Key Regeneration Role for Latest Agency
Yesterday saw the Government lay out further details of the work of the agency tasked with helping to deliver the Prime Minister’s target of an additional 3 million new homes by 2020.
The Homes and Community Agency (HCA), programmes to start work next April, will hold responsibility for both the land and the finances needed to deliver homes, community facilities and supporting infrastructure. This latest agency upon which the hopes of the Prime Minister rest combines the delivery functions of the Department for Communities and Local Government alongside the former English Partnerships (EP) and the Housing Corporation.
The agency, to be headed up by Sir Bob Kerslake, has a ‘big ask’ and a ranging remit, which includes responsibility from the regeneration programmes from EP and the provision of new affordable homes funded by the grant from the Corporation. Aside from this, the Government’s latest mechanism to address the so called ‘housing crisis’ will hold operational responsibility to deliver major projects such as the housing growth areas such as Milton Keynes and London-Stansted-Peterborough-Cambridge. Furthermore, it will also have to manage the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders project, the subject of some recent criticism. It’s remits goes further and includes responsibilities relating to the delivery of social sector decent homes.
Minister for Housing, Yvette Cooper, commented that
“The HCA, under the leadership of Sir Bob Kerslake, will be crucial in delivering the new homes and community infrastructure we have pledged and we desperately need…”
With housing high on Brown’s agenda, it will be interesting to see if the Government’s latest agency really does deliver the goods and the Prime Minister’s big pledge.