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Housing news

DCLG scraps 13 PFI housing projects worth £1.9bnThe Department for Communities and Local Government has withdrawn £1.9bn of funding from 13 planned Private Finance Initiative housing projects, it was announced today 22 November 2010
Cameron in Commons spat over Housing Benefit reformsDavid Cameron was quizzed about the Comprehensive Spending Review by senior MPs this afternoon, resulting in a particularly lively tussle over the changes to Housing Benefit. 18 November 2010
Councils welcome right to set planning feesTown halls have welcomed plans to allow them to set their own planning fees. 16 November 2010
Scots RSLs and councils 'could build more homes for less'Scottish councils and housing associations could together build more affordable homes with less public funding, academics said today. 15 November 2010
Councils to receive extra funds for new homesCouncils that approve new housing developments in their area will receive a funding boost from central government under proposals published today. 12 November 2010
Pickles' abolition of housebuilding targets was unlawfulA move by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to scrap regional housebuilding targets has today been declared unlawful by a High Court judge 10 November 2010
Housing Benefit cap 'will hit households outside London'Households in almost a third of councils outside London will lose £50 a month or more as a result of the government's Housing Benefit caps, a housing and homelessness charity has claimed. 08 November 2010
Housing Benefit caps will force down private rents, says FreudThe government's cap on Housing Benefit will trigger a fall in private rental rates, the welfare reform minister has claimed. 04 November 2010
Ministers 'misjudged opposition to housing cuts'The government misjudged the opposition from Conservative London councils to its social housing cuts, a leading public policy expert has told Public Finance. 29 October 2010
Social housing rent rise will burden welfare billThe Housing Benefit bill is likely to soar after Chancellor George Osborne confirmed that rents for new social housing tenants will rise to 80% of the market rate, Public Finance has learnt 20 October 2010
Osborne spells out 28% cuts for councilsChancellor George Osborne today announced funding cuts of 7.1% for councils over the four years of the Comprehensive Spending Review period 20 October 2010
CBI calls for greater competition in social housingOpening up social housing market to greater competition could save money and boost standards, according to the CBI 13 October 2010
Council homes still 'need £6bn to meet decency standards'Councils are urging ministers not to cut capital grants for social housing, warning that a failure to invest now will only increase costs in the long term. 08 October 2010
Councils cautiously welcome HRA reformsCouncils have welcomed a government pledge to press ahead with plans to scrap the Housing Revenue Account but have warned ministers not to saddle local authorities with unsustainable levels of debt in the process 05 October 2010
Approval threshold for rural housebuilding loweredCommunities in rural areas hoping to develop their own housing projects will need to win the support of 75% of voters, housing minister Grant Shapps has confirmed. 23 September 2010