The mix of COVID-19, an economic downturn and the roll-out of Universal Credit is likely to drive rent arrears among social tenants to record highs. Our estimates based on YouGov polling for the Resolution Foundation suggest that 590,000 working-age households in social housing are in arrears. Although the recent rise in rent arrears in social housing is less than in the … [Read more...]
Spending more of the public’s money will need better oversight
In this article former head of the civil service, Lord Kerslake, responds to our new report Spending Fairly, Spending Well and makes the case for better oversight of public spending. … [Read more...]
Universal Credit report receives widespread media coverage
The Institute's report Safe as houses: The impact of universal credit on tenants and their rent payment behaviour received widespread coverage including: Sky News, ITV News, The Mirror, The Sun, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Independent, Inside Housing, LocalGov, 24Housing, Municipal Journal and Public Sector Executive … [Read more...]
Council housing companies driving ‘quiet revolution’ in local building
The Smith Institute received extensive coverage of its report Delivering the renaissance in council-built homes: the rise of local housing companies including in: … [Read more...]
Devolution deals short change cities on housing
The Institute's report Halfway House: the opportunities and limits of devo-housing in England covered in Inside Housing and 24 Housing … [Read more...]
Brexit: Unknown unknowns and deep divisions
The High Court ruling on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty puts a constitutional spanner in the Brexit process but it’s no show stopper, says Paul Hackett, director at the Smith Institute writing for the Chartered Institute of Housing. The UK is heading for Brexit, and the challenge is now how to make the best of it and heal a nation distracted and deeply divided. … [Read more...]
David Cameron’s poor record on housebuilding – latest Institute report covered
The Smith Institute's report, Devo-housing, has been covered in the Independent and Buzzfeed, with particular focus on John Healey MP's accusation that David Cameron MP was the worst prime minister for housebuilding since 1923. The full report can be found here. … [Read more...]
‘Towards a Suburban Renaissance’ – latest Smith Institute report covered in the press
The Smith Institute's new report, 'Towards A Suburban Renaissance', authored by the Institute's Head of Research, Paul Hunter, was launched yesterday in Parliament. The report has been covered extensively in the press, appearing in the the Telegraph (twice), the Evening Standard, The Guardian, the Sunday Politics, The Times, the Daily Mail (twice), iNews and … [Read more...]
Devolution settlement should be ‘based on lifting all the boats and Whitehall and Town halls working together’
Paul Hackett, director of the Smith Institute, wrote a blog for the latest edition of devointelligence on the some of the latest developments in devolution, the text for which can be seen below: The National Audit Office has done us all a favour by highlighting some of the big cracks in the Chancellor’s ‘‘kick and run” devolution strategy. Their latest report, English … [Read more...]