Housing and planning

Constituents who are trying to sell/re-mortgage leasehold flats in blocks are asking about a new requirement for an EWS1 form. This page explains what the EWS process is and associated issues.

It is becoming increasingly common on new-build private estates for freeholders to be required to contribute to the maintenance of the estate’s communal areas and facilities. This practice has been referred to as 'fleecehold'. This short paper provides background on the issue and sets out the Government's proposed reforms. The paper mainly covers England - section 7 covers Wales.

The Government announced plans to tackle the growing problem of newly built houses being sold as leasehold rather than freehold and to limit ground rents on newly created lease agreements

This briefing paper considers evidence of private landlords' reluctance to let to prospective tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit/Universal Credit. The paper looks at the reasons behind this reluctance and action being taken to challenge landlords/agents who operate a "no DSS" policy.

This briefing paper provides background information on the increase in the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation by English local authorities and outlines various initiatives and issues associated with the increased use of temporary accommodation. The most recent statistics were published in August 2020 and cover the period January to March 2020.

The Planning for the Future white paper published in August 2020, setting out the Government's proposals for "once in a generation" reform of England's planning system, has proved controversial. This briefing from the House of Commons Library examines those proposals and the other planning changes already made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Thursday 8 October, Bob Seely will introduce a debate in the House of Common Chamber on the formula used to determine new housing allocations in local areas. This is a debate determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

This note sets out the background to the Government's policy on freeports.

This Insight explores proposed changes to the formula used by Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to use to assess housing need.

This briefing paper provides statistics on statutory homelessness in England and explains local authorities' duties to assist homeless households. The paper includes an overview of, and comment on, Government policy in this area. The most recent statistical release covers the period between January and March 2020.

Constituency-level data on house prices and an indicator of the affordability of house prices in each area

This Insight explores the response from tenant and landlord bodies as the ban on hearing housing possession cases in courts in England and Wales ends.

This briefing paper explains measures taken by the Government during the coronavirus outbreak to assist households to retain their homes and enable local authorities to tackle the specific challenges faced by rough sleepers. The paper covers lifting of the ban on evictions from 20 September In England and Wales and the introduction of extended notice periods. The paper is being updated regularly to take account of new developments.