The Almshouse Association continues to apply the pressure to government with regards to our call for almshouses to be excluded from the financial burden of selective licensing legislation.

On 25th Feb 2019, Baroness Eaton tabled the below written parliamentary question to Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Question:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the selective licensing regime, introduced in the Housing Act 2004 to tackle rogue landlords, has resulted in Almshouse Charities that are not registered providers of social housing being financially penalised. (HL13979)

Answered:
Only registered housing providers are exempt from selective licensing. This is to ensure that all privately rented accommodation is properly regulated. We take this approach to ensure that high standards are maintained in all rental properties and all tenants are protected. Almshouse Charities are free to register as providers of social housing and some 25 per cent already are. Where almshouses decide not to register, local authorities have discretion to discount or waive fees associated with the licensing process.

Going forward, the Government has commissioned a thorough and independent review into the effectiveness of selective licensing. This is on schedule to report in Spring 2019. The Department will consider the outcomes of the review carefully, including how selecting licensing works for local communities and charitable organisations.


Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth


Recap on Almshouse Association Campaign for Exemption

On 20th June 2018, the Almshouse Association alerted members to the government announcement of a review ( link to government web page) to look at how selective licensing is used and find out how well it is working and called for evidence of almshouse charities impacted by the legislation.

On 23rd January 2019, the Almshouse Association met with a Government representative regarding the issue of selective licensing and put forward our strong case for almshouse charities to be exempt from selective licensing.

On 30th January 2019, having received a number of excellent case studies from member charities, the Almshouse Association put forward our written evidence to government.

On 17th Feb 2019, we were further supported by Stella Creasy, Labour and Cooperative MP for Walthamstow who submitted the below written parliamentary question [218301] which was tabled on 7th February 2019

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish the outcome of the Selective Licensing Review announced in June 2018 [218301] 

Answer:
Good progress is being made on the review by our independent researchers and the final report is on schedule to be published in Spring 2019.


Mrs Heather Wheeler MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

*On 21st May – Met with Heather Wheeler MP (Minister for Housing and Homelessness to discuss the impact of the Selective Licensing regime on almshouse charities

If you have been impacted by Selective Licensing, but you have not yet contacted the Almshouse Association about your experience, please get in touch with ChrisTargowski@almshouses.org

Published 20/03/19 and *updated on 21/05/19