Housing and Regeneration Bill

The bidding process for housing associations is conducted on an annual basis and there are rolling programmes. Some housing associations bid very regularly for the funds as they come forward. Local authorities have not been eligible to bid for social housing grant, which was a change in policy. However, we have made changes to allow ALMOs and local companies to bid when local authorities are working through them, which is slightly different because they are at arm’s length, and that is why we are piloting such schemes. The other money available to local authorities has been for the Decent Homes programme for the repair and modernisation of council housing stock. Perhaps it would help if I set out these processes, which are complex, and how they relate to each other, in a letter to the noble Lord.