Queen's Speech heralds antisocial behaviour crackdown, landlord licences and Housing Bill
The government HAS throwN down the gauntlet to housing associations and local authorities by unveiling a raft of policies to drive forward prime minister Tony Blair's fight to reclaim crime and social behaviour "as a Labour issue".

Widely trailed for inclusion in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday morning were measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and moves to license private sector rented housing in order to stamp out rogue landlords.

The government was also expected to take steps to allow high-performing councils to borrow to invest in their housing stock under a prudential borrowing regime and to introduce a draft housing bill later in the parliament.

As Housing Today went to press, the main points in the speech were expected to be:

  • criminal justice: central antisocial behaviour team to be set up to oversee progress across departments; and benefits to be cut as punishment for bad behaviour
  • planning: regional spatial strategies will become statutory and replace regional planning guidance
  • local government: prudential borrowing
  • draft housing bill: expected to follow later in the parliament and include licensing of private sector landlords and private sellers' packs, plus licensing households in multiple occupation.

The government also stepped up the pace in its battle against antisocial behaviour this week by unveiling new guidance on the use of antisocial behaviour orders.

Intended to make ASBOs both easier and faster to use, the changes came ahead of the Queen's Speech, and were announced by home office minister John Denham at a conference organised by his department called Antisocial Behaviour: Meeting the Challenge.

Under the new rules, which will come into force on 2 December, registered social landlords will be able to apply directly for ASBOs against both tenants and third parties who commit antisocial behaviour on their housing estates. Previously, only the police and councils had the power to apply for ASBOs.

Denham said: "ASBOs are key tools in tackling low-level crime and disorder and, when used effectively, increase the community's confidence in the ability of the local authority and police to deal with the problem."

The social housing sector has long called for a reform of ASBOs.

A report published on Tuesday by crime-reduction charity NACRO called the orders "cumbersome, costly and difficult to enforce". The report pointed out that the average ASBO costs more than £5000 and takes more than three months to obtain.

Angus Macdonald, head of housing at Medina Housing Association, welcomed the new rules, saying they "would make a huge difference to the way we work".

He added that Medina had spent £65,000 tackling antisocial behaviour since April, and that antisocial behaviour, rather than repairs, was now tenants' main priority.

He continued: "This represents a change of culture: the government is doing exactly what we want them to do. They have looked at delivery on the ground, have seen that it is not working and have done something about it."

At a glance: other measures in the queen’s speech for housing

Draft Housing bill: Landlord licensing pilots could get under way next year. The government is expected to stick with its refusal to allow licensing in high-demand areas because it is feared such a move might create even more acute shortages of private renting. Local Government Bill: This will mark the end of a tenants’ campaign to put an end to the practice of forcing councils to meet housing benefit costs from rent income. Under the bill, rent rebates will be taken from the housing revenue account and placed in the general fund. Planning bill: It is expected that regional spatial strategies will become statutory and replace regional planning guidance. Local development frameworks will be introduced, replacing local and unitary plans, and structure plans will be scrapped.

Source

Housing Today