Skip to main content

Posts

5 Ways to Reduce the Spare Room Subsidy

As we approach the anniversary of the introduction of the bedroom tax, its’ impact is becoming clearer. DWP figures to November 2013 show that the HB reduction has been applied to 498,174 households and each has lost on average, £14.40 per week. With increases likely as families move into the higher priced private sector, the reduction in HB is likely to be £150m short of the recently claimed £490m. Let’s remind ourselves of the core argument. Speaking in the Lords on its introduction, Lord Freud said, “We do not think that taxpayers should be expected to meet the cost of somewhere approaching 1 million spare bedrooms, a cost of around £0.5 billion every year...”   So, what else could be done to make up this shortfall? How else could households be incentivised not to hold spare rooms? In the interests of fairness, what else could be done? After all, as an exercise in using fiscal policy to influence behaviour change, the spare room subsidy has been pretty successful. It has opened our

Government Strategy - Laying the Foundations

  Unrestrained optimism is our great weakness. Whilst we always want to look on the bright side of life, it’s a risky business, particularly when it leads us to inapt conclusions. The publication of Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England late last year made many commentators, looking for a theme, seem confused. Initially grasping at individual policy initiatives as harbingers of great doom, those commentaries are now giving way to practitioners tunnelling for useful, workable solutions. The Strategy calls for new build of high quality homes, mortgage indemnity that will help some people, there’s some more funding, an increase in the Right to Buy (RtB) to meet ownership aspirations, a commitment to deliver Zero Carbon homes. As ever, there’s little detail on how any of this will be delivered. The early naysayers have taken breath and stepped aside to allow the analysts to translate policy into action and define the new direction of housing policy under a coalition govern

Redefining acceptable conduct: Using social landlords to control behaviour

  Abstract The 1996 Housing Act brought ‘antisocial behaviour’ within the remit of housing legislation for the first time. This legislation is directed exclusively at those living in council housing. There still remains uncertainty about the exact nature of ‘antisocial’ behaviour. This has implications for the reasons for outlawing it and for the application of this legislation. Using data from the British Crime Survey, it is argued that there is insufficient evidence of a growth in antisocial behaviour. This legislation is directed exclusively at those living in council housing. What appears to be occurring on local authority housing estates is that a combination of, among other things, high unemployment, high child densities and lack of public funding in community and associated facilities is resulting in higher rates of vandalism. The legislation, in reality, seeks to legitimise opposition to a range of previously acceptable behaviours. For publication click here . For complete pape

Who should cast the first stone?

  Published in The Guardian 18th April 1998

Regulating the Regulator

 

No roof of your own

 Published in The Guardian 19th July 1995

Homing in on the public sector

  Published in The Guardian, 8th February 1995

The Threat to Rural Housing