Tag: Department for Levelling Up

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 July 2023.

New law will strengthen powers to tackle failing social landlords and tenants living in unsafe homes will be better supported by the Regulator.

Lifechanging reforms to social housing become law as the government’s new Social Housing (Regulation) Act receives Royal Assent today (20 July 2023).

This means driving forward significant change in holding poor landlords to account, placing the needs of tenants at the heart of government reforms to improve the quality of life for those living in social housing across the country.

Today’s landmark law brings forward the following ground-breaking changes:

• strengthening the Regulator of Social Housing to carry out regular inspections of the largest social housing providers and the power to issue unlimited fines to rogue social landlords
• additional Housing Ombudsman powers to publish best practice guidance to landlords following investigations into tenant complaints
• powers to set strict time limits for social landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould
• new qualification requirements for social housing managers
• introducing stronger economic powers to follow inappropriate money transactions outside of the sector

New enforcement powers will be made available to tackle failing social housing landlords who are not pulling their weight in taking swift action to address damp, cold and unsafe homes.

Following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak last year, the government also committed to introducing Awaab’s Law where all landlords must fix reported health and safety hazards within a strict timeframe.

The Act is the latest step in addressing systemic issues identified following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, not just on the safety and quality of social housing, but about how tenants are treated by their landlords.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Rt. Hon Michael Gove MP said:

Today is an important step towards righting the wrongs of the past. Our landmark laws will drive up standards of social housing and give residents a proper voice.

The Social Housing Act will help to ensure that tenants get the safe, warm and decent homes they deserve – and those who have seriously neglected their responsibilities for far too long will face the consequences.

Awaab’s Law will force social landlords to take immediate action on dangerous damp and mould as we introduce new strict time limits to fix their homes.

I am incredibly grateful to Awaab’s family who have displayed such courage, dignity and leadership in pushing for change and securing these vital reforms.

Alongside powers to issue unlimited fines, a stronger Regulator will have greater authority to flush out rogue social landlords, with the capability to enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice and make emergency repairs where there is a serious risk to tenants.

The Act also makes changes to what activities the Regulator can charge landlords fees for, ensuring it has the resources it needs to do its job.

We expect future changes to fee-charging will see all social housing providers – both private registered providers and local authority landlords – paying for regulation costs. This will include new consumer standards as well as other costs such as investigating when things go wrong.

The Regulator will shortly publish their consultation on new consumer standards to help protect tenants and the regime is expected to go live in April next year.

Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of the Regulator of Social Housing, said:

We welcome the introduction of the Social Housing Regulation Act, which will empower tenants and give us stronger powers to hold social landlords to account.

Our next step is to consult on the new consumer standards that landlords will need to meet, and we encourage tenants, landlords and others in the sector to have their say when we launch the consultation next week.

We’re gearing up to start our new programme of regulatory inspections from next April, and landlords will need to demonstrate how they’re providing good quality homes and services for tenants as well as meeting our governance and viability standards.

Gavin Smart, Chief Executive Officer of the Chartered Institute of Housing said:

We’re delighted to see that the Social Housing (Regulation) Act has now been passed and congratulate all involved in its development.

The Act will provide an important foundation for giving tenants’ a greater voice, improving access to redress and increasing the focus on professionalism in the sector.

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, said:

We welcome the Social Housing Regulation Act and have worked closely with the government to support this legislation from the outset. It is essential that we strengthen powers to tenants and improve access to swift and fair redress. Housing associations are committed to taking the Act forward and demonstrating transparency and accountability to their residents.

Alongside stronger regulation, housing associations are committed to working with the government to address the severe shortage of social housing and helping to deliver a long-term plan, focused on delivering the homes the country needs over the next decade.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 19 June 2023.

New Bill will ban UK public bodies from imposing their own boycotts.

UK public bodies will be banned from imposing their own boycott or divestment campaigns against foreign countries and territories, Michael Gove has announced today (Monday 19 June) fulfilling a 2019 manifesto pledge.

The Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill – introduced in parliament today – sends a clear message to councils and other publicly-funded institutions that they need to focus on delivering for the public and not spending tax-payers’ money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda.

Those who break the rules will face significant fines with Ministers among those able to conduct investigations into suspected breaches.

Today’s Bill will stop businesses and organisations – including those affiliated with Israel – being targeted through ongoing boycotts by public bodies – leading to community tensions and, in the case of Israel, a rise in antisemitism.

Universities, too, have been pressured by groups that want to impose their own subjective views about foreign policy upon public institutions: the goal often being to shut down rather than open up debate, serving to undermine free speech and educational study.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove said:

It is simply wrong that public bodies have been wasting taxpayers’ time and money pursuing their own foreign policy agenda. The UK must have a consistent approach to foreign policy, set by UK Government.

