Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what (a) flexibility and (b) borrowing support is available to local authorities to increase affordable housing supply.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
For information on the flexibilities available to local authorities to increase social and affordable housing supply, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771), and the Social and Affordable Homes Programme policy statement published on 7 November, which can be found on gov.uk here.
The government has today announced further measures to support local authorities to build more social and affordable homes, including confirmation of our approach to Social Rent convergence. Details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1283).
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Housing Revenue Account freeze on local authority finances.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There has been no freeze on the Housing Revenue Account since the social housing rent reduction policy between 2016 and 2020.
For steps the government is taking to support the sustainability of the Housing Revenue Account, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).
The government has today announced further measures to support local authorities to build more social and affordable homes, including confirmation of our approach to Social Rent convergence. Details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1283).
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to support the sustainability of the Long-term Housing Revenue Account.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There has been no freeze on the Housing Revenue Account since the social housing rent reduction policy between 2016 and 2020.
For steps the government is taking to support the sustainability of the Housing Revenue Account, I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).
The government has today announced further measures to support local authorities to build more social and affordable homes, including confirmation of our approach to Social Rent convergence. Details can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1283).
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made on ending the leasehold system.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Over the course of this parliament, the government is determined to honour the commitments made in our manifesto and do what is necessary to finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end.
We continue to progressively implement the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.
Yesterday, the government published its draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made (HCWS1278).
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much financial support his Department has provided for supported accommodation in a) Eastbourne and b) East Sussex in each year since 2015.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 introduced a duty for all local housing authorities in England to formulate and publish local supported housing strategies. The government will provide new burdens funding and publish guidance shortly, setting out how local authorities should undertake an analysis of existing supported housing provision, current unmet need and future need.
Young people need the right support alongside housing to improve health, wellbeing and access employment, enabling them to access and retain housing and reducing their risk of homelessness and rough sleeping. Funding for housing support services is primarily through the Local Government Finance Settlement and commissioning of services is for local authorities to determine.
We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. We want to see new supply of supported housing in England through the new programme, in greater numbers and also across a diverse range of cohorts and housing types, including for vulnerable young people.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the current stock of supported accommodation in a) Eastbourne b) East Sussex.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 introduced a duty for all local housing authorities in England to formulate and publish local supported housing strategies. The government will provide new burdens funding and publish guidance shortly, setting out how local authorities should undertake an analysis of existing supported housing provision, current unmet need and future need.
Young people need the right support alongside housing to improve health, wellbeing and access employment, enabling them to access and retain housing and reducing their risk of homelessness and rough sleeping. Funding for housing support services is primarily through the Local Government Finance Settlement and commissioning of services is for local authorities to determine.
We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. We want to see new supply of supported housing in England through the new programme, in greater numbers and also across a diverse range of cohorts and housing types, including for vulnerable young people.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to provide future funding to increase supported accommodation stock in a) Eastbourne and b) East Sussex.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 introduced a duty for all local housing authorities in England to formulate and publish local supported housing strategies. The government will provide new burdens funding and publish guidance shortly, setting out how local authorities should undertake an analysis of existing supported housing provision, current unmet need and future need.
Young people need the right support alongside housing to improve health, wellbeing and access employment, enabling them to access and retain housing and reducing their risk of homelessness and rough sleeping. Funding for housing support services is primarily through the Local Government Finance Settlement and commissioning of services is for local authorities to determine.
We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. We want to see new supply of supported housing in England through the new programme, in greater numbers and also across a diverse range of cohorts and housing types, including for vulnerable young people.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what modelling he has undertaken on the expected number of market rent determination applications following implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department continues to work closely with the Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service to ensure that the justice system is well prepared for the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, including the potential impact of the Act on the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).
This includes ensuring that suitable arrangements are in place for monitoring data relating to rent increase challenges in the Residential Property Tribunal.
The justice system will be supported with funding to ensure that the courts and tribunals have the resources and capacity they need to handle the workload that implementation of the Act will generate.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what affordable housing targets apply to a) Eastbourne and b) East Sussex.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
National planning policy makes clear that it is for local planning authorities to assess the affordable housing need of their areas, including the need for social rent, and set policies to meet this local need. This includes setting out the proportion and type of affordable housing that should be delivered on new development.
The government does not set individual social and affordable housing targets for individual areas.
The government is currently consulting on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including proposals designed to further support the delivery of affordable housing. This includes support for affordable housing in rural areas, proposals to give affordable housing needs clearer weight in the planning system and specifying a minimum proportion of social rent housing that would be required of major development unless otherwise specified in development plans. The consultation on changes to the NPPF can be found on gov.uk here, and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Asked by: Josh Babarinde (Liberal Democrat - Eastbourne)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available for young people requiring supported accommodation.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 introduced a duty for all local housing authorities in England to formulate and publish local supported housing strategies. The government will provide new burdens funding and publish guidance shortly, setting out how local authorities should undertake an analysis of existing supported housing provision, current unmet need and future need.
Young people need the right support alongside housing to improve health, wellbeing and access employment, enabling them to access and retain housing and reducing their risk of homelessness and rough sleeping. Funding for housing support services is primarily through the Local Government Finance Settlement and commissioning of services is for local authorities to determine.
We have confirmed a new 10-year £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme to kickstart social and affordable housebuilding at scale across the country. We want to see new supply of supported housing in England through the new programme, in greater numbers and also across a diverse range of cohorts and housing types, including for vulnerable young people.