cases, it will have the power to instruct that properties are brought under new management.

The Secretary of State recently wrote to all local authority Chief Executives and council leaders and all providers of social housing on ensuring quality in social housing. The letters are available here.

RIGHT TO BUY

An ambiguous response was received from a direct question about an extension to the Right to Buy policy as below.

QUESTION:

Tulip Siddiq (Lab) (Hampstead and Kilburn): (101031) To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether it remains his Department’s policy to extend the right to buy to housing association tenants.

RESPONSE:

Lucy Frazer (Con) (South East Cambridgeshire): Any announcements will be made in the usual way.

The Almshouse Association will continue to monitor this aspect with interest.

13 December 2022

Condensation and mould: what can we do?

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Standards and safety in social housing made the headlines in November, as the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill was brought to the Commons for scrutiny.

Following the conclusion of the coroner’s report into the death of Awaab Ishak, which found that the two-year-old died due to the mould in his social home, Secretary of State Michael Gove wrote to council leaders and social housing providers calling for greater action to improve housing conditions. Gove also gave an emotive speech to Parliament, in which he promised that new regulations would provide greater protection for social housing tenants from unscrupulous landlords. On 26 November, over 250 tenants met November for the first meeting of the Social Housing Quality Residents Panel, which is charged with influencing the government’s plans on improving social housing conditions. The Panel is one of several provisions in the Bill which have received cross-party support.

What can almshouse charities do?

Condensation is the process where water vapour becomes liquid. It is the reverse of evaporation, where liquid water becomes a vapor. Condensation happens one of two ways: Either the air is cooled to its dew point or it becomes so saturated with water vapor that it cannot hold any more water.

Condensation occurs where moisture in warm air comes into contact with a cold surface and turns into water droplets.  It is generally noticeable where it forms on non-absorbent surfaces such as windows and tiles, but it can form on any surface, only being noticed when mould appears or the material rots. Condensation tends to happen more in rooms where there is a considerable amount of moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens, or in rooms where there is a number of people.

The moisture in the air comes from a number of sources within the house.

Normal day to day activities produce relatively large quantities and it is estimated that a five-person household puts approximately ten litres of water into the air every day. This estimation does not take into consideration the effects of any heating. Cooking, washing and drying clothes, our breathing and personal washing all play a part.

In the kitchens and bathrooms where the warm air contains a considerable amount of moisture, when the air then circulates to cooler parts of the house, for example to a bedroom, it will condense on any colder surface. The fact that houses have become more effectively sealed has led to any moisture produced being retained and providing better conditions for condensation to occur.

Ventilation is only effective if consistent throughout the entire house

Poor air circulation causing the formation of stagnant air pockets in areas, such as behind furniture and in cupboards, will tend to encourage condensation and the first evidence is usually the formation of mould growth. A further culprit is that of drying clothes in the home, especially over radiators.

Condensation can cause mould to form on walls, furniture and soft furnishings such as curtains and can even damage plasterwork and rot wooden window frames. In the case of anyone who has a breathing condition such as asthma or bronchitis, it is most important that every effort is made to control condensation because mould and house mites may make these conditions worse.

Minimising and Preventing Condensation

In order to minimise and hopefully prevent condensation occurring:

  • It is best to ventilate the room to the outside after having a bath or shower. Opening a window and closing the door will help.
  • Dry clothes should be dried out of doors if possible or in a cool area leading to less moisture being held in the air at any one time.
  • Where clothes are dried inside the home, the room should be ventilated and wet coats should be hung outside the living area to dry.
  • Tumble dryers should be vented to the outside unless they are condensing dryers.
  • A minimum amount of water should be used when cooking and lids kept on pans.
  • Extractor fans should be used where available.  
  • When filling baths it is best to run the cold water first and then add the hot which will reduce the amount of steam considerably.

Encouraging your residents to follow the above simple measures will make a great difference and hopefully avoiding condensation or, at the least, minimise its occurrence.     

30 November 2022

Registered Providers Network Meeting

The Almshouse Association Registered Providers Network met with Regulator of Social Housing and IFF Research on 23rd November 2022 to discuss the Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

The agenda included:

  • Tenant Satisfaction Measures
  • Practical process of what and how to record TSM
  • General Q&A

We would like to thank all members for participating; it was encouraging to get such a good turnout. A recording of the session can be found here for anyone not able to attend or would just like a recap on the discussions that took place.

posted 24 November 22

P&G update: 21.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

Almshouse Association receives letter from National Housing Federation

What we see is a robust response to the death of Awaab Ishak through a speeding up and enhancement of the Social Housing Bill. This will have implications for all Regulated Housing Provider almshouses and may have implications for all almshouse charities in the future. We will monitor, engage and report to members as applicable. Full letter below:

Dear Nick,  

In response to the inquest into the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, the Department for Levelling, Housing and Communities has published an open letter from the Secretary of State calling on all social housing providers to “read and absorb” the lessons in the coroner’s report. Michael Gove also set out an expectation that social housing providers assess damp and mould in properties and which actions will be taken to redress these issues. The sector is told that a letter from the Regulator is also imminent.  

I know from speaking to a number of Chief Executives over the last week how shocked and upset the sector is about Awaab’s death.  As your trade body, the National Housing Federation (NHF) is committed to ensuring that our members understand the critical lessons from this case and the action that is needed to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. We will do this through briefings and face-to-face meetings that support practical change.  

You will also know that earlier this year the NHF and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) commissioned an independent panel to review poor quality in housing association homes and make recommendations for improvements. The Better Social Housing Review, led by housing and social care expert Helen Baker, has met with residents, front-line staff, sector leaders and key stakeholders across the summer to understand the challenge. The final report from the review is expected soon and the NHF and CIH will be developing an action plan from its recommendations to make sure every resident has a good quality home.  

There is a problem with the quality of some housing that must be fixed. We want to address this urgent issue, learn where things are going wrong, and work with you to tackle the root causes of these problems.  

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the NHF’s work in this area.  

Best wishes,
Kate Henderson
Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

Energy bills and decarbonisation

Housing association homes are on average more energy efficient than any other homes, however, the sector still faces a significant challenge to decarbonise the 2.7 million homes owned by housing associations by 2050.
Yesterday’s announcement of an extra £6bn for energy efficiency measures is a welcome and necessary step from the government.
This funding will be vital in helping housing associations to continue making progress towards their individual net zero targets and will contribute to the government’s ability to meet their legally binding target for the UK to reach net zero by 2050. It will also help better protect tenants from soaring energy costs in the future.  
To mitigate the more immediate impact of the energy crisis, the Chancellor announced an extension of the energy price cap guarantee which will now continue from April for a further 12 months. This cap of £3,000 per year for the average household will limit the impact of any further hikes to energy costs.  

Welfare and benefits

In his statement, the Chancellor took steps to protect those on the lowest incomes who will feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis most keenly in the coming months.

  • Benefits will be uprated by inflation, with an increase of 10.1%. For the first time since 2016, the benefits cap will also rise with inflation next year.
    We welcome this news, having signed an open letter to the Prime Minister earlier this month with over 100 organisations calling for these measures. We believe it will ensure the benefits system continues to function as a financial safety net. Whilst these measures are welcomed, it is important to note that claimants need to wait until April 2023 to benefit from the uprating. This means that they will still face this winter without any increase in their income.  
  • There will be additional Cost of Living Payments of £900 to households on means tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households and £150 to people on disability benefit.
  • In a move to support older people, the pension credit will also increase by 10.1%, which will protect the triple lock pension and mean an extra £870 for each state pensioner.    
  • An extension of the Local Authority Household Support Fund with an additional £1bn of funding available.
  • It was announced that the planned movement of Employment and Support Allowance claimants (not in receipt of child tax credit) onto Universal Credit would be delayed until 2028.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 21 November 2022

HM Treasury: Autumn Statement

Chancellors Statement and impact for member charities.

Following the completion of the consultation period where the Department for Levelling Up (DLUC) asked The Almshouse Association and its members for their views on the impact of a 3%-5% and 7% rent cap to Registered Social Landlords (Registered Providers of Social Housing), today the DLUC announced their position. In our consultation feedback we explained how important it was to enable our members to be exempt from the rent cap and that anything less than 7% would have grave implications for the financial stability of our RESL members and their residents.

  • DLUC today confirmed a rent cap of 7% on Registered Social Landlords (RSL) for 2023/2024 with an intention to revert to CPI +1% in the future.

NOTE: Supported Housing Providers are exempt from the above cap, however, most almshouse charities do not fall under the recognised ‘Supported Housing’ classification.

Full details from the DLUC can be found here

In his first Autumn statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made the following announcements (that could impact almshouse charities and their residents):

  • Benefits will rise with the rate of inflation – by 10.1%
  • Pensions will also increase by 10.1%
  • The government’s energy price guarantee will be kept for a further 12 months at an average of £3,000 for a typical household, up from £2,500 at present.
  • New one-off payments of £900 to households on means-tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households and £150 for individuals on disability benefit.
  • The “national living wage” will rise by 9.7% next year to £10.42 an hour.

The full Autumn statement can be found here

WMC: For almshouse charities who have yet to set their WMC for 2023/4 our updated Specimen Outline Budget can be found here.

posted 17 November 2022

P&G update: 14.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

GOVERNMENT

  • Guidance for members operating heat networks – The government has outlined how members operating heat networks must ‘pass-through’ the savings made through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

    There are certain requirements for members which include:
    • Informing all your heat network customers how and when savings will be passed onto them. Savings must be passed on by 30 November 2022, or within 30 days of receiving the discounted prices from your energy supplier. To help with this, you will find a template letter here.
    • Registering with the Energy Ombudsman for the redress scheme. More information will be found on the Energy Ombudsman website. Heat suppliers can also contact heatnetworks@beis.gov.uk for more information on the redress scheme.

      You can find further guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme pass-through requirements for heat networks here, including how to inform customers and calculating the pass through.

      If you are benefitting from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme on your commercial electricity supply, used for communal areas (lighting, lifts, security doors, etc.), these savings also need to be passed through to customers. In these cases where you are acting as an intermediary, there is guidance for intermediaries. The deadline for the notification is 30 days from the benefit being provided to the intermediary.
  • Former Housing Minister Appointed as Charities Minister – Short-lived housing minister Stuart Andrews MP has been appointed as charities minister by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

    The Association will be in touch with Mr Andrews and hope that in his new role he can champion and protect the charitable status of almshouse charities in government.

    Lucy Frazer MP has also now been announced as the new housing minister. The Association has written to Mrs Frazer to ask for her support.
  • Housing Ombudsman Issues Call for Evidence on Poor Record Keeping – The Housing Ombudsman has issued a call for evidence to support its next systemic investigation which will look at record keeping and data management. This has been a consistent theme found by the Ombudsman in its casework with 67% of investigations upheld in 2021-22 involving poor records.

    Complaint handlers are invited to submit evidence which will help the Ombudsman make recommendations that promote greater understanding of the importance of information and knowledge management.

    You can submit evidence here until December 23rd 2022.
  • Government Confirms Support for Oil Heating – Households that don’t use main gas – such as homes with heating oil, LPG or biomass boilers – will get an additional £100 to help with energy bills this winter, on top of the £400 you’ll get from your electricity supplier.

    The Government has now confirmed this money will come from your electricity supplier, and will be added to your energy account as bill credit, but it hasn’t said when yet. It has also said that if you don’t have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, you’ll still get the payment, though it has yet to announce how this will be paid.

    The Association will provide further updates when we know more.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Setting up ‘My Charity Commission Account’ – ‘My Charity Commission Account’ is a new way for trustees and charity contacts to access the Charity Commission’s online services. It can also be used by other people you have authorised, such as your accountant or lawyer.

The Commission has published guidance to help trustees get set up on the new system which can be found here.

