Housing and Regeneration

David Warburton

Area Director for South West England

The Homes and Communities Agency

Context

• Creation of the Homes and Communities Agency on 1 December 2008 combines the major housing and regeneration pots;

• RFA is critical for our ‘single conversation’ over the integrated use of our own resources:~ the Regional Housing Pot;~ EPs’ regeneration programme, and the ability to investment

in, and bring forward, land and infrastructure;~ the Growth Point Fund;~ Decent Homes (social housing sector);~ Gypsies and Travellers;~ private sector renewal in RFA, not HCA.

Context

• also how we then integrate our own resources with those of others around established regional priorities to deliver higher impact outcomes for a similar level of resource;

• part of this is also identifying impediments to integration;

• the driver underpinning the combining of housing regeneration investment is ensuring integration occurs in such a way so as support the continuation/creation of sustainable communities;

• and also recognising when not to ‘force’ integration.

Investment – what’s at stake

Profile of housing and regeneration (Homes and Communities Agency) investment in the South West:

• £1.1 billion in 2008-2011, mainly committed but some flexibility?

~ £711 million on affordable housing, 18,500 affordable homes;

• £1.6 billion (indicative) in 2011 to 2015;

• £1.75 billion (indicative) in 2015 to 2019.

Investment Focus

The Homes and Communities Agency’s housing and regeneration investment is directed towards the following key place-based interventions in the South West:

• Delivering significant housing growth, particularly in Growth Points and SSCTs;

• Achieving regeneration, building and revitalising communities by tackling multiple deprivation and bringing derelict land back into active use;

Investment Focus:

• providing affordable homes as part of both of growth and regeneration, to achieve a diverse population so as to underpin and enable economic growth;

• The focus is beginning to sharpen in rural areas as we begin to better understand what sustainability means in the rural context.

Carrick, Kerrier and Restormel

West of England Partnership

Growth Points in the SW Growth Points in the SW (as defined by CLG)(as defined by CLG)

Regeneration Investment: Top 20% IMDs/Growth Points

Regeneration Investment:Brownfield Land/Growth Points

RFA 2008 - 2019

West of England Partnership

Carrick, Kerrier and Restormel

Growth Points in the SW Growth Points in the SW (as defined by CLG)(as defined by CLG)

^

^

^

^

^

^

^

^

^^

^

^

^

^

^

^

^

^

^^

^

^

Bath

Poole

Yeovil

Torbay

Exeter

Taunton

Swindon

Plymouth

Salisbury

Trowbridge

Dorchester

Chippenham

Cheltenham

BarnstapleBridgewater

Bournemouth

Newton Abbot

Bristol Urban Area

Weymouth Urban Area

Cornwall Urban Area

Gloucester Urban Area

Weston-super-Mare Urban Area

Strategically Significant Cities & Towns

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Surveyon behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office ©Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.Licensee: Housing Corporation. Licence No.100042275©2004

RFA 2008 - 2019

Affordable Housing Investment :

Defining Rural Sustainability:Responsive Investment

Investment Focus:Non-place based

• in addition to a place-based approach, a specific focus on allocating housing investment based on needs:

• To meet housing need in locations outside of growth areas or areas identified for regeneration; providing for various client groups – homeless people, the elderly, gypsies and travellers.

• Examples in rural areas.

Top Quartile Least Affordable

RFA 2008 - 2019

West of England Partnership

Carrick, Kerrier and Restormel

Growth Points in the SW Growth Points in the SW (as defined by CLG)(as defined by CLG)

Affordable Housing Investment:Rural

2

40

75

81

37

69109

2

22

17

20

27

36

27

89 126

32

62

5

78

24

44

5

39

12

35

69

20

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Surveyon behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office ©Crown Copyright. Unauthorisedreproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.Licensee: Housing Corporation. Licence No.100042275©2004

Rural Surplus Public SectorLand Regeneration Pilot

Some Choices

• Difficult market for housing and regeneration – maintain programme, and raise outputs, including affordable homes from 6,000 to 10,000 per annum;

• Re-allocation of Social Housing Grant to invest differently to support wider regeneration programmes by bringing forward affordable housing in other ways (and delivering other uses and activities); bring forward investment to cashflow, capture value, re-invest?

- Infrastructure, land acquisition, public-private (inc. RSLs) delivery vehicles;

Some Choices

• Focus on easier wins to achieve affordable homes outputs and regeneration outcomes?

- investment in affordable housing increased from 80% to 86% in the previous period, with a corresponding decrease in private sector renewal, so as to maintain outputs;

• should we invest differently in linked and related rural settlements, to enable sustainability to be improved whilst contributing to the growth agenda?

Some Choices

• Decent Homes (3% of the housing pot) ends 2010 –should this then be directed towards other local authority estate renewal and regeneration?

• do we/how do we maintain tenure diversification when demand is falling – 70%/30% rent to homebuy at present?

Some Choices

• demographics – particularly our ageing population - what sort of urban fabric should we create through regeneration investment, and what form of homes will this client group demand?

• How serious are we about the CSH and environmental agenda in terms of where and how we target investment – should we invest in initially more expensive, but ultimately more sustainable environments?

Fundamental Question

• Do we march under a single banner, and then this is what shapes all investment and activity in the Region?

What’s Next?

•All encompassing letter to local authorities;•Welcome specific comments and case studies direct;•Combined Housing and Regeneration Forum in November.