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Housing: Low Incomes

Volume 494: debated on Monday 15 June 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Homebuy homes designated in each Homebuy scheme were available in (a) Welwyn Hatfield and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last 12 months. (276376)

We do not hold centrally the number of homes available for Open Market Homebuy in Welwyn Hatfield and Hertfordshire in each of the last 12 months. This scheme enables purchasers to buy any property on the open market with the help of an equity loan. Ownhome and My Choice Homebuy are subsets of Open Market Homebuy.

Again for Homebuy Direct we do not centrally collect the number of homes available to purchase at local authority level.

The number of completed homes each month for New Build Homebuy for Welwyn Hatfield and Hertfordshire has been provided in the following table. The total for Hertfordshire includes those homes completed within Welwyn Hatfield. In each month there are likely to be more homes available than just those newly completed, as some homes can take a few months to sell and others come back on the market as occupants change.

Welwyn Hatfield

Hertfordshire total

2008

April

0

0

May

0

1

June

6

6

July

0

12

August

0

0

September

0

21

October

0

7

November

0

2

December

28

39

2009

January

0

0

February

0

9

March

5

31

Total

39

128

Source: Homes and Communities Agency.

For Rent to Homebuy the following table shows the number of completions in each month for Welwyn Hatfield and Hertfordshire. The total for Hertfordshire includes those homes completed within Welwyn Hatfield. In each month there are likely to be more homes available than just those newly completed, as some homes can take a short time to rent.

Welwyn Hatfield

Hertfordshire total

2008

April

0

0

May

0

0

June

0

0

July

0

0

August

0

0

September

0

0

October

0

0

November

0

0

December

0

0

2009

January

0

0

February

0

0

March

0

28

Total

0

28

Source: Homes and Communities Agency.

We do not hold centrally data on the number of properties on which Social Homebuy is offered by landlords participating in the scheme.

Throughout this answer Hertfordshire has been interpreted as covering the following local authorities: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, St. Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn, Hatfield of 8 May 2009, Official Report, columns 448-9W, on housing: low incomes, how many households have moved into dwellings under the New Build Homebuy Scheme to date. (276924)

The following table shows the number of initial sales recorded through the New Build Homebuy scheme since 1997-98, the earliest date for which New Build Homebuy is separately identified.

New Build Homebuy initial sales

1997-98

4,020

1998-99

4,270

1999-2000

3,740

2000-01

3,190

2001-02

3,370

2002-03

3,780

2003-04

4,200

2004-05

5,820

2005-06

7,540

2006-07

10,340

2007-08

11,490

Source:

Continuous Recording (CORE) returns to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) from registered social landlords

It has been assumed that households responsible for initial sales of New Build Homebuy will take up residence.

The figures cover the number of initial sales recorded on CORE, which is assumed to be the same number as the number of households moving into dwellings.

CORE sales figures are only provided by RSLs with at least 250 units or bedspaces. RSLs with less units can complete the form, but it is not compulsory, so these figures may be under recording the number of New Build Homebuy sales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2009, Official Report, column 749W, on Homebuy schemes, what the cost of services related to the design of Homebuy brand logos was in each of the last three years. (279783)

The cost of services related to the design of the Homebuy brand logo in the last financial year was £21,090 excluding VAT. The Department incurred no such costs in the previous years requested.