Welfare Reform on the Web (February 2009): Social housing - UK

Bringing it all back home: mental health and housing

R. Johnson

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 11, Nov. 2008, p. 30-35

This article calls for better co-ordination and closer collaboration between mental health and housing support services and greater recognition of the role of decent social housing in community mental health care.

Delivering affordable housing through the planning system: challenges and good practice

G. Burgess and S. Monk

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 11, Nov. 2008, p. 4-8

This article discusses findings from a project exploring the use of s.106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by local authorities to deliver affordable housing. The case studies show improving performance everywhere in delivering affordable housing through the planning system as local authorities have become more experienced in negotiating with developers. However, the amount of affordable housing and its relative proportion to total housing completions vary widely between authorities, suggesting that some do far better than others.

Home loan help for middle-class strugglers

R. Prince and M. Butterworth

Daily Telegraph, Jan. 16th 2009, p. 8

Under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme, householders with mortgages up to £400,000 who fall behind with their repayments due to a sudden loss of income will be able to avoid repossession by deferring part of their monthly payments for up to two years. The delayed sums will be guaranteed by the government. In addition, a separate Mortgage Rescue Scheme is being set up for low-income families. Vulnerable families will be able to apply for a loan to help cover payments or sell their property to the local council and stay on as tenants. The scheme will not apply to homeowners with properties in negative equity.

Supporting survivors and securing access to housing for black minority ethnic and refugee women experiencing domestic violence in the UK

B. Banga and A. Gill

Housing, Care and Support, vol. 11, Nov. 2008, p. 13-24

This paper argues for a healthy independent specialist sector focused on meeting the housing needs of black minority ethnic and refugee (BMER) women fleeing domestic violence. It demonstrates that, in general, women's housing needs are not being met by current housing policy and that the situation of BMER women is of particular concern because they are doubly disadvantaged and their experience of inequality is compounded by the intersection of race, class and gender. The research shows that BMER women prefer specialist services for a variety of reasons, including the integration of a culturally sensitive and empowering perspective.