Everyone deserves to live in a decent home that they can afford, whether they own or rent the property. In South East England, regional housing policy is driven by three objectives:

• A greater choice of housing, with the housing needs of all the community recognised
• More sustainable patterns of development and better use of previously developed land, with the focus on existing towns and cities
• Well-designed housing to contribute to improving quality of life and promoting urban revival and prosperity.

These regional priorities are reflected in the South East Plan and the Regional Housing Strategy.

To carry these objectives forward the Regional Assembly works with partners across South East England, in particular the Regional Housing Board (RHB). The RHB is chaired by the Regional Assembly and, alongside the six Assembly members, has representatives from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the Government Office for the South East (GOSE), the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.

Current Work (updated June 2009)

Affordable Homes

A priority for the RHB is to ensure the region has enough affordable housing. To overcome some of the misconceptions surrounding affordable housing, the RHB has produced 'Challenging Perceptions of Affordable Housing'. This is a guide that dispels some common myths, drawing on recent research and case studies.

The RHB's  target is for one in every three homes built in the region to be affordable. Government has proposed that the region should be building 11,600 affordable homes a year, but in 2006-07 it only provided enough funding for 7,100.

The RHB is working with the Housing Corporation and local authorities to ensure funding is used to best meet the region’s needs and prepare for a housing market recovery.

The Assembly held work shops on affordable housing delivery on Tuesday 24 February and Thursday 12 March 2009.

The workshops, run with the help of the Three Dragons consultancy, on behalf of the Regional Housing Board looked at removing barriers to the delivery of affordable housing when preparing local development frameworks.

The presentations are available below:
Unlocking Affordable Housing (presentations from 12 March 2009) - 977 KB
Unlocking Affordable Housing (presentations from 24 February 2009) - 1.5 MB

Housing Revenue Account

Government’s Housing Revenue Account this year will take away more than £182m of rent collected by the region’s local authority landlords and give it to other parts of the country.

The RHB is working to ensure a review of the HRA allows these funds to stay in the region to support affordable housing and to reduce the impact of climate change.

Letter to Housing Minister Caroline Flint MP

Energy Efficiency

In light of the growing concerns regarding rising fuel prices and fuel poverty the RHB will look at what more it can do to help energy efficiency in existing homes.

Links

Other pages on this website:
Regional Housing Board
Regional Housing Strategy
Housing Publications and Research 
Advisory Groups
Regional Planning Housing Review Group

Regional Housing Board Partners:
GOSE
Homes and Communities Agency
SEEDA

Other web sites which provide useful information on housing, either in South East England or nationally:
Countryside Agency
Department for Communities and Local Government
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
National Housing Federation
Shelter

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