Quick Links:

• What is the South East England Regional Assembly?
• What are the Regional Assembly's Key Work Areas?
• What is the South East Plan?
• What is the South East England Regional Housing Board?
• What is the South East England Regional Transport Board?
• Fact or Fiction?

What is the Regional Housing Board?

1. What is the Regional Housing Board?
The South East England Regional Housing Board (RHB) is a partnership board chaired by the South East England Regional Assembly.

The RHB was established in February 2003 under the chairmanship of the Government Office for the South East. The Regional Assembly took responsibility for the RHB in April 2006.

The RHB is tasked with:

• Developing a regional housing strategy
• Agreeing regional priorities to inform advice to Government on funding allocations
• Monitoring progress against the regional housing strategy
• Advising Government on funding priorities for Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople pitches.

2. Who sits on the RHB?
The RHB meets four times a year and comprises six Assembly members together with representatives from SEEDA (the Regional Development Agency), Government Office, the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.

3. Can members of the public attend meetings?
Members of the public can attend meetings as observers, but are not able to participate.

There is a standing invitation to the chairs of the Housing Advisory Group and the Regional Housing Forum to contribute to discussions.

4. What are the region's housing priorities?
The RHB has made recommendations to Government for spending £1.3bn on housing over three years from 2008/09 to 2010/11. However, the RHB has concerns that this level of funding may not meet South East England's needs.
The recommendations were underpinned by a regional housing strategy, which sets out the region's priorities informed by a strong evidence base and regional consultation.

Highest priority for the RHB is increasing the supply of affordable homes, particularly social rented housing, in the right mix of types and sizes. To encourage more family-sized homes, the RHB has set a target that 25% of social rented and 15% of part rent/part buy homes funded from the 2008-11 programme should have three bedrooms or more.

The RHB's recommendations also include:

• Building 500 affordable homes per year in small villages
• £33m to bring local authority housing stock up to the decent home standard, which ensures people live in well heated and weather proof homes with reasonably modern facilities
• £80m over three years to bring private sector housing up to the decent home standard. This will be allocated through a competitive bidding round
• £18m over three years for new and improved sites for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Showpeople
• £60m to support the delivery of affordable housing through a regional infrastructure fund and a brownfield land portfolio.

The full regional housing strategy and more information on the RHB and its work can be viewed here.