Reforming the planning system to support increased affordable housing provision, extra funding for social landlords to build new homes and cash for low-demand areas emerged as the sector's policy wish list.
Chartered Institute of Housing president Richard Kitson said he would use the institute's annual conference next week to call for an extra £1.5bn a year for housing from the government.
Kitson is expected to call for an immediate £600m increase to the Housing Corporation's budget for new housing, which should rise to an extra £1bn by 2005/06. The institute and National Housing Federation will continue to demand an extra £500m a year for a long-term renewal fund to reinvent failed housing markets.
Kitson will also call for extra resources to make stock transfer "more attractive" and an increase in funding for arm's-length management organisations.
The federation said it was seeking a meeting with Rooker, who replaced Lord Falconer in last week's reshuffle, to set out its agenda. The housing, local government, planning and regional portfolios have moved from the DTLR to Prescott's Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Moat Housing Group chief executive John Barker said Rooker needed to "lighten up" on housing associations.
And Kelvin MacDonald, director of planning body Room, said Rooker's "traditional Labour provenance" could be good news for the sector. "We have had enough changes of department, we now need positive direction in policies and processes to ensure effective delivery of affordable housing and community via an improved planning system," he added..
The new pack of three
John Prescott
Lord Rooker
Tony McNulty – Junior housing minister
Source
Housing Today
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