It also called on the government to "clarify the Housing Corporation's relationships with all the agencies engaged in the provision of affordable housing" as at present there is "considerable confusion".
Responding to the committee's findings, one senior housing source said: "No one is going to argue with the majority of their findings. But it seems to me like a classic case of investigating the wrong issue.
"There has never been a more important time for the corporation to get more involved in a variety of areas and this report simply doesn't raise any of this.
"There will be more money for the corporation in the spending review, but it has to move away from the mentality that spending 99% of what it receives is everything. The Treasury can see through that and would prefer to see the money spent well and achieving the best possible leverage from the recipient association."
The key points made by the committee are:
- the corporation should champion social housing – present situation confused
- reciprocal board membership is not enough between EP and corporation – potential for more collaboration
- reconsider the payment of social housing grant to developers
- no case for merging regional housing and planning boards
- no evidence that the corporation's decisions to channel 80% of funding through 71 large associations or its drive to use modern methods of construction will be more cost-effective.
Jim Coulter, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: "I would expect the point about grant to developers to be picked up in the upcoming Housing Bill debates in the Lords – it should make for an interesting debate."
Jon Rouse, chief executive of the corporation, said: "A number of the areas highlighted, including a streamlined regional structure and closer working relationships with other stakeholders, are in place or have been picked up by the end-to-end review."
Source
Housing Today
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