Right to Buy reforms ‘should go further’
The Government should go further with reforming Right to Buy to give local authorities more flexibility and control over how the scheme operates locally, the LGA has said.
housing
Support for affordable housing clearing service
Nearly 250 local authorities and registered providers have signed up to the Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service since we launched it in late 2024, with the help of sector partners. They join 80 housebuilders, and counting.
Local government set mandatory housing targets
Councils must meet new mandatory housing targets as part of government plans to build 1.5 million homes by the next general election.
24,000 affordable homes lost to office conversions
Office-to-residential conversions under permitted development have led to the loss of 23,990 affordable homes in the past decade, according to LGA analysis of official data.
Housing ‘move on’ period extended
The Government has temporarily extended the ‘move on’ period – the time between an asylum seeker receiving a decision on their application and having to leave Home Office-funded accommodation – from 28 days to 56 days.
£700m bill for temporary accommodation
The freezing of local housing allowance (LHA) rates over the past five years has left councils picking up more than £700 million in costs that they are unable to claim back from government for housing people in temporary accommodation, according to LGA analysis of official data.
Deadline set for cladding remediation
A 2029 deadline for removing dangerous cladding from tall buildings has been set by the Government, as part of a new Remediation Action Plan.
Cladding targets ‘may be missed’
The Government may miss its 2035 target for removing unsafe cladding from buildings because of slow progress, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed.
Supported housing ‘could save millions’
Providing supported housing for older people and those with learning disabilities or mental health needs could lead to major savings for the public sector, the LGA has said.