Affordable rent, the benefit cap and direct payment of benefits to tenants were all topics of concern at A Tale of Two Cities, a parliamentary event sponsored by Santander and supported by Peabody and Liverpool-based Riverside Housing.
Held on 12 May at the House of Commons and chaired by Luciana Berger, Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, the event looked at the impact of housing reform and the challenges for London and Liverpool.
Stephen Howlett, chief executive of Peabody, gave a London perspective, while Joy Baggaley, group chief executive of Riverside Housing, spoke about the effects in Liverpool.
Steve Pateman, head of UK corporate and commercial banking, Santander, set out how the bank is supporting development and innovation in the housing sector. He also outlined concerns among investors that the government’s proposals will affect the financial risk profile of housing associations, which could hinder the delivery of more affordable homes.
Richard McCarthy, director general of the department for communities and local government, began the event by giving an overview of the government’s agenda. He faced tough questions from housing representatives, who called on the government to rein back some proposals and to avoid a ‘one size fits all’ policy.
McCarthy gave assurances that the government’s policy on benefit direct was to keep the current model.
Download the event brochure, A Tale of Two Cities: the impact of housing reform in Liverpool and London, here (pdf, 6MB).
Image of Tale of Two Cities brochure cover
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