FUNDING

CAF opens Keystone Fund for small charities – The Keystone Fund aims to enable locally and regionally focused charities working towards social equity to become more agile in their support for their communities. It provides a programme of unrestricted grants, networking and access to advice webinars and toolkits.

Grants available:

  • Unrestricted grants, intended to enable charitable organisations in the UK to adapt ways of working, strengthen capacity or build resilience, according to identified needs.
  • Grants will be awarded between £5,000 and £50,000
  • Approximately 120 grants will be awarded over 2-3 rounds during 2022-23.
  • Grant funds must begin to be spent within 6 months of grant payment, but can be carried forward into the following financial year if required to enable flexibility. They should be fully spent within 24 months of grant payment.

Grants will not normally be restricted to specific projects, but CAF will ask you to tell them how you would like to use the funds. It is hoped that charitable organisations can use a grant to become more agile in their support for their communities. This might include the costs of leadership time to develop strategy or organisational capacity, or to access additional external expertise, support and advice to develop their resilience plans. Grants might also be used for staff costs, digital costs, overheads, delivery costs or equipment, according to your identified longer-term needs.

In addition, building on CAF’s advisory opportunities for charities across the UK, all grant holders will gain access to webinars, toolkits, and networking opportunities to accelerate their impact.

More details can be found here.

ENERGY

Centrica scheme to support battery storage – Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, are looking for 2-3 acres of land to support the growth of energy storage. In particular they are looking for land which is:

  • Grade 3 or poorer i.e. could not be used for arable farming
  • Near a substation (not essential, but better)
  • Near a grid connection

If you have an interest in this type of scheme, you can find more information here. It is likely that other companies are offering similar schemes and if interested it would be advisable to consult 2 or 3 other organisations before proceeding.

Note: It is also important to check your governing documents regarding how land you own can be used.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

Inquest hears how boy’s death linked to mould in home – An ongoing inquest has heard that the death of a two-year old boy was directly linked to exposure to mould in the flat where he lived.

The case comes as the government pushes for higher standards in both the private and social sectors of housing. This tragic case serves as a reminder to members of how important it is that you keep track of maintenance issues as they arise and ideally planning effectively for them before they do. One of the best ways to achieve this is through quinquennial surveys which allow you to plan maintenance over a number of years.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 14 November 2022

P&G update: 7.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

  • Social Housing Regulation Bill moves to House of Commons – MPs will begin to consider the Social Housing Regulation Bill on November 7th after its completed passage through the House of Lords.

    The Almshouse Association continues to have concerns over what is now Clause 32 which concerns the extension of the Regulator of Social Housing’s power to charitable housing providers who have not received government grant.

    We believe that this ultimately undermines the charitable status of almshouse charities and feel it is inappropriate. We encourage members to write to their MPs to flag our concerns and challenge the clause.

    The Bill can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 7 November 2022

P&G update: 31.10.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

  • Rishi Sunak Appointed Prime Minister – Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been appointed Prime Minister after the resignation of Liz Truss. We congratulate Mr Sunak on his appointment and look forward to seeing the government provide greater support for genuinely affordable housing.
    Mr Sunak has 7 Almshouse Association members within his constituency and so we hope that he will be aware of the fine work that almshouse charities carry out in their communities.
  • New Secretary of State for Department of Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities – Michael Gove has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities. 
    We look forward to working with the re-appointed Secretary, particularly in achieving recognition of almshouses as “affordable” under the National Planning Policy Framework, helping to ease the process by which new almshouses can be developed.
  • Regulator of Social Housing identifies key risks facing social housing sector in 2022 and beyond – The Regulator of Social Housing has released its Sector Risk Profile, setting out its view of the key risks and challenges facing the social housing sector.
    The report shows that providers face substantial financial pressures. High inflation is impacting on operating costs and the cost of debt is rising at the same time as increased cost of living pressures on tenants, a proposed rent cap, and a weakening housing market. To maintain financial resilience, providers need to continue responding appropriately to the changing conditions.
    Full details can be found here.

