The Government has opened a consultation on a proposal to introduce a cap on rents in the social housing sector and although they refer to a ‘rent’ cap, almshouse charities who are Registered Providers of Social Housing (RPs) would also be effected.

The consultation has been launched in light of the cost-of-living crisis which has seen inflation rise significantly, with the prediction for September to be over 10%. Almshouse RPs are normally allowed to raise their WMCs by CPI + 1% each year, this would likely result in an increase of at least 11%. Combined with increases in other bills this is not seen as a viable option and so a reduced cap is being recommended for the coming year.

The consultation proposes a number of options for the cap:

• Do nothing and allow increases of CPI +1%
• Cap at 3%
• Cap at 5%
• Cap at 7%

The Government has noted that it would prefer a 5% cap to allow RPs to continue their normal operations without causing further financial hardship on residents. In light of current pressures, The Almshouse Association is likely to recommend that all members, including non-RPs, use the agreed cap when setting WMC for the coming year.

The Almshouse Association is considering the proposals and will be responding to the consultation. We would welcome the input of our members in this process. Members who wish to provide feedback can do so by writing to Jack Baldan via jackbaldan@almshouses.org.

The consultation is open until 11:45pm on 12 October 2022, however, if you would like to contribute to the Association’s submission, please do so by Friday 30th September

Details on the consultation and resources on the proposal can be found here. 

posted 31 August 2022

Following extensive discussions, The Almshouse Association is pleased to announce that the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) will now be open to all almshouse charities.

The fund is due to re-open this Autumn 2022 with £800m in funding to help raise as many properties as possible to EPC Band C. In total, the fund will provide £3.8 billion over a ten-year period. Previously, the fund was restricted to Registered Providers of Social Housing, however, after continued engagement with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Association was able to achieve changes to the next round of funding to allow registered charities that own social housing to bid directly into the fund. This marks the most significant funding currently available for retrofit projects that is available to almshouse charities.

To bid for funding the project must meet the funds eligibility criteria which includes:

• A minimum of 100 eligible properties at EPC band D-G (Note: If you have less than 100 dwellings you will need to join a consortium with other charities, your local authority, or a housing association)
• Properties must reach EPC band C or D where this is not possible on band F/G properties
• Bidders must be able to co-fund 50% of total eligible costs

The Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator is backed by Government and has been established to help guide applicants through the bidding process. If you are interested in bidding, the Accelerator will be able to offer the best advice on how to create a successful bid. More details can be found here.

The fund is next due to open this Autumn 2022, although, the announcement may have come too late for many members to create a suitable bid. There will, however, be further opportunity to bid as the fund is due to reopen subsequently.

Full guidance on the fund can be found here.  

Posted 22 August 2022

The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our latest summary:

Government

THE ALMSHOUSE ASSOCIATION SECURES ACCESS FOR ALL ALMSHOUSES CHARITIES TO £800M DECARBONISATION FUND

Following extensive discussions, The Almshouse Association is pleased to announce that the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) will now be open to all almshouse charities.

The fund is due to re-open this Autumn with £800m in funding to help raise as many properties as possible to EPC Band C. In total, the fund will provide £3.8 billion over a ten-year period. Previously, the fund was restricted to Registered Providers of Social Housing, but after continued engagement with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Association was able to achieve changes to the next round of funding to allow registered charities that own social housing to bid directly into the fund. This marks the most significant funding currently available for retrofit projects that is available to almshouse charities.

To bid for funding the project must meet the funds eligibility criteria which includes:

• A minimum of 100 eligible properties at EPC band D-G (Note: If you have less than 100 dwellings you will need to join a consortium with other charities, your local authority, or a housing association)
• Properties must reach EPC band C or D where this is not possible on band F/G properties
• Bidders must be able to co-fund 50% of total eligible costs
  
  The Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator is backed by Government and has been established to help guide applicants through the bidding process. If you are interested in bidding, the Accelerator will be able to offer the best advice on how to create a successful bid. More details can be found here.
  
  The fund is next due to open this Autumn 2022, although, the announcement may have come too late for many members to create a suitable bid. There will, however, be further opportunity to bid as the fund is due to reopen subsequently. Full guidance on the fund can be found here. 

• Consultation opens on proposed changes to Statistical Data Return (SDR) – Members who are Registered Providers of Social Housing will be aware of the requirement to submit data as part of the Statistical Data Return through the NROSH+ system.
  From 2023, the Regulator of Social Housing is proposing to amend the questions asked as part of the return and is seeking feedback from Registered Providers on these changes.
  The consultation is open until 9^th September. Full details can be found here.

• Government starts naming and shaming failing landlords – The government has started publishing the name of all the landlords who have received severe maladministration findings from the Housing Ombudsman Service. The full list can be found here.
  This serves as a good reminder for members who are also part of the Housing Ombudsman to review their practices to ensure they are in line with the requirements of the Ombudsman.
  If you have any concerns, please contact The Almshouse Association for support.  

The Charity Commission

• Changes to Charity Commission Communication – The Charity Commission is looking to be more proactive with its engagement with trustees in the future. To make this a reality, they will be asking all charity contacts to set up new, individual Charity Commission accounts to access services such as filing an annual return or changing a governing document. They will also be asking charities to update information on what they do, who they help and where they work.
  
  More information can be found in the Commission’s newsletter here.

