It also revealed that since transfer, more than one in 15 English transfer associations and one in four Scottish have seen stock levels fall more than 10%. Despite building more than 50,000 homes in total since 1988, more than two-thirds of transfer landlords have seen their stock decline in net terms, the study found.
To ensure performance milestones in their business plans are met, transfer associations have been forced to develop more homes or diversify into care home services, said Hal Pawson, the Heriot-Watt University academic who carried out the study.
He said: "It's very common that stock condition surveys turn out to be imperfect or that work planned in the business plan becomes more expensive than expected. Policy changes such as rent restructuring have also caught a lot of associations on the hop.
"All transfer associations have an uphill battle in maintaining stock levels. As a result, virtually all of them are also active developers of new housing, or are getting involved in activities that goes beyond the scope of their core social housing role."
The study was based on a survey of more than 60 associations set up between 1989 and 1999 as a result of the transfer of homes from local authorities.
The report comes in the same week that Glasgow Housing Association, Britain's biggest social landlord with more than 80,000 properties, admitted it could miss some of its business-plan targets. The transfer of Glasgow council's housing took place earlier this year after months of wrangling over the plan.
Statement of Intent, a GHA report released on Thursday last week, said bad weather conditions could jeopardise the targets. Scottish Borders Housing Association has also revealed that flooding might affect its ability to meet its targets.
Source
Housing Today
No comments yet