Miscellaneous

Research Opportunity

Kings College London, in partnership with Housing LIN, are working on a research project on loneliness in an ageing population tackled through smart clothing and furniture. As part of this, researchers are looking to speak to people over the age of 65 who have experience of loneliness. Their goal is to understand what loneliness means for older adults and learn how we might be better able to measure loneliness.

To take part, individuals would have to:

  • be over the age of 65
  • have experienced loneliness since turning 65
  • be happy to speak about their experiences.

Participants will speak to a researcher in a one-off interview which will take no longer that two hours. This includes demographic questions and comfort breaks.

The interview can be in person or online and will include questions on:

  • personal experiences of loneliness
  • role of technology in measuring loneliness
  • preferences for data use.

As a thank you for their time, participants will be given a £30 voucher after the interview. To take part please contact Dr Jessica Rees via email: deloneliness@kcl.ac.uk.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 31 October 2022

Our Christmas Fund 2022

Hutchen’s Trust residents 2019

The Almshouse Association is very pleased to able to offer Christmas fund vouchers to almshouse residents over 90 years old again this year!

Over 70 years ago, Major Allnatt, a successful businessman and philanthropist who worked closely with and supported our founding General Secretary, Leonard Hackett, left a Christmas legacy to the Association.
The Almshouse Association invested the money to support his wish that every Christmas, gifts were given to almshouse residents over 90 years old. He wished his name to remain a secret until his death, many years ago now, but his legacy lives on, and it has been a great pleasure for the Association to be able continue to honour his wishes every Christmas.

DAMHA CEO Paul Mullis presents Christmas voucher to almshouse resident 2021

It is fair to say that when The Almshouse Association Christmas Fund began over 70 years ago there were a lot less 90-year-olds in almshouses; every year we have more and more residents in almshouses that are over 90 years old. Last year vouchers were sent out to 688 almshouse residents!

This is a great testament to the almshouse movement and the caring dedication of trustees and staff!

Residents at Saffron Walden almshouses receive their Christmas vouchers – 2020

In the link below you will find all the details and an application form. Please complete and return to The Almshouse Association by email or post before 11th November 2022.

Click here to access Christmas fund application form.

[Top photo: Residents at Philipot’s almshouses receive their Christmas vouchers – 2020]

Posted 20 October 2022

P&G: 17.10.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government introduces Energy Prices Bill

The Government has introduced the Bill which puts into law the support offered to tackle high energy bills. The bill highlights how those without a domestic electricity meter, including those on heat networks, will be supported. This includes:

  • The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund to deliver the £400 energy bills rebate to these individuals via local authorities.
  • A £100 additional payment for domestic heat network customers.
  • Legislation that will require landlords and heat network operators to pass benefits on to tenants via the Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Further details on The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund are yet to be announced. Full details can be found here.

update: Link to further details from the government website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers

Almshouse Association Meets with DLUHC

The Association recently met with representatives of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. At the meeting we raised concerns from our members regarding the proposed amendments to Social Housing Regulations as well as the ongoing consultation on a rent cap, both of which would impact almshouse charities who are also Registered Providers of Social Housing. The department has assured us that there are no direct threats to almshouses within the new regulations and that the charitable status of almshouses will be protected.

The Association will continue to monitor progress of the regulations for any further developments.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Opens for Bids

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund has opened for bids to help decarbonise social homes across the country. The Almshouse Association was successful recently in achieving access for all almshouse charities to the scheme which closes on 18th November 2022.

Almshouse charities looking to access the fund will likely need to become part of a consortium as there is a requirement to retrofit a minimum of 100 dwellings. The Association is looking to help members with this process for future bid windows.

Full information can be found here.

Association attends Conservative Party Conference

The Association attended this year’s conference for the Conservative Party to promote the almshouse movement with government ministers and beyond.

Though disappointed that housing did not appear to play a significant role at the conference, with little time allotted to discuss housing policy as part of the main agenda, we were able to attend some fringe events and speak to a number of stakeholders who are keen to work with us and support our members. Signs would seem to suggest that the new administration may not be as interested in genuinely affordable housing as it is in growth.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 17 October 2022; updated 24 November 22