Policy & Governance update: 16.08.21 | The Almshouse Association

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

Property and Planning

GLA Launches Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator:

The Greater London Authority has launched the Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator which is aimed at helping housing providers as they develop bids for the first wave of the £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, which is worth £160m and set to open in the autumn.

Social landlords will now be able to access the GLA scheme to get free technical guidance on retrofitting their homes to cut carbon emissions and reduce heating bills.

It is backed by £3.45m in funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is intended to help speed up energy-efficiency work in social housing across the country.

Bids for the SHDF open on August 23^rd. Members who are Registered Providers and interested in applying should talk to their local authority who will need to bid for funding on their behalf.

Charity

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for the charity sector:

The government has updated its Covid-19 guidance for trustees. This includes advice for trustees on holding meetings remotely or postponing or cancelling meetings to reflect the lifting of restrictions in England and Wales.

As restrictions lift, some members may choose to revert to physical meetings. However, Coronavirus is still impacting on events and so it is still reasonable to make adjustments to suit your needs. Further guidance can be found here.

Wales

Coronavirus Restrictions Lifted:

Most of the remaining Coronavirus restriction in place will be lifted from August 7^th. This includes rules on the number of people who can meet indoors as well as social distancing will end.

Wearing a face mask in shops, health and social care settings and on public transport will still be required.

16-08-2021