Although produced in something of a rush in the wake of the Communities Plan, these first regional housing strategies are important documents, far more so than the regional housing statements of previous years.
Apart from being the first "test" of the new regional housing boards, the strategies will act as bidding documents to central government. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will divide up the affordable housing investment cake at least partly according to the quality and conviction of the strategies it receives.
With the help of members, the Federation in the South is playing its part to make these strategies win more investment for our regions. We want to make sure the South-west and all parts of the South-east outside the four designated growth areas are properly resourced in coming years. A good strategy this year will also make it far easier to produce a really high quality first fully considered strategy in 2004.
Our booklets of key facts and figures about housing in the South are already proving powerful lobbying tools
The consultation period for the housing strategy in the South-west ended yesterday. But there is still time for members in the South East to influence the Federation's submission, or to make their own submission before the consultation ends on 7 July.
We are holding a session to discuss the draft South-east strategy and our response to it at our event "The New Agenda: the Sustainable Communities Plan: what does it mean for the South-east?" on Tuesday 1 July in Croydon. The RHS consultation document can be downloaded from www.go-se.gov.uk
The regional housing forums in the South are also becoming more influential, with the RHBs looking to the forums to help generate and shape the right housing strategy for the regions from next year. The federation has secured six housing association nominees to the South-west RHF and coordinates housing association membership of the South-east forum. It is critical for our members to engage with the regional agenda at this level and we are facilitating this process.
The evidence
Our booklets of key facts and figures about housing in the South-east and South-west, launched in March, are proving powerful lobbying tools. They have already formed the basis of several press features and news items and given us the hard empirical evidence we need to back up our case for more investment to regional and central government. Much of the information is available down to individual local authority level and can act as a useful resource in members' own influencing efforts.
Source
Housing Today
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