These campaigns not only undermine the UK’s foreign policy but lead to appalling antisemitic rhetoric and abuse. That is why we have taken this decisive action to stop these disruptive policies once and for all.

My message to these organisations, is to get on with your job and focus on delivering for the public.

The President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews President Marie van der Zyl said:

We are pleased to support the Government’s endeavours in the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill which will directly hinder the unnecessary and inappropriate targeting of Israel by local authorities and other public institutions.

We appreciate how the Government is working to prevent these organisations from setting their own foreign policy, which all too often creates a deeply divisive local situation as well as being deeply unsettling to local Jewish communities.

The UK has a well-established sanctions policy which remains in place. Organisations with links to Russia and Belarus will still be prevented from benefiting from taxpayers’ money with councils able to terminate existing contracts with those linked to Putin’s barbaric war machine.

The changes announced today will ensure the UK is united in its foreign policy – stopping the harmful policies that are hampering our foreign diplomacy including those that are antisemitic.

The Government remains strongly committed to the UK’s long and proud tradition of free speech. The ban will not apply to individuals or private organisations, where they are not carrying out public functions. It will also not change the UK’s approach to the Middle East Peace Process, or our position on settlements, which are illegal under international law.

This Bill has been widely supported by the Jewish Leadership Council as is part of the Government’s wider commitment to combat antisemitism. This includes the Holocaust Memorial Bill which seeks to progress the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens, Westminster to preserve the memory of what happened for ourselves and for all future generations as we seek to understand the lessons it teaches Britain today.

The Government will work with relevant public bodies and enforcement authorities on the implementation of the ban.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 15 June 2023.

Traveller sites will be improved and people in the community will be given easier access to healthcare and education, thanks to DLUHC funding allocated today.

Traveller sites will be improved and people in the community will be given easier access to healthcare and education, thanks to DLUHC funding allocated today.

Nine councils across England – including Kent, Lancaster, Cornwall, Swindon, and Preston – have received a share of £10million, through DLUHC’s Traveller Site Fund.

The funding is helping to improve transit sites, so that travellers have authorised places to stay, as well as better access to facilities and services such as healthcare.

Councils are also using the funding to refurbish existing transit and permanent sites to help improve living conditions for residents.

Improvements underway range from rebuilding through to new infrastructure dependent on need – including stabling for horses, improved utilities and play areas for children.

Minister for Levelling Up, Dehenna Davison MP, said:

We are supporting councils to improve travellers’ life chances and build cohesion between the settled and traveller communities.

This funding is just one of the many ways we are improving opportunities for communities across the country, as part of the Levelling Up agenda.

Preston’s Leighton Street Traveller Site has been awarded £337,220 to refurbish and improve the condition of the site, including the upgrade of electrical equipment giving the residents greater control over their energy bills and running costs of the site.

Leader of Preston City Council, Councillor Matthew Brown, said:

We are delighted to receive this much-needed funding. It means residents now have better access to energy on the site, giving them greater control, flexibility, and money saving options on their outgoing energy bills.

Investing in sites means councils can also reduce the number of unauthorised encampments in England. This reduces enforcement costs for councils and assists both councils and local police in redirecting travellers from unauthorised sites. Funding also helps support community cohesion between the settled community and travellers.

In addition to this fund, councils can already apply for a share of the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Fund 2021-2026 for permanent and transit sites, and bricks and mortar accommodation for travellers.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 10 June 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 7 June 2023.

A panel to carry out an independent assurance review into the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation and Teesworks Joint Venture has been appointed by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove.

Angie Ridgwell, Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council, and previously a Director General at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has been appointed as lead reviewer, bringing 30 years of experience across local government, central government and the private sector.

She will be supported by Quentin Baker, who is a qualified solicitor and the director of law and governance at Hertfordshire County Council and by Richard Paver, who brings significant financial experience and knowledge of Combined Authorities from a previous role as first Treasurer of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The independent panel will review the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC) and Teesworks Joint Venture. This will include consideration of specific allegations made in relation to the Joint Venture.

As set out in the published terms of reference, as well as considering the specific allegations of corruption, illegality and wrongdoing that have been raised, the panel will also look at governance and financial management, reflecting the Government’s existing approach to external assurance reviews of local authorities.

Local Government Minister Lee Rowley said:

I want to stress we have not seen evidence of corruption, wrongdoing, or illegality in relation to Teesworks, but it is apparent the allegations present a risk to the delivery of jobs and economic growth in the region.

