Comments for Alex's Archives

Comment on Uncertain terrain: issues and challenges facing housing associations by admin

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:50:32 +0000

Marge – I think the answer to your questions is that all sorts of arrangements are possible. The local authority is required to establishe that private rented accommodation that is used for discharge of duty is of an adequate standard. There are a range of arrangements that can exist in terms of long term leasing. Housing associations can be involved as managing agents or landlords. I wouldn’t be surprised if housing associations became more involved in providing this type of accommodation. But the economics of it are uncertain, as witnessed by the pre-emptive notices to quit issued by some London landlords.

Comment on Uncertain terrain: issues and challenges facing housing associations by admin

admin — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:46:36 +0000

Paul – Thanks for your comment. I don’t think I missed that point entirely – it is in there somewhere. But I don’t go into details and examples, and on reflection I could have elaborated upon the distinction a bit more fully. Also, in the last section when I talk about values I am a bit preoccupied with the more commercial/private finance approach and its impact on mission/values. You are surely right to argue that it is possible for housing associations to move forward in a way that sees them effectively returning to their roots, and in the process strengthening their sense of social purpose.

Comment on Uncertain terrain: issues and challenges facing housing associations by Paul Smith

Paul Smith — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:04:29 +0000

Alex

I think the big issue you have missed is the growing dichotomy between associations which are consolidating their business around the development and management of housing and those which are diversifying their businesses to be much wider social players. New Charter in Manchester typifies this running 3 schools now and more to follow, saving and owning the local newspaper, undertaking family intervention work, the list goes on. You could argue this is taking the sector back to its roots as social agents (Bourneville being a good but not the only answer) versus those which just wished to provide better housing.

Comment on Uncertain terrain: issues and challenges facing housing associations by margecsimpson

margecsimpson — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:43:40 +0000

As a non-specialist I found this a very interesting post. Thanks a lot

In terms of your statement

“Those who are found to be statutorily homeless and the long term benefit-dependent will increasingly be housed in the private rented sector”

How are landlords in the private rented sector to be found for the statutorily homeless and the long term benefit-dependent? Will housing associations take on the role of a conventional letting agent here to make the system comprehensible to the client and provide reassurance to the landlord. And if yes, is this one of the expansions to their business model that you foresee (presumably the HA would take a cut of the rent as commission as per conventional letting agents)

Comment on Making the housing case to Health by Paul Smith

Paul Smith — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:12:09 +0000

The real challenge is developing structures and activities which produce real rather than inferred or modelled health benefits. This also means producing benefits which can reduce the health spend. This has to be based upon integrated projects which can demonstrate efficenicies in the health market. Too much of the research assumes that by helping some people with a particular problem you create a health saving, in reality all that happens is that the health spending is not saved but redirected to the next person on the list.

Comment on Housing ambition and disciplining the poor by Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #324

Top of the Blogs: The Lib Dem Golden Dozen #324 — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:00:31 +0000

[...] 12.Housing ambition and disciplining the poor by Alex Marsh on Alex’s Archives. A long read, but an interesting in depth analysis of the proposals by a Housing Association to introduce “ambition contracts” with tenants [...]

Comment on New housing ideas from One Nation Labour? by SK

SK — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:52:03 +0000

No policies for trying to discourage BTL and support FTB through removal of BTL tax allowances?

Comment on Rebalancing towards renting by SK

SK — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:49:39 +0000

Very good article, many thanks for pointing out how bad the government/BoE policy is against tenants and FTB.

Comment on Bungalow build by SK

SK — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:33:22 +0000

The government is too afraid to actually do something drastic about housing.

Checking on the websites there are properties which have been on the market for 50-100+ weeks with no or small reductions. The fact that the government is not putting “pressure” on people to sell at a logical market price shows how the government is treating differently tenants and house (debt) -owners.

On one hand tenants are living in a wild west environment with no rules/high fees and constrained supply while debt-home owners have protection from the state (call it forebereance/reduced mortgage rates/FLS/HTB etc).

And all decisions from the government do point to that, see:
-low savings rates (tenants cannot get a deposit)
-high inflation (again bad for tenants/FTB while debt/home owners assets appreciate)
-FLS/HTB
-Forebereance practices
-Tax Benefits for BTL
-High income taxes while no wealth taxes (see even reduction in council tax rates for 2nd properties!)

All in all, the planning system is part of the problem and part of the long-term solution. it is not part of a short term solution. Only higher interest rates and taxes on BTL/2nd properties would be a good short term solution.

Comment on The political economy of Help to Buy by SK

SK — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:16:13 +0000

Very very good post.

For the previous poster, can you tell how this scheme will help us when it is obvious it will increase prices? If anything, this is a negative equity trap for FTB.

The HelptoSell (Sorry helptobuy) does not address the problem but it makes it worse. The real solutions available are:
-Build more houses
-Cap Rents (or force landlords to pass their low rates savings to Rents)
-Discourage BTL
-Introduct Property tax
-Increase interest rates