Private renting
On 5 October 2016 landlords Steve Bolton and Chris Cooper were refused permission to bring judicial review proceedings  in respect of the changes to mortgage interest relief proposed under section 24 of the Finance (No.2) Act 2015, which will stop buy-to-let costs being a claimable business expense. For the Residential Landlords Association coverage of the proceedings, click here

Home ownership and renting affordability
On 7 October 2016 the Office for National Statistics released figures showing that home ownership in England and Wales has become less affordable since 2002, with average house prices rising from 4.1 times average earnings to 6.3 times earnings in 2015. For the first time since 2007, the affordability of social housing has improved following increases in average salaries which have risen faster than average rents. In the private rental market, there is a North/South divide, with the 30 most affordable areas mainly in the north of England, while 14 of the 15 least affordable local authorities are located in London. For the statistics, click here

Households in temporary accommodation
On 6 October 2016 the House of Commons Library published a briefing paper providing background information on the increase in the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation by English local authorities and outlining various initiatives and issues associated with the increased use of temporary accommodation. To read the briefing, click here

Homelessness
On 5 October 2016 the House of Commons Library published a briefing paper providing statistics on statutory homelessness in England and explaining local authorities' duties to assist homeless households. The paper includes an overview of, and comment on, Government policy in this area. To read the briefing, click here

Homelessness – Wales
On 10 October 2016 Shelter Cymru reported that 500 people had been made homeless in Wales last year as a result of social housing evictions. That matter is included in findings contained in a new report by the charity: Accessing and sustaining social tenancies: exploring barriers to homelessness prevention. To read the report, click here To read a press release from Shelter Cymru, click here To read the BBC News coverage of the story, click here

Homelessness – Scotland
On 7 October 2016 the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland called for local authorities, political parties, housing associations and charities in Scotland to launch a ‘collective endeavour’ to tackle homelessness following the model in Finland which, he said, was the only western European country to significantly reduce the number of homeless people in recent years. For the BBC News coverage, click here

Housing measures
On 7 October 2016 the Office for National Statistics published Housing summary measures analysis for 2015. The report provides in one document analysis of 16 housing summary measures, which give an overview of the affordability and availability of home ownership and social renting at the local authority level in England and Wales, as well as the affordability of private rented housing. The housing summary measures include data from multiple sources and provide a summary of recent trends in various measures of housing affordability and availability, for different tenure types. The data cover for 2015: house prices; annual salary; affordability of home ownership; repossessions; cost of private rent; monthly salary; affordability of private renting; cost of social rent; weekly salary and social housing; affordability of social housing; privately owned housing; house building; housing market activity; social housing stock; and vacant social housing. For the report, click here

Social housing – quality standards in Wales
On 6 October 2016 the Welsh Government published an annual report which includes information on the progress made by social landlords in achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) for all their stock. The report stated that at 31 March 2016, 79% of social housing dwellings (177,219 dwellings) were compliant with the WHQS (including acceptable fails) compared to 72% per cent a year earlier. For the report, click here

Rough sleeping
On 10 October 2016 (World Homelessness Day and World Mental Health Day) St Mungo’s clients, staff and volunteers handed in a letter with over 15,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street, calling on the Prime Minister to introduce an ambitious rough sleeping strategy. St Mungo's research found four in ten rough sleepers have a mental health problem and poor mental health is ‘keeping people stuck on the streets for longer.’ For more information, click here

Rough sleeping – London
On 6 October 2016 the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a new taskforce dedicated to helping tackle the ‘shameful’ rise in the number of people sleeping rough on London’s streets. The 'No Nights Sleeping Rough' taskforce, chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Housing, James Murray, will identify what new interventions may be needed to tackle specific problems, and will lobby government for support where necessary. For more details, click here

Renting – London
On 10 October 2016 Sian Berry AM published a report, based on a survey of 1,530 renters, entitled What are London’s renters thinking? which states that there is a large scale of ‘dissatisfaction among London’s renters, with problems including rocketing rent costs, incomplete repairs, lost deposits and fear of losing their homes at the end of each annual contract.’ To read the report, click here For the London Mayor’s press release concerning the report, click here

Registered providers of social housing
On 7 October 2016 the Homes and Communities Agency published the latest list of current registered providers of social housing (taking account of new registrations and deregistrations up to 1 October 2016). To consult the list, click here

Affordable homes – Autumn Statement
On 10 October 2016 the CIH announced that its submission to HM Treasury in advance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement calls for measures to increase significantly the number of affordable rented homes across the UK. It also calls for increased funding for regeneration and the introduction of measures to improve standards in the private rented sector and tackle homelessness. To read the submission, click here

Renters’ Rights Bill
This is a Private Members’ Bill introduced in the House of Lords by Baroness Grender which seeks to provide tenants and prospective tenants with certain rights, including affording access to a local housing authority’s database of rogue landlords, ending certain letting fees and providing for certain mandatory electrical safety checks. The Bill had its Second Reading on 10 June 2016 and will enter the Committee stage on a date to be announced. For the Bill as introduced, click here To read debates at all stages of the Bill’s passage, click here For progress of the Bill, click here

Crown Tenancies Bill
This is a Private Members’ Bill introduced in the House of Commons by Wendy Morton which seeks to provide that ​Crown tenancies may be assured tenancies for the purposes of the Housing Act 1988, subject to certain exceptions; to modify the assured tenancies regime in relation to certain Crown tenancies; and for connected purposes. The Bill is being prepared for publication and is due to have its Second Reading on 16 December 2016. For progress of the Bill, click here

