Communities and Local Government

• Housing
• Housing reform, strategy and performance
• Regional housing strategies

Housing

Regional Housing Strategies

This page outlines Regional Housing Strategies, who is responsible for producing them and what they should aim to do. Includes links to the nine Regional Housing Boards' strategies.

Regional Housing Strategies identify key priorities in each region, ensure a link with regional economic and spatial strategies, identify sub-regional themes, and provide a basis on which decisions on housing capital investment can be made.

Regional Housing Strategies were introduced in the publication of  Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future (Summary, main document and regional action plans) - The Communities Plan (2003). The nine English regions produced their first Strategies in August 2003, and all up-dated them in 2005 (East Midlands' up-dated its Strategy in 2004).

Regional Housing Boards (also introduced by the Communities Plan) were responsible for their production until September 2006, when responsibility passed to the Regional Assemblies (external link) and in London, the Mayor - www.london.gov.uk (external link).  The Regional Assemblies and the Mayor will determine when the next up-dates are necessary.  Both will be closely supported by the Housing Corporation, English Partnerships, the Regional Developments Agencies, and the relevant Government Office.

Regional Housing Strategies are non-statutory documents: they belong to the region and are not approved or signed-off by Ministers.  However in July 2006 Ruth Kelly, then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, announced proposed powers for the Mayor of London, including powers to prepare and publish a statutory London Housing Strategy.

Although the content will vary, each Regional Housing Strategy should aim to:

• set out a picture of the current housing situation across the region
• be based on robust up-to-date evidence
• cover all tenures - not just social housing
• set out a vision for the region
• set out priorities for action
• cover the medium to long-term
• identify sub-regions based on housing markets
• show clear links to the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies

The Government believes a strategic approach is essential to effective decision making.

The Strategies also provided the basis on which the Regional Housing Boards made recommendations to Ministers on how £10bn of housing capital investment in new social housing, low cost home ownership products and improvements to existing stock (both social housing and housing occupied by vulnerable people) should be targeted from 2004-08 (the Regional Housing Pot).  The Regional Assemblies and the Mayor of London will provide this advice for 2008-11.

Regional Housing Boards' Strategies

Information about the nine Regional Housing Boards' Strategies can be found on their websites:

• West Midlands
  www.wmra.gov.uk/Housing/Housing.aspx (external link)
• East Midlands
  www.gos.gov.uk/goem/ (external link)
• South West
  www.gos.gov.uk/gosw/peoplesc/housing/?a=42496 (external link)
• South East
  www.gos.gov.uk/gose/ourRegion/regionalStrats/regHousingStrat/   (external link)
• North West
  www.gos.gov.uk/gonw/news/newsarchive/344447/ (external link)
• North East
  www.northeastassembly.gov.uk/document.asp?id=365  (external link)
• Yorkshire & The Humber
  www.gos.gov.uk/goyh/   (external link)
• East of England
  www.gos.gov.uk/goeast/   (external link)
• London
  www.gos.gov.uk/gol/People_sustain_comms/Housing/LondonHousingBoard/?a=42496 (external link)

Related publications

• Guidance for Regional Housing Boards

  • Published: N/A
  • Site: Housing

• (i) Housing and Planning in the Regions: consultation response and (ii) Housing and Planning in the Regions: consultation paper

  • Published: 18 January 2006
  • Site: Housing
  • Status: Response

• Housing Investment in the Regions – Consultation, Technical Note and Summary of Responses

  • Published: 7 December 2003
  • Closing date: 4 February 2005
  • Site: Housing