Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for extending the Help to Buy scheme to properties other than new builds.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme has dual objectives. It provides an affordable route into Home Ownership by enabling customers to purchase a home with a deposit from as little as 5 per cent, at the same time focusing the scheme on newbuild homes ensures the demand it creates drives up new housing supply. The scheme has been extremely successful in supporting both would-be purchasers and boosting supply.
There are no plans to widen the scheme to include non-newbuilds as this would not deliver the same supply benefits. However the Government does have a range of other policies that support people into homeownership within the wider housing market, such as the Help to Buy ISA (no longer open but can be used for purchases until 2029), the Lifetime ISA and Help to Buy Shared Ownership.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are making available to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities during the period while national restrictions are in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
My Department has been supporting the co-ordination of cross Government work in response to the impact of Covid-19 on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to ensure their needs are reflected in response and recovery planning.
I recently wrote to?all local?authority Chief Executives about support some Gypsy and Traveller families may need during the national restrictions?to find?a?safe place to stop?and?access?basic?amenities, including water, sanitation and waste disposal facilities.
Government also published Covid-19?guidance?for people living?a?nomadic lifestyle on traveller sites, in vehicles and canal boats.
Whilst it is for local authorities to determine how best to support vulnerable groups, in line with their public health responsibilities, I intend to continue to work closely with them to ensure that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities needs are met.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to eradicate rough sleeping.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Since the start of the?COVID-19?pandemic, we have ensured that nearly 15,000 vulnerable people experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping have been housed in emergency accommodation.?We must now ensure that as few individuals as possible return to the streets following this initial period of accommodation.
The Next Steps Accommodation Programme makes available the financial resources needed to support local authorities and their partners to prevent these people from returning to the streets. £161 million will deliver 3,300 units of?longer-term move-on accommodation?in 2020/2021; and £91.5 million?has been allocated to pay for immediate support and interim accommodation.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark Roma Holocaust Memorial Day on 2 August.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Every year we honour the memory of the Roma and Sinti population murdered by the Nazi's at the annual Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations on 27 January. The 2nd of August marks the liquidation of the Gypsy Family camp' at Auschwitz-Birkenau and this year due to the restrictions on gatherings brought about by the Covid -19 pandemic we will be honouring the memory of the Roma and Sinti men, women and children murdered by the Nazi's on social media.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what protections they have put in place for property guardians who do not have a tenancy agreement.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
Property guardians are typically offered licences to occupy rather than tenancies. Anyone entering into such an arrangement should be aware that their rights may be more limited than on a standard tenancy agreement. We have published a property guardian factsheet to enable potential or current property guardians to understand their rights.
If a property guardian is concerned about the condition of their property, they should contact their local authority, which has a duty to take action if serious hazards are present.
A local authority can inspect a property even when they haven’t been contacted by tenants, if they think that there may be serious risks to the health and safety of those living in a guardian property - whether or not it is let on an tenancy or a licence. The Housing Act 2004 gives local authorities powers of entry in these cases.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) applies across all tenures; it can be used to assess hazards in all residential premises including those let to property guardians and applies to all parts of a building that are occupied as a dwelling. If a local authority identifies a serious ‘category 1’ hazard, they have a duty to take action.
In regards to protections during COVID 19, all tenants and licensees who benefit from protection from eviction anyway under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 will be protected from possession proceedings by the suspension of ongoing proceedings until 23 August 2020. If property guardians do not know whether they have a licence or a tenancy they should seek independent advice.
The Government has put in place an unprecedented support package to help prevent people getting into financial hardship or rent arrears and property guardian licence agreements are a valid proof of housing costs for entitlement to the housing element of Universal Credit.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the exploitation of (1) property guardians, and (2) all those living in a property under a licensing arrangement.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
All property guardians, whether they are on a tenancy or licence agreement, should contact their local authority if they are concerned about property conditions, unlawful eviction or harassment. In some cases, property guardians may in fact have a tenancy even when the agreement is labelled as a licence. If property guardians do not know whether they have a licence or a tenancy they should seek independent advice.
If a local authority thinks that there may be serious risks to the health and safety of those living in a guardian property, they can inspect a property even when they haven’t been contacted by tenants - whether or not it is let on an a tenancy or a licence. The Housing Act 2004 gives local authorities powers of entry in these cases.
The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) applies across all tenures; it can be used to assess hazards in all residential premises including those let to property guardians and applies to all parts of a building that are occupied as a dwelling. If a local authority identifies a serious ‘category 1’ hazard, they have a duty to take action.
Local authorities have strong enforcement powers and the Department published consolidated enforcement guidance for local authorities in April 2019 which sets out their duties when dealing with property guardian properties, including those on a licence agreement. This was accompanied by guidance for renters. We have also published a property guardian factsheet to help potential or current property guardians to understand their rights.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to those living in residential blocks with prohibited aluminium composite material cladding who wish to sell their property.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government has committed £1.6 billion to fund the remediation of high rise residential buildings with unsafe cladding. This includes the removal of aluminium composite material (ACM). In these cases the work is guaranteed and leaseholders are protected from costs.
In cases where there is a costed plan, a timetable to deliver and mitigating measures in place in the meantime, there should be little barrier to mortgage valuations and lending.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have set a date by which prohibited aluminium composite material cladding is to be removed from buildings; and if so, what is that date.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
For the removal of unsafe ACM cladding from high-rise residential buildings the Government has provided £600 million in funding. We have made progress, and as a result of our action, across all sectors, 209 buildings have either completed remediation or have had their ACM cladding systems removed. It is our ambition that all remaining building owners have works on site by the end of 2020, with completion of remedial works by the end of 2021.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the development of a cross-Government strategy to tackle inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government’s top priority over recent months has been to respond to the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
My department?has been supporting?the?co-ordination of?cross Government work in?response to the impact of Covid-19 on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller?communities, to ensure their needs are reflected in response and recovery planning.
We?expect to?shortly resume?our?scoping?work on?the?Government's June 2019?commitment to develop a?GRT Strategy?to tackle inequalities in these communities.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 29 June (HL6045), when the corporate entities that have indicated that they are taking on the responsibility for the remediation of unsafe aluminium composite material cladding but where at least one of their buildings does not yet have a plan in place, named in the list published in February, will be held to account for the lack of remediation.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Department has been clear that some buildings are being remediated too slowly. To maintain the pace of remediation the department publishes the names of corporate entities which do not yet have a plan to remediate dangerous ACM.
We have written to the relevant local authorities, making sure they are aware of insufficient progress. The Joint Inspection Team, a team set up and funded by Government and hosted by the Local Government Association, is providing support to local authorities to take enforcement action under the Housing Act 2004. Action is currently being taken by a local authority for one of these buildings, and enforcement action has previously been taken by a Fire and Rescue Service for another of the buildings.