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

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

  • DLUHC consultation seeking views on revised Directions from the Secretary of State to the Regulator of Social Housing in relation to Tenant Involvement and Mutual Exchange is now closed. Full details of consultation can be found here.

    Thank you to all our members for their comments; the Association has now submitted our response, a copy of which can be downloaded here.

    To summarise, we have put forward the following:
    • Tenant involvement and consultation is good practice but being a trustee of a charity carries responsibilities and liabilities beyond today’s housing needs. Often a charity will have many objectives including the long term sustainability of the charity. It is not good practice to ask a resident to take on the responsibility and liability of running an almshouse charity. They will very quickly find there is a conflict of interest. Methods of proper engagement and consultation with residents are good and common practice. Almshouses cannot effectively take on the model of Mutual Exchange programme as trustees must appoint residents based on their fit with the Governing documents of the charity and not on any other basis. Some charities, however, would benefit from offering vacancies on such a scheme to those who match the criteria of the Governing Documents.
  • The next consultation underway is the Community Infrastructure Levy Technical Consultation. Although there is no direct opportunity to comment on affordable housing definition, we will work with DLUC to to ensure that almshouse charities are recognised as ‘affordable housing’ and beneficiaries of the CIL. Please do let us know if you have any thoughts on the CIL consultation – Link. – Technical consultation on the Infrastructure Levy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Standards of Almshouse Management

The new edition of Standards of Almshouse Management has now been live on our website for almost 3 months.

We would be interested to receive your feedback on this latest edition. Is there anything you feel is missing that you would like to see included? Please email admin@almshouses.org with your comments.

STANDARDS OF ALMSHOUSE MANAGEMENT 2023 | (almshouses.org)

RECORD OF PREVIOUS Policy and Governance updates

posted 27 March 2023