Home front

Over one million council homes have switched to independent housing association management since 1988 through the stock transfer programme. The policy has resulted in the modernisation of hundreds of thousands of homes, transforming the fortunes of deprived estates throughout the country.

Almost two and a half million people have seen their local authority homes switched to housing association management. While many authorities struggle to find the extra cash needed to modernise their homes, the independent status of housing associations has allowed them to attract the private financing needed to carry out the improvements. A status the National Housing Federation has been working hard to maintain.

Under the programme, tenants have been given a much greater say in the way their neighbourhoods are run and how cash is spent in their communities, with many associations offering a third of the places on their Boards to tenants.

For stock transfers to take place, a majority of tenants have to support the change in a democratic ballot. Housing associations are regulated not-for-profit organisations and tenants key rights are protected, around rents, repairs and right to buy. One of the main driving forces behind stock transfer in recent years has been the need for councils to meet the Government's Decent Homes Standard by 2010 - which sets targets for modernising housing.

The aim of the standard was to make all council and housing association homes 'decent' and improve conditions for vulnerable households in privately owned housing, particularly those with children. The Decent Homes Standard has been a catalyst in addressing the poor conditions in social housing. Homes in poor repair contribute significantly to an areas reputation often leading to the breakdown of communities. Decent homes are a key element of any flourishing, sustainable neighbourhood.{mosimage}

Stock transfer and working towards Decent Homes have been a tremendous achievement for many associations. A large number were new associations, established because of the transfer of council homes.
They needed to set up a viable not for profit business and to convince often demoralised tenants to give them a chance, and not least get on with the task of carrying out the repairs and renovations needed to meet the standard.

According to a recent report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, over the past 10 years increasing the numbers of homes that meet the government's standard for "decent homes" has been a key success in tackling poverty and social exclusion. With the 2010 target looming large, existing association homes are in line to meet the standard, with
some exceptions where it is not sensible to carry out improvements due to regeneration programmes, either homes are to be demolished or due to the timing of the regeneration programme. Around 95 percent of all social homes are expected to meet the standard by 2010 though the actual status of the Decent Homes Standard is currently under debate.

Meeting the standard has also provided an opportunity for many associations to invest in projects to improve the employment prospects for their tenants, with apprenticeships and procurement policies promoting local businesses.

Carbon dioxide emissions from housing account for over a quarter of the UK's carbon footprint. Meeting decent homes standards significantly reduces carbon emissions, with improved insulation and modern fuel efficient heating. Housing associations started building to EcoHomes standards five years ago, with over 90 per cent of their schemes expected to reach "very good'' or better.
However, only 2 per cent of homes built by private developers meet similar standards with major doubts about whether they will be able to meet the Government's target that all new homes are "zero carbon" by 2016.

The credit crunch has badly hit the ability of associations both to raise money privately and sell homes on the open market. The economic downturn has hit everyone. Against this gloomy backdrop, the Government recently announced plans to bring forward £3 billion from the government's 2010/11 spending plans. This is intended to boost the housing market and the economy in general.