Central Government have launched a new specific kind of discounted market sale housing and should be considered to meet the definition of ?affordable housing? for planning purposes on redevelopment sites.

First Homes are designed to allow people to get on the housing ladder in their local area and in particular to ensure that key workers providing essential services are able to buy homes in the areas where they work.

The scheme was launched last month through a pilot in nearby Shirebrook, Bolsover with Secretary of State for Housing Robert Jenrick pictured (centre) in the area to launch the pilot on 4th June. For full scheme guidance visit?First Homes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Since July last year buyers had been able to purchase homes for up to ?500k without having to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) after an increase in threshold was introduced to boost the housing market and help buyers whose income may have been impacted by the pandemic.

From today the threshold decreases to ?250k as the country moves closer to Step 4 of the government?s roadmap in easing Covid restrictions and from October it returns to the pre-pandemic level of ?125,000.

The SDLT nil-rate threshold for first time buyers also reverts to ?300k, provided the purchase price does not exceed ?500k.

Prior to 1^st June a ban on the enforcement of evictions, except in some very specific and serious circumstances, had been in place under the provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020.?

Bailiffs are now once again legally able to send out eviction notices and enforce evictions, providing the correct procedures have been followed. Landlords serving eviction notices must now provide 4 months? notice to tenants, which will be the case until at least 1^st October.

Tenants having problems with renting, including the threat of eviction can find advice and support on the Citizen?s Advice website

Four housing providers operating in Nottingham have made Housing Digital?s inaugural Top 30 Sustainable Housing Provider list, celebrating the efforts the social housing sector is making to help combat the climate crisis by improving their housing stock?s sustainability.?

PA Housing, Stonewater, Housing 21 and the city?s own Nottingham City Homes were all recognised after being chosen by a panel of expert judges last month, with a virtual winners conference taking place yesterday.? Read more about the Top 30 here

Derwent Living, part of the Places for People group, have launched their Good Neighbour Awards 2021 and are asking their tenants to nominate neighbours who have provided care and support during the pandemic and gone above and beyond their normal call of duty to make a difference in their community.?

The annual awards celebrate and shine a spotlight upon people whose efforts might otherwise go unrecognised. Read more on how to nominate here. The nominations deadline is 30^th July.?

Let?s celebrate the people that make communities great!

The Guinness Partnership have joined Experian?s Rental Exchange Scheme, a scheme that allows tenants? rental payments to count towards their credit score in the same way as mortgage payments do for homeowners.?

The scheme ultimately increases tenants? access to lower cost mainstream credit by helping them build up a strong credit history, at no cost to the housing provider or tenants.? If you?re a Guinness tenant looking to find out more or to op-in click here

After over a year of restrictions Emmanuel House are starting to provide hot meals again to their beneficiaires? from their city centre support hub. The charity did continue providing food throughout the pandemic but had to switch to take-away packed lunches and breakfasts for beneficiaries not accommodated in the Nottingham Night Shelter.

If you?d like to help you can donate items used to make the meals or why not volunteer in the kitchen? The meals will be available to a range of people in need and will be served 4 days per week. Full details here.

The Nottingham Practice Development Unit is a project run by Nottingham Council for Voluntary Services in partnership with Opportunity Nottingham. Opportunity Nottingham is part of the National Lottery funded Fulfilling Lives Programme, aiming to improve the lives of people with multiple disadvantage. The PDU itself was set up in 2017 to support Opportunity Nottingham?s goal of system change.

As the Fulfilling Lives programme heads towards completion next year, an independent evaluation of the PDU will be carried out. Suitably qualified organisations or individuals are invited to apply to undertake this evaluation by 16^th July.? For a full brief visit PDU-evaluation-brief-2021.pdf (nottinghamcvs.co.uk)

Following a tender process Nottingham City Homes has selected Lovell Partnerships to build up to 130 new council houses, bungalow sand flats on a former school playing field in Bestwood. Padstow school closed over a decade ago and planning permission for the new homes was granted last year.

The council owned homes will be managed by Nottingham City Homes and let to households on the city?s council housing waiting list at affordable rents. Full article here.

According to UK House Price Index data house prices in Nottingham grew by a massive 15.3% in the year to April 2021, with prices for terraced housing growing most rapidly, up 16.3%.? At ?172,540 the average price of a home in the city is 41% higher than 5 years previously.

Although the city?s increase in prices in the year to April 2021 outstripped that of the country and region (both +9.4%) and county (+10.9%) other major midlands and northern English cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield & Newcastle have experienced similar booms.??Explore the index here

Nottingham?s private rented sector rents continue to increase, with the latest Hometrack Quarterly Rental Market Report (Q1 2021) revealing the city had the sixth highest rate of annual growth of 20 key UK cities at 3.7%. While growth remains comparatively high the level has reduced from 5.9% - and highest of the 20 cities - at the same time last year. ?

Average rents in Nottingham now stand at ?747. This is more than any of the 5 cities that saw a higher rate of increase in Q1. Newcastle saw the highest rise in rents at 5.0%.

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