Policy & Governance update: September 20 | The Almshouse Association

Each month, the Association 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 September 2020 Summary.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Government Announces Funding For The Affordable Homes Programme – The Government announced £12 billion in funding for the Affordable Housing Programme for 2021-2026.

The aim of this fund is to provide 180,000 homes around the country. The Almshouse Association welcomes this funding, which has previously been used to support almshouse charities to grow and develop. We hope to see many more examples of this fund being used to support our members. Further guidance on the specifics of the fund will be published shortly.

After discussions over recent months, The Almshouse Association is particularly pleased to see almshouses specifically mentioned in the Government’s announcement, reiterating the exemption from Right to Buy which almshouses benefit from.

The full Government announcement can be found here.

Flood Grant Extension – The Government has announced an extension of the £5,000 grant scheme available to homes and businesses affected by flooding in the last year. The Property Flood Resilience (PFR) scheme will be extended by nine months to take into account delays to repair work and the additional pressures placed on local authorities by coronavirus.

The new deadline for applications from communities flooded in November 2019 is now 31 December 2021, while those flooded in February 2020 have until 1 July 2022.

The full announcement can be found here.

Coronavirus

Self-Isolation Payment – The Government has announced that people are now required by law to self-isolate when they develop, or come into contact with someone who develops, Coronavirus symptoms. To help those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result, there is now support through a £500 payment. The payment can be paid to those who are in receipt of benefits in England, and should be arranged through your local authority.

The full announcement can be found here.

Rules On Holding AGMs And Other Meetings – The Government has announced that charitable companies and Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) can continue to hold AGMs and other member meetings virtually until 30th December 2020.

Wherever possible it is still hoped that members will be able to submit their annual returns online. However, if Trustees have an imminent deadline and believe they are likely to miss it you should send an email to filingextension@charitycommission.gov.uk with your charity name and registration number.

Note: temporary laws allowing charitable companies and CIOs to postpone AGMs and other members’ meetings end on 30 September. The Charity Commission advises that these charities can use the advice above.

Full guidance can be found here.

Charity Commission

Charity Commission Publishes Almshouse Definition – The Almshouse Association is enormously pleased to be able to confirm to our members that The Charity Commission has now publicly recognised our official definition of an almshouse and has added the definition to their Operation Guidance.

After over 2 years of meetings and deliberations, members feedback and rewrites, we consider this a major milestone as we look to grow and develop the almshouse movement. The definition now gives us greater authority to show the unique nature of almshouses, whilst being able to reference official recognition from a government body.
It is important to receive this confirmation as we move forward with our discussions with local and national government, ensuring that our members are not hindered in their efforts to support their charities.

The full document on almshouses on the Charity Commission website can be found here. (scroll down the index to almshouses)

Posted 5 October 2020