CIH report highlights continuity and disruption concerns linked to local government reorganisation

The release of a new report by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has revealed that housing professionals have concerns around the impact of local government reorganisation on housing delivery and the strategic priorities of the sector.

Over half (53%) of local authority respondents rated concern about housing service continuity during reorganisation at eight out of 10 or above within the report by the CIH, called ‘Redrawing the map: Views from housing professionals on local government reorganisation’.

The housing register and allocations (66%), housing strategy (58%), regulatory and compliance (50%) and temporary accommodation (50%) were selected by participants from across the sector as most at risk of disruption due to reorganisation.

• The report can be accessed here.

CIH is calling for more guidance for local authorities and housing associations operating in locations affected by local government reorganisation (LGR), and for the government to:

• Publish a clear, housing-specific timeline for reorganisation, setting out which services and policies should be in place by vesting day, and suggested timescales for those where transition to new systems may take several months
• Issue a day one safe and legal checklist detailing all statutory services that should be in place on vesting day
• Ensure that local authorities have adequate staffing and resources to support reorganisation
• Provide specific technical guidance on the merging of Housing Revenue Accounts (HRAs) and creation of new allocations registers, learning from previous experiences of unitarisation.

Responding to the report, Tom Arnold, policy manager for regional engagement and devolution at CIH, concluded: “Local government reorganisation represents an opportunity to help deliver on this government’s housing ambitions. New, larger unitary authorities, working with mayoral strategic authorities, can contribute to the development of more and better homes throughout England.

“However, reorganisation is also a significant challenge for housing professionals. Our survey reveals a range of concerns about how LGR is impacting the sector, with particular worries about the continuity of housing services during the transition to new councils. We encourage government to continue in their support for areas undergoing LGR and to provide clear, housing-specific guidance.

“The responses to this survey have enabled us to better understand the concerns of housing professionals that have developed as a result of LGR. We will continue to work with government and partners across the sector to ensure housing professionals are supported through reorganisation.”

• CIH members can access the recent member-only briefing on devolution and local government reorganisation, which includes information on the national policy objectives underlying reorganisation.
• Listen to the recent CIH podcast on devolution, local government reorganisation and housing.