Homelessness Reduction Bill
This is a Private Members’ Bill introduced in the House of Commons by Bob Blackman which seeks to amend the Housing Act 1996 to make provision about measures for reducing homelessness; and for connected purposes. The Bill is being prepared for publication and is due to have its Second Reading on 28 October 2016. For progress of the Bill, click here For a record of proceedings, click here The House of Commons Select Committee for Communities and Local Government has been holding a pre-legislative inquiry into the Bill: for more information, click here  On 14 September 2016 the Local Government Association published a response to the proposed legislation stating that it will not work; for the LGA press release, click here

Housing (Tenants' Rights) Bill
This is a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Caroline Lucas which seeks to establish a Living Rent Commission to conduct research into, and provide proposals for, reducing rent levels in the private rented sector and improving terms and conditions for tenants; to require the Secretary of State to report the recommendations of the Commission to Parliament; to introduce measures to promote long-term tenancies; to establish a mandatory national register of ​landlords and lettings agents; to prohibit the charging of letting or management agent fees to tenants; and for connected purposes. The Bill is being prepared for publication and is due to have its Second Reading on 20 January 2017. For progress of the Bill, click here

Law Commission reform programme
The Law Commission has opened the consultation for its 13th Programme of law reform. The responses received will inform the majority of the Law Commission’s work from 2017 to 2020. The Commission is asking for the public’s help to identify areas of the substantive law of England and Wales that need reform, and to prioritise those reforms. It is also suggesting some potential projects that could form part of its Programme, and it would like to have views on these. Within these proposals is a suggestion that there might be areas of residential, commercial or agricultural landlord and tenant law which impose unnecessary restrictions, inefficiencies or costs. For more information about the Programme, including the criteria for project selection, click here For more details of the proposal concerning leasehold law, click here The consultation closes on 31 October 2016.

Justice system reform
The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Service has published a consultation document outlining what the Ministry of Justice is doing to achieve reform of the justice system, and invites the public and interested stakeholders to give their views on certain specific measures. In respect of civil proceedings, the document proposes: introducing a new online process for resolving claims; encouraging parties to resolve disputes themselves where possible; extending the fixed recoverable costs regime; civil enforcement; and replacing statutory declarations in county court proceedings with a witness statement verified by a statement of truth. Where required, legislation will be introduced to implement those measures. To read the consultation document, click here The document was accompanied by a joint statement from the Lord Chancellor, Lord Chief Justice, and the Senior President of Tribunals on their shared vision for the future of Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunal Service: to read the joint statement, click here The consultation will be conducted by online survey: to access the survey, click here The consultation closes on 27 October 2016.

Welsh National Housing Pathway for ex-service personnel
The Welsh Government is consulting on the draft National Housing Pathway for ex-service personnel. The pathway will: provide advice to members of the services before their discharge, to help them avoid homelessness; and support former members of the services who are homeless. For more details, click here To respond to the consultation, click here The consultation closes on 13 October 2016.

Homeless eligibility amends and deposit discretions Giles Peaker [2016] Nearly Legal 3 October 2016. To read this article, click here

Council housing companies – another new build model Ian Doolittle [2016] Local Government Lawyer 6 October. To read this article, click here

In May's dystopian 'meritocracy' there are no council houses Dawn Foster [2016] Guardian 7 October. To read this article, click here

The Right to Buy – Where are we now? Arden Chambers [2016] Legal Action 7 October. To read this article, click here

Homelessness In Manchester – Have We Reached Crisis Levels? Alec Herron [2016] Manchester Confidential 10 October. To read this article, click here

13 October 2016        
Consultation on Welsh National Housing Pathway for ex-service personnel closes (see Housing Law Consultations)

27 October 2016        
Consultation on Justice system reform closes (see Housing Law Consultations)

28 October 2016        
Second Reading of Homelessness Reduction Bill (see Housing Laws in the Pipeline)

31 October 2016        
Consultation on Law Commission reform programme closes (see Housing Law Consultations)

4 November 2016        
Lime Legal’s Allocations Conference

Housing Services Advisor (Job Number B&H01733)
Brighton & Hove City Council
Click here for details.

Housing Services Advisor (Job Number B&H01845)
Brighton & Hove City Council
Click here for details.

Enforcement Officer – Environmental Protection (Job Ref No. PL4512016)
Birmingham City Council
Click here for details.

Solicitor (Property) (Ref No. 16002551)
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
Click here for details.

Homeownership Officer (Ref: OCT20160218)
Wandle Housing Association
Click here for details.

Enforcement Officer – Private Sector Housing (Ref: HO001741)
London Borough of Redbridge
Click here for details

Part Time Contracts Management Officer (Ref: HO001742)
London Borough of Redbridge
Click here for details

Housing Trainee Solicitor – Paralegal
SSP Law
Click here for details

Senior Property Lawyer
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Click here for details

Housing Intern (fixed term contract for two years)
Hackney Council
Click here for details

Deputy Customer Services & Housing Options Manager (Part Time 18 Hours)
The LB of Richmond upon Thames and the LB of Wandsworth
Click here for details

Environmental Health Manager – Private Sector Housing
East Hampshire DC and Havant BC
Click here for details

Housing Solicitor (Leeds)
Lester Morrill
Click here for Job Description

Interested candidates should apply with CV and covering letter indicating salary expectations to Helen.Butterworth@lmlaw.co.uk or via post to: Helen Butterworth, Lester Morrill, 27 Park Square West, Leeds, (direct applications only: strictly no canvassers).Closing date Monday 17 October 2016.