• Commission clarifies bullying and harassment roles and responsibilities – The Charity Commission has clarified respective responsibilities in preventing and responding to incidents of bullying and harassment in charities.
  
  In its clarification it has outlined the role of trustees and when the Commission will intervene in matters arising. Full details can be found here.

Miscellaneous

• Funding available for tree planting – The Tree Council has opened its Branching Out Fund for applications. Grants of £200 – £2000 are on offer for projects to plant trees, hedges and orchards with a strong community involvement, ideally involving children and/or young people.
  
  Full details can be found here.   

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 22 August 22

The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our latest summary:

Government

• Government updates advice on £400 energy rebate – The Government has announced further information on the £400 energy rebate which is being provided to households to help with the cost of living crisis. Previously there had been concerns that the scheme would not support those who operated heat networks where a charity charges for energy through their WMC. However, the Government has now clarified that the payment will be made to those with:
  
  “Domestic electricity contracts from landlords where fixed energy costs are included in their rental charges. In these circumstances, landlords who resell energy to their tenants should pass the discounted payments on appropriately, in line with Ofgem rules to protect tenants.”
  
  Furthermore, they have confirmed that:
  
  “Further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who will not be reached through the EBSS [Energy Bill Support Scheme]. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.”
  
  We are glad that the government has taken note of the pressure from The Almshouse Association and others on this issue. However, we are still disappointed that further information on how the scheme will be delivered has still not been provided. Those with standard electric tariffs will see a £66 discount applied to their energy bill in October and November, rising to £67 from December to March 2023. Further information can be found here.

• New guidance for landlords on smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations – We recently published a piece on the new regulations for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms from October 1^st 2022. The Government has since published a guidance booklet for landlords which can be found here.

• Housing Ombudsman opens landlord survey – Housing Ombudsman members may wish to answer their current landlord survey which looks to see how landlords are using the complaints handling code, among other topics. The survey can be found here and closes on 26 August 2022

The Charity Commission

• Commissions publishes guidance on upcoming changes to the Charities Act – The Charity Commission has published new guidance on the forthcoming changes to the Charity Act in Autumn 2022.
  
  This includes:
  • Paying trustees for providing goods to the charity
  • Making moral or ‘ex gratia’ payments from charity funds
  • Fundraising appeals that do not reach, or exceed, your target
  • Power to amend Royal Charters.
    
    Full details can be found here

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 8 August 22

The Government has announced further information on the £400 energy rebate which is being provided to households to help with the cost-of-living crisis. Previously there had been concerns that the scheme would not support those who operated heat networks where a charity charges for energy through their WMC.

However, the Government has now clarified that the payment will be made to those with:

“Domestic electricity contracts from landlords where fixed energy costs are included in their rental charges. In these circumstances, landlords who resell energy to their tenants should pass the discounted payments on appropriately, in line with Ofgem rules to protect tenants.”

Furthermore, they have confirmed that:

“Further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who will not be reached through the EBSS [Energy Bill Support Scheme]. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.”

We are glad that the Government has taken note of the pressure from The Almshouse Association and others on this issue. However, we are still disappointed that further information on how the scheme will be delivered has still not been provided.

Those with standard electric tariffs will see a £66 discount applied to their energy bill in October and November, rising to £67 from December to March 2023.

Further information can be found here.

posted 4 August 22

Following consultations with the Government, The Almshouse Association can confirm that changes to the regulations of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will affect almshouses.

This means that from October 1st, 2022 almshouse charities will be required to:

• provide a smoke alarm on each storey of their properties where there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation
• provide carbon monoxide alarms in any room of their properties used wholly or partly as living accommodation where a fixed combustion appliance is present (excluding gas cookers)
• repair or replace alarms as soon as reasonably practicable.

Many almshouse charities likely already provide these alarms in their dwellings and shared communal areas. If not, trustees should look to immediately address this so that they are compliant with the new requirements.

If you are looking for support with either types of alarm, it is recommended you contact your local fire service who should be able to assist you further.

Posted 26 July 22

The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact/requires action from member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Our latest update can be found below and previous updates are listed at the bottom of the page.

GOVERNMENT

• DLUHC opens consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector – The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has opened a consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector. The consultation is seeking feedback on two proposals:
  • Proposal A: Mandatory checks on electrical installations for social housing at least every 5 years.
  • Proposal B: Mandatory Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) on all electrical appliances that are provided by social landlords as part of a tenancy.
    
    The proposed regulations would only apply to Registered Providers of Social Housing operating in England. Members can respond to the consultation here or you can send responses to specific questions to Jack Baldan via jackbaldan@almshouses.org.

• Ombudsman plans systemic investigation into record keeping – The Housing Ombudsman has announced that it will be undertaking a ‘systemic investigation into record keeping’ following a number of issues being raised in this area.
  
  In a statement the Ombudsman said: “Strong record keeping practices are core to good services and will be the focus of a future systemic investigation by the Ombudsman with the aim of making recommendations and sharing learning across the social housing sector.”
  
  Members may wish to use this as an opportunity to review their recording keeping processes and ensure that they are of a high standard. The full statement can be found here.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Commission publishes research into public trust in charities – The Charity Commission has published annual research into public trust in charities and what trustees think about their duties.

The report highlights that public trust in charities has remained stable and that expectations of charities remain high. It also flags that trustees’ understanding of their role has not changed since 2020, but that there are some gaps in knowledge around decision making and financial oversight.

The report can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

posted 18 July 22