Housing Association Dwellings

HC Deb 10 May 1988 vol 133 cc63-4W

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many housing association dwellings, which were developed with local authority funding but became empty and uninhabitable because the local authority could not finance the necessary major repairs(a) were repaired, with Housing Corporation funding and (b) remained empty, as the Housing Corporation could not finance the necessary major repairs (1) during 1984–85, (2) during 1985–86 and (3) during 1986–87; and if he will give this information (i) for England as a whole, (ii) for Greater London, (iii) for metropolitan areas outside London, (iv) for non-metropolitan areas and (v) for each English local authority area;

(2) how many housing association dwellings, which were originally developed with local authority finance (a) became or (b) remained empty and uninhabitable (1) during 1984–85, (2) during 1985–86 and (3) during 1986–87, as the local authority could not fund necessary major repairs; and if he will give this information (i) for England as a whole, (ii) for Greater London, (iii) for metropolitan areas outside London (iv) for non-metropolitan areas and (v) for each English local authority area;

(3) how many housing association dwellings, developed with local authority funding, are currently empty and uninhabitable because the local authority is unable to finance the necessary major repairs (a) for England as a whole, (b) for Greater London, (c) for metropolitan areas outside London, (d) for non-metropolitan areas and (e) for each English local authority area.

Mrs. Roe

[holding answer 9 May 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, a Housing Corporation survey in June 1985 indicated that 745 housing association dwellings mortgaged to local authorities in England were vacant because of a need for major repairs. During the years in question Housing Corporation funding was not normally available for major repair to housing association dwellings originally developed with local authority finance, although the corporation has now been authorised to fund repairs wherever the local authority is genuinely unable to do so itself on condition that the dwellings are then let to homeless people.