A Vision for Housing in Somerset a view from the Homes and Communities Agency

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A Vision for Housing in Somerset a view from
the Homes and Communities Agency

• 26 March 2009

Presented by Trevor Ives Head of Investment
(Projects)
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Our vision

• To create opportunity
• For people to live in homes they can afford in
  places they want to live
• For local authorities and communities to deliver
  the ambition they have for their own areas
• A national agency that works locally(especially
  in Somerset!)

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What we do

• Growth
• Affordability
• Renewal
• Sustainability

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How we do it

• Investment
• Land
• Research and best practice
• Expertise

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The new world

• New organisation with increased flexibility
• New challenges both short term and long term
• New culture national objectives and local
  ambitions
• New partnerships with local authorities, the
  private sector, RSLs and regionally
• New approaches
• New business process (the single conversation)
• New business products (the HCA toolkit)
• New relationship with Government the voice of
  delivery

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Our tasks

• Support the delivery of new homes
• Secure the delivery of affordable homes
• Accelerate regeneration of under-performing towns
  and cities
• Improve the quality of existing stock and
  transform deprived neighbourhoods
• Ensure delivery is economically, socially and
  environmentally sustainable with good design
• Homes and Communities

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HCA Funding Significant Investment
Property and Regeneration 1.7bn
Decent Homes 2.6bn
National Affordable Housing Programme 8.4bn
Gypsies and Travellers 0.1bn
Growth funding 1.1bn
Thames Gateway 0.4bn
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South West Capital Programme Funding by
Programme
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HCA SW REGIONAL OUTPUTS
excludes off the shelf schemes
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Priorities to March 2009
does not include off the shelf schemes
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Impact of the Market Downturn

• SW average house prices down 4.51 since Q3 the
  annual fall in average house prices in the SW is
  16.5
• repossessions in Q3 in the South West totalled
  3,465, 12 higher than for the same period last
  year
• 49 decrease in house purchase loans, the lowest
  level of activity since 1974
• unemployment in SW - Oct Dec 2008 4.7
• significant increase in requests to convert open
  market sale and low cost sale homes to social
  rent or intermediate rent. We have currently
  converted 500 units at an additional grant cost
  of 16.5m
• No HCA land sales achieved JVs only.

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Responding to the Market Downturn what has
already been agreed

• 400m brought forward to invest in new social
  housing
• 775m brought forward to help support the
  construction industry
• Introduction of Clearing House Scheme
• Begun work with RDAs and regional partners on how
  funding from future years can be brought forward
  to support priority projects
• Flexibility on grant rates

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Responding to the market downturn
Recent new initiatives

• Flexible grant rates
• Tailored packages
• Priority regeneration schemes
• Clearing House
• Homebuy Direct
• Mortgage rescue
• Harnessing HCA land to facilitate affordable
  housing

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Responding to the market downturn

• Initiatives we are exploring
• The potential for local authorities to come
  forward with their own development packages
• The funding of infrastructure and upfront costs
  on an equity basis
• Changing the mix of tenures
• The case for land purchase
• The potential to access new sources of finance

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Towards a Single Conversation

• Strategy
• Capacity
• Investment
• Delivery
• Programmes
• Standards and mechanisms
• Investment tools
• Embracing both capital and revenue investment
• Area-wide and specific interventions

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How the Single Conversation looks
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Local Strategic Partnership
Research Intelligence
Strategic Content
Funders providers
LSC
PCTs
HCA
LA
Single Conversation
RDA
Governance
GOSW
Capacity
RA
JC
Core Group Regional Steering Group
VCS
FE/HE
Other Partners
Engagement, monitoring
LAA
Wider Engagement
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How will the single conversation fit within the
local government strategic framework?

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How does the single conversation fit with
regional strategies / funding arrangements?
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Housing Market Areas in the South West
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Regional Select Committee
Grand Committee (All Regional MPs engaged)
SW Regional Architecture and Engagement
Regional Economic Task Group
Strategic Leaders Board
Group of 10
Growth Areas CEOs
Quad Group
Highways Agency Multi Agency Liaison Group
Key Areas Group
Regional Housing and Regeneration Board
RIF Investment Panel
Sub Groups SNR
Housing and Regeneration Sub Group
Regional Housing Body Working Group

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Embedding the place-based model of working

• Implementing the Single Conversation (half of the
  areas in each region and at least two Local
  Investment Plan in each region by March 2010)
• Regional business planning including
  identification of place-based investment
  priorities
• Engagement with regional Ministers and GOs
• Close working with RDAs, Local Authorities and
  other partners

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Local Investment Plans
Strategic Context
Research Analysis
Local Vision and Ambition
Gap Analysis
Enabling
Identify Problems and Opportunities
Spatial and Thematic Interventions
Plan Appraisal
Local Investment Plan
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The Single Conversation and the Future

• The Single Conversation will become the most
  important business tool for the HCA to invest
  across the country.
• Somerset needs to engage with this process it
  will need a joined up approach with strong
  evidence to support the aspirations of the
  county.
• It needs to be wider than just housing
  embracing economic outputs and a place based
  outcome which embraces the concept of successful
  communities.
• It offers better focussed investment with wider
  outcomes which will benefit a very wide section
  of the communities that make up the county and
  beyond.
• It must be sustainable in every way.

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• Questions

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