Housing

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on housing. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
18.05.2012	Housing Market: Economic Indicators page
	There were 24,140 house building starts in England in Q1 2012, down 11% from 27,240 in Q4 2011. House prices on the Halifax index fell by 2.4% in April after a rise of 2.2% in March. Prices are now 0.6% lower than a year ago on this measure. House prices on the Nationwide index fell by 0.2% in April after falling 1.0% in March. Prices were 0.9% lower in April compared with a year ago on this measure. There were 49,860 mortgage approvals in March a 2% rise on February.
16.05.2012	Mobile (park) homes
	Mobile homes. By Wendy Wilson. SN/SP/1080. This note outlines the rights of residents who live on mobile home parks.
04.05.2012	Squatting in residential premises
	Squatting. By Wendy Wilson. SN/SP/355. This note outlines the legal remedies available to evict squatters from residential premises.
30.04.2012	EU migrants: entitlement to housing assistance (England)
	This note gives an overview of EU migrants' entitlement to social housing in England and considers the question of whether these people 'jump the housing queue.'
26.04.2012	Warden support in sheltered housing
	This note considers the issue of the removal of resident wardens from sheltered housing and the move towards a model of "floating support".

Research Papers

Date	Description
12.04.2011	Localism Bill: Committee Stage Report
	This paper covers the Commons Committee Stage of the Bill, and complements Research Papers 11/02 and 11/03, prepared for Second Reading. The Bill covers a wide range of topics in local government, planning, housing and the governance of London. It was not substantially amended in Committee, although there were some minor technical Government amendments. However, at several points, Ministers agreed to look again at certain issues and consider whether to introduce amendments at Report Stage.
11.01.2011	Localism Bill: Planning and Housing
	This paper covers three parts of the Bill: Part 5 of the Bill will abolish regional planning, introduce a neighbourhood planning regime and abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission. Part 6 of the Bill will make significant changes to the way in which social housing is provided and will also repeal the legislation governing the provision of Home Information Packs (HIPs). This Part includes provisions that will enable the long awaited reform of council housing finance. Part 7 of the Bill will make changes to housing and regeneration functions in London. It will abolish the London Development Agency and introduce a regime for Mayoral Development Corporations. Changes to Greater London Authority governance will allow the delegation of functions by Ministers to the Mayor.
10.11.2010	Home Information Packs: a short history
	This paper provides background information on the introduction of HIPs and a chronology of key developments during their long implementation period up to their suspension in May 2010.
06.07.2010	Economic indicators, July 2010
	This Research Paper series summarises the main economic indicators currently available for the UK, along with comparisons with other major OECD countries. This edition includes articles on future growth in the UK economy, and the CPI and benefit indexation. [article:'Future growth in the UK economy' and 'The CPI and benefit indexation']
22.02.2010	Mortgage Repossessions (Protection of Tenants Etc.) Bill: Committee Stage Report
	This paper summarises the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Bill. In July 2009 the Government announced that it would legislate to ensure that tenants are given adequate notice to vacate their property if their landlord defaults on their mortgage. Over the summer of 2009, the Government consulted on legislative options to achieve this. On 3 December 2009, Dr Brian Iddon announced that he would introduce a Private Members' Bill to protect private tenants whose landlords default on their mortgage. The Bill has Government support.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
12.01.2011	PFI in housing and hospitals.
	Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]
30.03.2010	Housing in the South East.
	South East Select Committee report [Commons]
29.03.2010	Planning for the Future: Housing and Economic Development in the West Midlands.
	West Midlands Select Committee report [Commons]
10.03.2010	The Decent Homes Programme.
	Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]
04.02.2010	Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Housing) Order 2009, relating to domestic...
	Government response. Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Welsh Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
14.11.2011	HOUSING AND HEALTH
	That this House welcomes the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) publication, A Foot in the door: a guide to housing and health; supports the NHC's efforts to encourage greater co-operation ...
03.11.2011	SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN DOMESTIC PROPERTIES
	That this House notes the wealth of evidence showing that sprinkler systems installed in domestic properties reduce the risk of death and serious injury in the event of a fire as well ...
14.09.2011	ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS' HOMEWISE CAMPAIGN
	That this House believes that England faces a housing shortage with fewer homes being built than the new households that are being formed each year; welcomes the Royal Institute of ...
20.07.2011	HOMELESSNESS AND SQUATTING
	That this House notes research by Crisis showing that 39 per cent. of single homeless people have squatted; acknowledges that conditions in squats are often horrendous; further notes ...
22.06.2011	HOUSING MARKET RENEWAL
	That this House recognises the important contribution made by the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme in regenerating deprived communities; notes the 2.2 billion invested and the ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
27.05.2011	Localism Bill (HL Bill 71 of 2010-12)
	This Library Note summarises proceedings at the Localism Bill's final stages in the House of Commons and provides background information for the Bill's second reading debate in the House of Lords.

POST Papers

Date	Description
01.01.2011	Housing and health, January 2011
	This POSTnote looks at the impact of poor housing on health and examines the implications for housing policy.
01.11.2010	UK indoor air quality, November 2010
	This POSTnote describes sources of indoor air pollution, the evidence for adverse effects on human health and outlines possible policy responses.