Housing

Court of Appeal considers sufficiency of enquiries required to establish suitability of accommodation offered to a homeless person with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment

Biden v Waverley Borough Council [2022] EWCA Civ 442

Homes for Ukraine guidance issued to local authorities across England, Scotland and Wales

Publication of guidance follows launch of scheme on 14 March 2022 to support those fleeing the war in Ukraine

DLUHC sets out steps it is taking to prevent the Homes for Ukraine scheme from affecting a sponsor’s council tax status in England

Department confirms that it is laying new legislation to ensure that all discounts and exemptions will be protected

Number of people who died while homeless last year showed an 80 per cent increase on the number for 2019

New research records more than 1,200 homelessness deaths across the UK in 2021, with only seven due to Covid-19

Round-up of recent Upper Tribunal housing case law

Amendment of council tax discount and council tax reduction rules in Scotland for those opening up their homes under the Homes for Ukraine scheme

New regulations in force from today

Housing Ombudsman makes finding of severe maladministration after council’s ‘significant and avoidable’ delays in dealing with a resident’s repairs

Tendring Borough Council ordered to pay resident more than £2,000 compensation and to carry out a further inspection of the property to ensure repairs that were reported more than two years earlier are now completed

Government outlines how it is building on the measures set out in the Social Housing White Paper to improve social housing and help meet its pledge to halve the number of non-decent homes by 2030

New measures include the launch of a Resident Panel, publication of draft legislation, and the ‘naming and shaming’ of failing social landlords on social media channels

Government issues new Disabled Facilities Grants guidance in England

While not introducing any changes to policy, government says guidance brings together policy frameworks, legislative duties and powers, and recommended best practice

Short and Holiday-Let Accommodation (Registration) Bill receives its first reading in House of Commons

Bill seeks to establish a national register of short and holiday-let accommodation, and to give local authorities powers to require information in association with that register

Amendment of Welsh local authorities’ powers to increase council tax on empty dwellings to enable increases of up to 300 per cent

New statutory instrument

Relationship between social landlords and managing agents or third-party freeholders is often strained and, at worst, dysfunctional

New Ombudsman report highlights that tension between landlords' social objectives and the business objectives of some managing agents and freeholders can also result in deep unfairness for residents

Eligibility for housing and homelessness assistance in England for people who leave Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion

New statutory instruments

Scottish and Welsh Governments confirm that their respective Homes for Ukraine schemes are now open

Both governments advise that their role as 'super sponsor' will enable refugees to apply for visas without having to be matched to a named individual before arrival in the UK

DLUHC sets out plan for further regulation of supported accommodation sector

New package of measures will 'put an end to unscrupulous landlords exploiting some of the most vulnerable in our society', says Minister

Update to the list of housing associations in Northern Ireland whose tenants are charged rates on the basis of a social sector value

New statutory instrument

Scotland’s First Minister sets out plans to offer temporary accommodation to Ukrainian refugees to enable ‘significant numbers to come to Scotland immediately’

Scottish Government's proposal to act as a 'supersponsor' will short-circuit requirements under the UK scheme to have individual sponsors in place to speed up the process of Ukranians reaching sanctuary