Given the importance to Tees Valley of addressing this matter, and the request made by the Mayor, the government has appointed an independent panel to review the arrangements.

The review will now commence and the panel will provide a report of their findings, along with any recommendations, expected in the summer.

Any interested party, including Members of Parliament, will be invited to make representations to the panel as part of their evidence gathering.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 6 June 2023.

Unleashing Rural Opportunity document launched.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 May 2023.

Michael Gove orders independent review into the unrest that occurred In Leicester last year.

An independent review into the unrest that occurred in Leicester last year has been commissioned by Secretary of State for Communities Michael Gove.

In September 2022 community tensions led to a spate of vandalism, assaults, and attacks on places of worship and other properties in Leicester, in some cases highlighting divisions between different groups across the city and beyond.

During the height of the unrest, the government worked closely with the local police force, Leicester City Council and other local partners to bring calm to the situation and protect communities from across the city.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove has now commissioned an Independent Review into the disorder and has appointed Lord (Ian) Austin as chair. Lord Austin is a former Minister for Housing and Planning and former Minister for the West Midlands.

He will lead an independent panel of experts – which will be appointed in due course – to work on understanding the origins of the unrest and explore how similar events can be prevented in the future, both in Leicester and elsewhere.

The panel will:

• establish the facts of what took place over the period of unrest, and a sequence of events;
• present an analysis of the causes of the unrest
• make practical recommendations for how similar events that may arise in future could be prevented; and
• set out proposals and ideas for strengthening social cohesion locally

Secretary of State for Communities Michael Gove said:

Leicester has a proud history of community cohesion, which makes last year’s disorder all the more shocking and upsetting.

This review will build a thorough understanding of the specific events that took place and what can be learned from them.

I have spoken to both the Home Secretary and the Mayor of Leicester to underline the importance of protecting all parts of the community in Leicester and we will not tolerate attempts to foster division or violence among people or between religious groups.

Leicester City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said:

I welcome the government’s announcement.  I hope the review can move forward as swiftly as possible, whilst of course being thorough and given the attention it deserves.

I would want Leicester and other cities to be able to learn from its findings and to understand what needs to be done to ensure that our community cohesion is never again threatened in this way.

Lord Austin said:

Acceptance of each other’s background and beliefs is at the heart of our national identity.

Communities living and working together have formed some of the most vibrant societies across the country and cities such as Leicester have proud histories of tolerance and diversity.

This makes the scenes we witnessed in Leicester last year all the more worrying and it is therefore so important that we listen to people in Leicester to get to the bottom of what happened and why.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 May 2023.

Funding to support educational, arts and sporting projects to celebrate the Windrush generation and their contribution to UK society.

More than 40 groups have been awarded funding through the Windrush Day Grant Scheme for arts, educational and sporting projects across England on the 75th anniversary of arrival of the MV Empire Windrush to the UK, the Minister for Communities announced today.

£750,000 has been awarded to projects across England, including The Brixton Project, a community-led carnival of art, theatre and music, and the Blackstory Partnership, a commemorative Windrush 75 event in Birmingham. More than 200 Windrush Day projects have received a share of the £2.75 million funding over four years in celebration of the contributions of the Windrush generation and their families.

These community-led initiatives will celebrate the anniversary with events and activities taking place between 8 June and 31 August this year.

Lee Rowley MP, Minister for Communities, said:

We wanted to celebrate the positive contribution the Windrush generation and their families bring to this country and recognise the contributions made by all British Caribbean people in our communities.

Bringing people together is a way to ensure better understanding and social cohesion. I very much encourage everyone to get involved in what’s going on in their local area.

This year’s celebration of the British Caribbean community will mark the arrival 75 years ago of the MV Empire Windrush, when the first passengers disembarked at Tilbury Docks.

Next month, communities will come together to honour and celebrate those pioneers who answered the call to come to Britain and help rebuild the nation following the Second World War.

Last year also saw the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at London Waterloo station. The Monument is a permanent tribute to the contribution of Caribbean pioneers in communities across the United Kingdom. DLUHC worked with the advisory Windrush Commemoration Committee, chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE, to complete the project.

Chair of the Windrush Community Funds and Schemes sub-group of the Windrush Cross-Government Working Group, Paulette Simpson CBE said:

This year’s celebration of the British Caribbean community will be extra special, as we mark the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks 75 years ago.

From those first passengers who went on to build their lives and make their home here, those that followed, and their descendants have and continue to make an enormous contribution to all aspects of British life.

National Windrush Day is now a firm fixture in the nation’s calendar and from Brixton to Wolverhampton, fantastic events and activities will be taking place across the country.

I’d urge everyone to get involved in this significant moment in our shared history.

Funded projects for 2023 include:

• The Brixton Project is a community-led celebration with the support of local artists that cements the histories, experiences and voices of the Windrush generation, promoting community cohesion through a carnival of art, theatre and music as well as local landmark visits integral to the Windrush story.
• Manchester City of Literature is a creative project that allows young people to develop the skills and confidence needed with a professional filmmaker to create documentary films and podcasts of Windrush generation members from South Manchester churches to tell their stories of migration, faith, education, home and community-building.
• The Blackstory Partnership showcases a truly commemorative Windrush 75 event in Birmingham, including choir performances of West Indian folk songs, a West Indian Army Standard Ceremony, the launch of the ‘Windrush Generation – This Is Our Story’ book, as well as a Windrush 75 Awards Ceremony that will recognise Windrush pioneers.
• Jamaica Society Leeds presents ‘Here: Windrush 75 Leeds’ – a series of public Windrush installations across the city featuring 75 larger than life portraits to showcase the Windrush generation’s contribution to social and economic life within Leeds. Interactive school sessions, a publicity campaign, and an online gallery of the portraits will form the project’s legacy.
• Wolverhampton NHS Trust Charity’s ‘Came to Care’ project explores the entwined stories of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush and the NHS, both of which celebrate a 75th anniversary this year, offering young creatives the opportunity to exhibit artwork at a celebratory Windrush and NHS 75 event.
• Friends of St Paul’s Luxuriance creates a floral display in central Bristol to honour the Windrush generation, running an educational training programme for young people and launching an afternoon garden party entwining Caribbean and UK native plants to produce a stunningly beautiful, vibrant display.

The full list of projects being awarded funding can be found here.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 19 May 2023.

Parliamentary examiners announce decision on Holocaust Memorial Bill.

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 May 2023.

Rough sleepers will be given a safe place to stay and vital support to help turn their lives around, backed by £3.3 million government funding.

Thousands of rough sleepers will be able to access a safe place to stay as the Department for Levelling Up announces a funding boost to the Night Shelter Transformation Fund.

More than £3 million will be available to shelters to provide more beds and life-changing support services.

Shelters can use the funding to continue to offer a vital route off the streets – providing specialist staff, drug or alcohol advice and financial assistance.

This builds on the over £9 million delivered in the first-round which funded 80 organisations over three years, targeting areas most in need.

The second-round cash injection will help more rough sleepers turn their lives around.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said:

Night shelters are often the first step for rough sleepers to get off the streets and turn their lives around, providing a safe place to sleep and access to support. Today, I visited Gravesham Sanctuary to see how our Night Shelter Transformation Fund helps organisations provide these services. I’m delighted to announce this £3 million boost to the fund which will be life-changing for rough sleepers up and down the country.

The Night Shelter Transformation Fund is the next step in the government’s commitment to end rough sleeping for good. In 2022, the Department for Levelling Up announced the 3-year £500 million Rough Sleeping Initiative, in addition to £1 billion given to councils over three years to help them prevent and tackle rough sleeping in the areas its most needed.

Rick Henderson, Chief Executive of Homeless Link said:

The Night Shelter Transformation Fund is an incredibly important project enabling homeless organisations to transform the quality of off-the-street accommodation in their local communities.

Being able to offer dignified accommodation makes a huge difference to our members’ work to end rough sleeping and reduce the need for emergency shelters. We are extremely pleased to hear that the government is making additional funding available, ensuring that even more people will be able to benefit from this essential initiative.

It is a pleasure to visit Gravesham Sanctuary’s newly developed property and meet staff and guests, to find out first-hand the impact that the Fund is having and to learn more about how this particular project is run.

Kathy Mohan OBE, CEO of Housing Justice said:

This is a vital funding stream for the network faith and community groups across England. Projects like Gravesham Sanctuary not only provide material support by way of a place to sleep and casework support, but they also provide a crucial element of a person’s journey out of homelessness: community.

We welcome today’s announcement and look forward to supporting night shelter providers to apply for this funding to transform their services and the lives of the people they work with in the coming months.

Carol Webster from Gravesend Sanctuary said:

Night shelters are an important first step for people experiencing homelessness. Our transformed shelter enables guests to stay a few weeks or months until their move into settled accommodation.

We rely on funding to provide guests with the best possible care and services, breaking the cycle of homelessness with life skills.

As a faith-based charity, our ethos is one of welcome and we build strong, non-judgmental relationships with guests from all walks of life. We are passionate about equipping people for a safer, more stable path.

Organisations can access the prospectus and check their eligibility on the government website. The prospectus will be launched in a few weeks.