Jules Birch

London council to draw up plan for repurposing closed schools into temporary accommodation The borough of Hackney in east London is working on a proposal to repurpose primary schools shut due to falling pupil numbers into temporary accommodation.

A grim logic to this. Unaffordable housing means not enough families with children means school closures means temporary accommodaton for familes with children who are homeless

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/london-...

Lies, damned lies and the Telegraph. They posted CSJ figures using an outrageously false comparison of 2 cases. It claimed a benefits family were better off by £18k than a working household when the real figure was £16k worse off. The details benefitsinthefuture.com #benefits #budget

This thread explains more about the government's overall strategy than the rest of it has managed in 15 months

The Eldonian dream: Inside the fight for Liverpool’s community housing utopia Eldonian village was a forerunner in neighbourhood regeneration. Thirty years on it is fighting for survival

Quite a story - let's hope they win

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Just got my first 'Keep your TV service active' scam email - from the email address used I can only assume that TV Licensing has been hacked?

Exempt supported accommodation is very different but on market rent yes there is a case I think but some are selling their portfolio

Think you get a free Telegraph subscription with a ‘mansion’? Even if landlords less likely to read though there are a lot more of them

'Threats, arson and lies' claims as Birmingham supported housing firm goes bust A company with strong links to the controversial 'exempt supported housing' sector in Birmingham has been forced into liquidation amid shocking claims by administrators

Exempt supported accommodation company goes bust owing £12m. Administrators list incidents of threats, harassment, break-ins, arson attacks and deception.

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...

The 'mansion tax' seems to have so discombobulated the right-wing press that they have largely not noticed the 'landlord tax'

Quick follow-up to yesterday: no mention of Local Housing Allowance or the benefit cap in any of budget documents but Pat McFadden confirmed in a written statement later that the freeze in both will continue into next year

hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025...

So, just checking, are those numbers for households (417k) and children (1.5m) currently affected by two-child limit who are not currently benefit capped, so could be in future? (without meaning they necessarily will be)

Thanks for the explanation - not niche at all though if you in that situation or manage projects (this used to drive a friend who did crazy)

Thanks!

I got that when I tried to open a Budget doc, even trying different browsers and PDF viewers, but worked when i went back 10 mins later

Although, optimistically, previous Budgets have directly referenced the freeze (or what the Treasury calls 'maintaining at enhanced rates) so the fact LHA is not mentioned at all could be a good sign?

No mention of Local Housing Allowance that I can find in Budget documents (so assume freeze in rates will continue) or of benefit cap (assume will continue at current rate). Both would blunt some of the impact on child poverty of scrapping two-child limit

I guess so - to make it worth working in the first place or taking on more hours. This has always been the biggest bugbear of a friend working in homelessness

Consultation coming up on VAT treatment of land intended for social housing to 'incentivise' development

Will apply from Autumn 2026 and cost £25m a year from 2028/29 'so that most claimants will not be subject to reductions in income for working more hours'

Detail awaited but this should help tackle the working Catch 22 for people living in supported and temporary accommodation

Budget defers key decision on rent convergence in social housing until January

Budget red book: 'The government is committed to delivering 1.5m homes *in England* in this parliament'

OBR report: Net additions to *the UK* housing stock expected to be 1.49 million between 2024/25 and 2029/30

Budget may have been published in advance but try accessing the policy costings and this happens

Reeves has just confirmed that she is scrapping the plans for huge increases in landfill tax - which could have added £25k to the cost of building a house. This is very good news for the housing sector.

🎉Child poverty is at a record high, so the decision to end the two child limit is crucial

Poverty holds children back, with consequences for all of us. Every child should have a good start in life

This measure alone lifts 450,000 out of poverty & lessens severity for many more

OBR thinks higher rates of property income tax on landlords will raise more (£500m a year from 2028/29) than high value council tax surcharge (£400m a year)

High value council tax surcharge is triggering a few memories. Less than ten years since the govt was trying to do in many ways the opposite (higher rents for higher-earning council tenants, forced sales of higher-value council homes)

Well this is certainly a non-traditional Budget day.... should been paying attention earlier

These reports the Government could revalue council tax bands F, G and H don't make sense to me. Here's what could actually be going on: