06 July 2007
Major housing associations that receive the lion's share of money to build new homes face a struggle to bring some of their older properties up to standard.
Thirteen of the Housing Corporation's 'investment partners' must improve at least 15% of their stock to achieve the decent homes target by 2010, a study reveals.
The study, published by the corporation on July 2, shows that the number of homes classed as non-decent fell by 63,931 during 2005/06. But in the same year, 17,071
non-decent homes were transferred to registered social landlords by councils — leaving 293,556 that were below standard.
While the study concludes that most RSLs will achieve the 2010 target, the picture facing 13 of the corporation's 74 investment partners is bleak. With many homes deteriorating, nine of these associations owned more non-decent homes in April 2006 than two years earlier.
Alison Mathias, a policy adviser at the corporation, said the pre-qualification process for the corporation's National Affordable Housing Programme was being tightened up. She said: 'They can't count on their old status.'
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