The government has announced plans to reform the allocation of social housing. Proposed measures include potential bans on individuals causing community disruptions through anti-social behaviour and implementing a 'three strikes and you're out' policy for evictions. The consultation also suggests prioritizing households with strong connections to the UK and their local area. The reforms involve new eligibility tests based on UK and local connections, potential disqualification for those with certain criminal convictions, and a consideration of income for social housing qualification. The consultation is open until March 26^th.

Consultation papers are available on this link.?

Read more here.?

The Housing Secretary has launched a consultation for Awaab's Law, proposing new legal requirements for social landlords to address hazards like damp and mould promptly. This initiative comes in response to the death of a two-year-old due to respiratory issues caused by mould in his flat. The proposed law sets strict time limits for landlords to investigate hazards (14 days), start fixing them (7 days), and make emergency repairs (24 hours). Landlords failing to comply may face court action. .

More information can be found in consultation paper. The deadline for responses is 5th March.?

As a part of the Rough Sleeping Initiative, the government has allocated Nottingham a further??400.000 which it will use to:

• introduce supported accommodation for refugees
• implement a pilot project of evolving supported accommodation into general needs tenancies so that tenants do not need to move, and
• support access to the private rented sector through more flexible funding.

This adds to over 14 existing accommodation and community based interventions which are being delivered in the city to support rough sleepers off the streets.

Read more here.?

The StreetLink campaign encourages public to alert local council outreach workers if they encounter someone sleeping rough. The Street Outreach Team Nottingham can be contacted 24/7 on 0800 066 5356.?

New regulations will ensure that a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) is always considered a single dwelling for council tax, and that the owner of the HMO is the liable person.

The regulations came into force on 1 December 2023.

Read more here.

The Warm Home Discount scheme is supporting millions of low income households vulnerable to fuel poverty this winter. Eligible customers usually receive the discount automatically, but some are asked to confirm their details by calling the Warm Home Discount Helpline on 0800 030 9322 before 29^th February. If eligible, households can receive a ?150 energy bill rebate. Cold Weather Payments of ?25 are available to eligible low-income households until March 2024.

Read the full press release here, which includes a link to check eligibility.

Energy saving advice is available through the Help for Households website.?

More than 1,000 households facing challenges in staying warm have undergone energy-efficient upgrades as part of Nottingham City Council's ongoing Greener HousiNG programme.?

Launched in 2012, the initiative aims to assist financially vulnerable residents, both social housing tenants and private homeowners, in reducing energy bills and carbon emissions.?

With aims of enhancing local private rented sector standards, streamlining accreditation processes and easy identification of reputable landlords, The Nottingham Rental Standard project has been launched by Nottingham City Council in collaboration with Unipol Student Homes and DASH Services

Landlords who adopt the new standard will gain access to various benefits such as free training and enhanced support, along with reduced fees for licensing schemes. The standard combines existing accreditation schemes into a unified city-wide process, with existing accreditations seamlessly transferring.?

Visit this link to apply for accreditation and see which other landlords have joined.

From 31^st January survivors of domestic abuse without financial means to escape their abusers can apply for a one-time payment of up to ?500 through support services. This can be used for essentials like groceries, nappies, or assistance with finding new accommodation for a safe escape. Survivors can also apply for an additional one-off payment of up to ?2,500 to support an independent future, such as putting down a rental accommodation deposit.?

The fund will be administered through referrals from local frontline services and builds on a successful pilot with Women?s Aid, assisting over 600 victims last year.

Read more here.?

The Council has been awarded BEIS funding under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2 scheme?to make energy improvements?to a further 370 homes across the city.?The key areas that the Council will target to receive these improvements are likely to be Bulwell, Sneinton and Bakersfield.. funding under the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 2 scheme to make energy improvements to a further 370 homes across the city. The key areas that the Council will target to receive these improvements are likely to be Bulwell, Sneinton and Bakersfield..

Works will reduce carbon emissions, tackle fuel poverty, improve the comfort, health and wellbeing of residents and support green jobs as well as contribute towards Council's ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2028.?

The Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) has launched Four Million Homes, an online resource aimed at improving engagement between landlords and social housing residents. The program offers workshops, forums, and online materials to empower customers to actively participate in managing their homes, fostering effective engagement with landlords and enabling residents to hold landlords accountable. The initiative is encouraging customers to get involved in social housing.

To get more involved, visit this link.?

More information can be found here.?

Nottingham Private Rented Assistance Scheme (NPRAS)?assists residents who are homeless to find good quality private rented accommodation. Though a common perception is that homelessness refers primarily to rough sleeping, there are many other types of homelessness. NPRAS is helping working families who were issued no-fault evictions, people fleeing conflict abroad, as well as a whole range of others who come through the doors of Housing Solutions every day.

NPRAS provides a FREE tenant-find service, or can fully manage your property for just ?35 per month including annual Gas Safety Checks, full tenancy support, and regular property inspections.

If you have an empty property and would like to help tackle homelessness in your area, contact [email protected] or visit their website?for more information.

Local PCSOs took a break from their everyday duties earlier this month to support local homelessness charity Emmanuel House in their winter shelter. Officers from the Radford Road neighbourhood policing team lent their cooking skills to rustle up a 2 course meal for 25 service users.

The Emmanuel House Winter Shelter has been providing short-term emergency accommodation to rough sleepers every night during winter, re-opening last year in October.

Read more here.

Aspiring interior design students from the Bulwell Academy have seen their designs brought to life in new council homes being developed at Eastglade, Top Valley. The development comprises 106 council homes - 23 one-bed apartments, 63?two-bed houses, and 20 three-bed houses.

Courses, qualifications and skills included in Nottingham City Council's newest Tenant Academy Training Programme are available for free to Council?s tenants and leaseholders or members of community groups who support Nottingham neighbourhoods.?

Please email Tenant Academy Events Manager Jason Loftus at [email protected] for further information or queries.?

Homelessness charity Framework have received planning permission to build 15 supported accommodation units with communal facilities for homeless women in Bestwood. Flats will be built on the site of the former St Matthews Church and there will be 24-hour double staff cover to ensure the scheme is properly managed.

The new units will help to relieve the pressure upon homelessness accommodation services following rising demand.

In November 2023, NCHA and MyPad started building 39 new affordable homes at a former coach station on Beechdale Road. The housing mix will include one, two, three, and four-bedroom homes, with 17 available for shared ownership and 22 for affordable rent through Nottingham Home Link's waiting list. Each home will feature a private garden, allocated parking spaces, and high-quality construction with an energy rating of B. The development is expected to complete in autumn 2024. The development has been supported by Homes England funding.?

You can find more here.?

Fifty new affordable homes near Bilborough College, owned and managed by NCHA, officially opened in November last year. The development? includes a mix of two and three-bedroom houses and bungalows, with 24 homes sold for shared ownership and the rest available for affordable rent. Focused on energy efficiency, the homes - which are entirely gas-free ? have A-rated Energy Performance Certificates and feature solar panels, air-source heat pumps, and high-end insulation to reduce the carbon footprint and energy costs for residents. The project was funded by NCHA and Homes England.

More information is available here.

Annual rental property price increases remain high in Nottingham, and in the country, according to Hometrack?s latest quarterly Rental Market Report. Over the last 2 years Nottingham recorded annual price growth of less than 10% only once, and most recently had the 5^th highest growth of all major cities in the UK.

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