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Commission welcomes Housing Bill amendments 1

Finance | Gemma Ware | 1 Apr 2008

Amendments introduced to the Housing and Regeneration Bill designed to safeguard the charitable status of charitable housing associations have been welcomed by the Charity Commission and the NCVO.

In February the Commission raised concerns with MPs over the Bill, which proposed giving powers to a beefed-up new regulator, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords, to impose compulsory government-led standards for social housing.

The Commission feared this could threaten the charitable status and independence of charitable housing associations by forcing them into activities outside their charitable purposes.

But amendments to the Bill, passed by MPs last night during its third reading, mean the Secretary of State will now have to consult with the Charity Commission before introducing any standards that would apply to charities.

Independence preserved
 
Rosie Chapman, director of policy and effectiveness at the Commission, welcomed the changes. “The proposed amendments would have no impact on the effectiveness of the new regulator, but would ensure that the independence of charitable housing associations is not undermined.”

The NCVO sounded its approval. A policy spokeswoman said: “The sector’s independence is paramount and it is important that this is recognised and not infringed upon in the Bill.”

Meanwhile, the Commission remains in discussions with DCLG and the Office of the Third Sector over separate recommendations it made to assign the new Office of Tenants and Social Landlords as the ‘principal regulator’ of charitable companies that provide social housing.  This would remove the dual regulatory burden they face by being regulated at the same time by the Commission.

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