Housing Corporation protocols aim to improve co-ordination between local authorities and housing associations.

The Housing Corporation has revealed plans to set up pilot protocols with councils across England.

The protocols would affect local authorities in all nine Government Office regions of the country, and highlight the need for the Corporation to work closely with local councils on projects.

A number of key commitments are included in the proposals, which aim to set out a basis for making investment decisions for housing developments. They include:

  • Coordinating the prevention and tackling of homelessness
  • Coordinating the promotion of choice-based letting
  • Ensuring that planning departments give priority to new-build affordable housing in their local plans
  • Coordinating the promotion of choice-based letting.
Corporation director of policy and communications Matt Leach said: "[We are] very keen to make sure that any protocol has real legs and makes a difference.

"We are now in the process of working up a formal policy for involving local authorities in RSL performance assessment."

He added that the policy was likely to go to consultation in the spring, with a view to introduction in the autumn.

The new framework comes halfway through the Housing Corporation's biggest-ever investment programme.

It is aiming to spend £3.3bn between 2004 and 2006 to deliver around 63,000 affordable homes.