Latest Policy News Print E-mail

Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010

A commencement order was made on Friday 30th July 2010 with all sections of the Act commencing on 31st July and section 5 (homeless appeals) coming into force on 1st December 2010.

 

Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Bill

This has now been drafted for consideration at the Assembly. Most of the controversial content planned for a new housing bill have since been removed. The main areas of the No.2 Bill are:

  • Creation of a tenancy deposit scheme
  • Setting up mandatory registration of private landlords
  • Amending the PTO to reflect changes to rent assessment procedures.


Housing Rights Service will be providing feedback to the Social Development Committee in August.

 

Housing Benefit Reform

As part of the Coalition’s budget announcement the Chancellor announced major reform of housing benefit from April 2011.  The measures include:

  • Deductions for non-dependent deductions will be uprated in April 2011 on the basis of prices and so will reverse the freeze that has been on these rates since 2001;
  • LHA rates will be uprated in line with the Consumer Price Index;
  • From April 2011, Housing Benefit claimants with a disability and a non-resident carer will be entitled to funding for an extra bedroom;
  • The government will increase the funding for DHPs;
  • Restricting Housing Benefit for working – age claimants in the social rented sector who are living in larger room property than their households size warrants;
  • Capping Local Housing Allowance rates at £250 a week for a one bedroom flat, £290 for a two bed, £340 for a three bedroom and £400 a week for a four bed property;
  • Re-adjusting Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) payments – currently 1.58 percentage points above the Bank of England Base rate; from October 2010 SMI will be paid at the Bank of England’s Published Average Mortgage Rate;
  • Reducing housing benefit by 10% for people who have been on jobseeker’s allowance for 12 months or more.


The Chancellor said that the combined measures would reduce the cost of Housing Benefit by “1.8 billion a year by the end of Parliament”.

Housing Rights Service has serious concerns that such measures could push some families over the edge. The vast majority of Housing Benefit claimants are either pensioners, those with disabilities, people caring for a relative or hardworking people on low incomes.

The Housing (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill was formally introduced to the NIA on 22 June 2010.  The Bill is expected to be referred to the Committee for SDC Committee stage on 30 June 2010.  The stated purpose of the Bill is to enable better regulation of the PRS, provide new tools to tackle fuel poverty, promote effective housing management and clarify existing law in respect of homelessness 

 

As part of the Coalition’s budget announcements the Chancellor announced major reform of housing benefit from April 2011.  The measures include:

 

  • Restricting Housing Benefit for working – age claimants in the social rented sector who are living in larger room property than their households size warrants.
  • Capping Local Housing Allowance rates at £250 a week for a one bedroom flat, £290 for a two bed, £340 for a three bedroom and £400 a week for a four bed property.
  • Re-adjusting Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) payments – currently 1.58 percentage points above the Bank of England Base rate; from October 2010 SMI will be paid at the Bank of England’s Published Average Mortgage Rate.
  • Reducing housing benefit by 10% for people who have been on jobseeker’s allowance for 12 months or more.

 

DSD are consulting on a new fuel poverty strategy - This consultation aims to review the Fuel Poverty Strategy and develop proposals for a new strategy to address future challenges.

 

Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010

The Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 received royal assent on 13th April 2010.   The Act will be brought into operation through commencement orders which will be made over the coming months.

The purpose of the Housing (Amendment) Northern Ireland Act 2010 (‘the 2010 Act') is to amend existing legislation; particularly in the area of homelessness. The Act aims to strengthen policies and procedures in relation to preventing homelessness as well as implementing a fair and appropriate statutory appeals procedure.

In addition to the changes relating to homelessness, there are also amendments aimed at clarifying existing legislation in the areas of :

  • Eligibility for housing assistance,
  • Abandonment of introductory tenancies,
  • Anti social behaviour; and
  • The definition of Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Report of the Independent Commission on the Future for Housing in Northern Ireland

Lord Richard Best, Chair of Commission on the Future for Housing in Northern Ireland, launched its final report on Friday 28th May 2010. The report has been called for a new Housing Strategy that sets the policy direction for the next ten years.

The report includes 150 recommendations in relation to the following six areas:

  • The significance of housing for Northern Ireland
  • The institutional framework for housing
  • Towards a mixed housing economy
  • Opening up housing opportunities
  • The role of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive
  • Action taken by the statutory and related bodies