Homes and Communities Agency
Encyclopedia
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the non-departmental public body
that funds new affordable housing
in England
. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation
, and became operational on 1 December 2008.
announced proposals to bring together the investment functions of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships
and parts of the Department for Communities and Local Government
to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency. It would also incorporate the functions of the Academy for Sustainable Communities
and the government's advisory team for large applications.
In the following months, Professor Martin Cave, Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation at University of Warwick
, led the most comprehensive review of English housing regulation for 30 years. Reporting in June, the Cave Review recommended that a new regulator be set up, separating the regulation and investment responsibilities of the Housing Corporation.
On 15 October 2007, Yvette Cooper
announced that the Government accepted the recommendation of the Cave Review to transfer the Corporation's regulatory powers to an independent body, subsequently named as the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). The new investment body was initially announced as "Communities England", and later renamed as the Homes and Communities Agency.
in December 2007. Kerslake had led the regeneration of Sheffield
as chief executive of the City Council since 1997.
On 17 October 2008 the Housing Minister Iain Wright
announced the Board members of the HCA including Robert Napier (chair), Kate Barker
, Candy Atherton
, and Shaukat Moledina (previously Vice-Chair of the Housing Corporation).
Kerslake was appointed as a Permanent Secretary
at the agency's parent Department for Communities and Local Government
in September 2010. The HCA announced that it would appoint an interim Chief Executive from existing staff.
s in order to rescue stalled projects during the recession, helping to maintain employment and output of new homes. One of the most groundbreaking Kickstart projects was a £45.6 million investment in Berkeley Homes to provide 555 new homes for rent on the open market, located in London, the south east and south west.
However, after a campaign for disclosure by Building Design
magazine, the agency revealed that many Kickstart projects failed to meet CABE
's standards of good design.
announced early on that the TSA would be abolished as part of the cull of quango
s by the coalition government
after the 2010 general election. In June 2010, he said that the HCA would be retained but become "smaller, more strategic - with the HCA's functions being delivered under local leadership."
In September 2010, the HCA was also included on a list of organisations being considered for closure. However, Shapps announced in October that the TSA would be merged into the HCA. In November, he confirmed that the HCA would be retained, but reformed to cut running costs.
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
that funds new affordable housing
Affordable housing
Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation
Housing Corporation
The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was established by the Housing Act 1964...
, and became operational on 1 December 2008.
Background
On 17 January 2007, Ruth KellyRuth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
announced proposals to bring together the investment functions of the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships
English Partnerships
English Partnerships was the national regeneration agency for England, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies on a regional level...
and parts of the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency. It would also incorporate the functions of the Academy for Sustainable Communities
Academy for Sustainable Communities
The Academy for Sustainable Communities is a national skills initiative that has been set up by the Department of Communities and Local Government....
and the government's advisory team for large applications.
In the following months, Professor Martin Cave, Director of the Centre for Management under Regulation at University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
, led the most comprehensive review of English housing regulation for 30 years. Reporting in June, the Cave Review recommended that a new regulator be set up, separating the regulation and investment responsibilities of the Housing Corporation.
On 15 October 2007, Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper
Yvette Cooper is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford since 2010, having previously been MP for Pontefract and Castleford since 1997. She served in the Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. She is the Shadow Home Secretary...
announced that the Government accepted the recommendation of the Cave Review to transfer the Corporation's regulatory powers to an independent body, subsequently named as the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). The new investment body was initially announced as "Communities England", and later renamed as the Homes and Communities Agency.
Management
The Chief Executive for the new body was announced as Sir Bob KerslakeBob Kerslake
Sir Robert Kerslake , is the permanent secretary of the Communities and Local Government department of the UK government.-Career:Originally from Bath, he graduated in Mathematics from the University of Warwick, where he was also secretary of the students' union, later qualifying as a member of the...
in December 2007. Kerslake had led the regeneration of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
as chief executive of the City Council since 1997.
On 17 October 2008 the Housing Minister Iain Wright
Iain Wright
Iain David Wright is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool since 2004, and was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for apprenticeships and 14-19 reform in the Department for Children, Schools and Families until 11 May...
announced the Board members of the HCA including Robert Napier (chair), Kate Barker
Kate Barker
Kate Barker CBE is a British economist.Barker grew up in Stoke-on-Trent. She received a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Hilda's College, Oxford in 1979 and worked for a large pension fund in London...
, Candy Atherton
Candy Atherton
Candice Kathleen Atherton , known as Candy Atherton, is a British journalist and was a politician. After serving as a councillor in Islington, where she was Mayor, she was Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne from 1997 to 2005...
, and Shaukat Moledina (previously Vice-Chair of the Housing Corporation).
Kerslake was appointed as a Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
at the agency's parent Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
in September 2010. The HCA announced that it would appoint an interim Chief Executive from existing staff.
New initiatives
The HCA's Kickstart programme provided grants to developerDeveloper
Developer may refer to:*Software developer, one who programs computers or designs the system to match the requirements of a systems analyst*Game developer, a person or business involved in game development, the process of designing and creating games...
s in order to rescue stalled projects during the recession, helping to maintain employment and output of new homes. One of the most groundbreaking Kickstart projects was a £45.6 million investment in Berkeley Homes to provide 555 new homes for rent on the open market, located in London, the south east and south west.
However, after a campaign for disclosure by Building Design
Building Design
Building Design is one of the leading architectural magazines in the United Kingdom.According to ABC , the magazine's circulation for the year ending June 2008 was 22,848. The publishing company is UBM Built Environment, a division of United Business Media, which also publishes Building and...
magazine, the agency revealed that many Kickstart projects failed to meet CABE
Cabe
Cabe can refer to:*Cabe , a tributary of the Sil River in Spain*CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment...
's standards of good design.
Future of the agency
Housing minister Grant ShappsGrant Shapps
Grant V Shapps MP is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield in the United Kingdom and Minister of State for Housing and Planning...
announced early on that the TSA would be abolished as part of the cull of quango
Quango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
s by the coalition government
United Kingdom coalition government (2010–present)
The ConservativeLiberal Democrat coalition is the present Government of the United Kingdom, formed after the 2010 general election. The Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats entered into discussions which culminated in the 2010 coalition agreement, setting out a programme for government...
after the 2010 general election. In June 2010, he said that the HCA would be retained but become "smaller, more strategic - with the HCA's functions being delivered under local leadership."
In September 2010, the HCA was also included on a list of organisations being considered for closure. However, Shapps announced in October that the TSA would be merged into the HCA. In November, he confirmed that the HCA would be retained, but reformed to cut running costs.
External links
- homesandcommunities.co.uk, official website