§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new affordable homes were provided in the south-east in 2001, broken down by(a) housing associations, including rent and shared ownership, (b) housing benefit subsidy of privately rented homes, (c) right-to-buy resales, (d) local authorities and (e) sale below market value by private housebuilders; and what was the total number provided. [39560]
§ Ms KeebleThe available estimates are as given in the table.
189W
New provision of affordable homes in the south-east region 2001 Number Registered social landlords1 7,302 Right-to-buy re-purchases by local authorities2 26 Local authority new build for rent 52 1 RSLs' (formerly referred to as housing associations) data represents new homes for rental, outright or shared ownership (including "off the shelf" purchases of properties built by private developers), and existing property acquisitions for refurbishment (including temporary social housing provision). Completions are recorded when the final tranche payment for the scheme is made. 2 Local authority acquisitions of ex-council properties under "Buyback" scheme arrangements. Source:
Housing Corporation returns
DTLR P1B (quarterly) and P2 (monthly) housing activity returns
Information about the number of affordable housing units built without any form of public funding, eg by private housebuilders, is not collected centrally.
The number of private sector householders in the south-east, excluding those renting from RSLs, in receipt of rent allowance as at August 2001 was estimated at 90,000.
§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the Housing Corporation allocation was for shared ownership in each year since 1997. [39562]
§ Ms KeebleThe funding for shared ownership through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in each year since 1997–98 to the end of January 2002 was as follows.
Shared ownership funding £ million 1997–98 87.95 1998–99 86.59 1999–2000 51.49 2000–01 70.63 2001–02 141.85 110 months Funding fell in 1999–2000 because (a) the do-it-yourself shared ownership scheme (DIYSO) was replaced by the Homebuy scheme on 1 April 1999 (local authorities may still fund DIYSO through Local Authority Social Housing Grant); and (b) the Approved Development Programme was no longer subject to a national target for the percentage of expenditure allocated to schemes which help people into low cost home ownership: this allows schemes to be selected on the basis of local needs.
These figures exclude the Government's £250 million Starter Home Initiative which will provide 10,000 homes for key workers over the period 2001–04, mostly through equity loan and shared ownership schemes.
§ Mr. FallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will introduce a definition of affordable housing related solely to rental and shared ownership houses provided by housing associations and local authorities. [39561]
190W
§ Ms KeebleThere are no formal definitions of affordable housing within housing policy and we have no plans to introduce a definition confined to rental and shared ownership homes. We will continue to keep the situation under review.
For the purposes of securing affordable housing through the planning system affordable housing encompasses low-cost market and subsidised housing whether for rent or shared ownership. Local authorities are expected to define in their local plans what they consider to be affordable in the plan area, in terms of the relationship between local income levels and house prices or rents for different types of households.
We are looking at how the planning system can deliver more affordable housing, including through the proposals for reforming planning obligations that we announced in December.