by Kim Pidgeon | Jan 13, 2025 | News
New analysis looks at the rate of co-residence among young adults and impacting factors…
The proportion of UK adults in their 20s and 30s living at a parental home has risen by over a third over the last two decades.
A new report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) looks at patterns of young adults at ‘Hotel of Mum and Dad’ in the UK and how the rate of co-residence varies across dimensions such as income, region and ethnicity.
The key findings indicate that between 2006 and 2024, the rate of co-residence among 25-34 year olds rose from 13% to 18%.
In the most recent data, the proportion is actually down after a spike up to 21% during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the five percentage point rise since 2006 still represents around 450,000 more 25-34 year olds living at a parental home in 2024 than if the proportion had remained at its 2006 level.
The figures show co-residing in 2023-24 is more common for young men (23%) than for young women (15%), and rates of co-residence are particularly high among UK-born Bangladeshi (62%) and Indian (50%) 25-34 year olds.
Living with parents is particularly common among those on the lowest incomes with almost half of 25-34 year olds in the bottom fifth by income co-residing, compared with just 2% of those in the top income quintile.
Co-residence can be seen as a transfer from parents to their adult children, the report states, allowing these children to avoid paying full – or any – rent and potentially to save on other costs such as heating.
Increases have been concentrated among those in their 20s and have tended to be higher in parts of the country that have seen particularly high house price growth since 2006.
The largest increases in co-residence between 2006–07 and 2023–24 occurred in the East, South West, North West and South East of England. While London has seen the highest house price growth over this period, it saw only slightly above average increases in the rate of co-residence.
Changes in the age, sex, education, immigrant and ethnic composition of 25-34 year olds cannot explain the increased rates of co-residence, the report says – in fact a decline would have been expected.
It summarises that within the age group, the population has become more educated and slightly older on average, and a rising share have been born outside the UK. All characteristics, the analysis states, associated with being less likely to co-reside at a parental home.
Lower rates of parenthood and marriage and increased reported experience of ill health among 25- 34 year olds have coincided with the increase in co-residence over the period. Since 2006, the proportion of 25-34 year olds who are married has fallen sharply from 39% to 29%, and the proportion with a dependent child has fallen even more, from 45% to 33%.
In addition, the proportion of 25-34 year olds with a health condition lasting at least a year has risen from 17% to 31%.
The changes in marital status, parenthood and health status together with changes in 25-34 year olds’ region of residence, age, sex, education, migration status and ethnicity can explain at most one-tenth of the observed increase in co-residence since 2006, according to the report (probably less than, as some of these trends will be partly driven by co-residence.)
Therefore, it surmises, it is likely that other factors – such as the declining affordability of housing – have been much more important in driving up rates of co-residence among this age group.
by Kim Pidgeon | Dec 31, 2024 | News
NHG’s new repairs approach, new roles at Karbon and Salix
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by Kim Pidgeon | Dec 13, 2024 | News
PM aims to remove blockages in the planning system and turbocharge growth to reach targets
The Prime Minister has laid out the changes being implemented to overhaul the planning system to facilitate 1.5 million new homes being delivered over this Parliament.
Earlier this month Keir Starmer announced his government’s Plan for Change, setting the ambitious housebuilding goal.
Now, under new planning rules updated via the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), councils will be given mandatory targets, contributing to the combined aim of building 370,000 homes a year.
The plans aim to ramp up housebuilding across the country and tackle the chronic housing crisis. 1.3 million households are on social housing waiting lists and a record number of households – including 160,000 children – are living in temporary accommodation.
Under new planning rules, updated via the NPPF:
- Areas with the highest unaffordability for housing and greatest potential for growth will see housebuilding targets increase, while stronger action will ensure councils adopt up-to-date local plans or develop new plans that work for their communities.
- While remaining committed to a brownfield first approach, the updated NPPF will require councils to review their greenbelt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower quality ‘grey belt’ land.
- Any development on greenbelt must meet strict requirements, via the new ‘golden rules’, which require developers to provide the necessary infrastructure for local communities, such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport, as well as a premium level of social and affordable housing.
- Councils and developers will also need to give greater consideration to social rent when building new homes and local leaders have greater powers to build genuinely affordable homes.
“For far too long, working people graft hard but are denied the security of owning their own home,” said Starmer.
“I know how important it is – our pebble dash semi meant everything to our family growing up. But with a generation of young people whose dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality, and record levels of homelessness, there’s no shying away from the housing crisis we have inherited.
“We owe it to those working families to take urgent action, and that is what this government is doing. Our Plan for Change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.
“We’re taking immediate action to make the dream of homeownership a reality through delivering 1.5 million homes by the next parliament and rebuilding Britain to deliver for working people.”
Under the current planning framework, just under one third of local authorities adopted a plan within the last five years and the number of homes granted planning permission fell to its lowest level in a decade.
Following consultation, areas must commit to timetables for new plans within 12 weeks. This means where a new development is built through local plans, ministers will provide local authorities with three months in which to progress local plans that are currently in development, subject to conditions that catch those which significantly undershoot the new targets.
The government is also introducing a new requirement for plans based on old targets – that are still in place from July 2026: councils will need to provide for an extra year’s supply of homes in their pipeline – six years instead of five.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, said: “From day one I have been open and honest about the scale of the housing crisis we have inherited. This mission-led government will not shy away from taking the bold and decisive action needed to fix it for good.
“We cannot shirk responsibility and leave over a million families on housing waiting lists and a generation locked out of home ownership. Our Plan for Change means overhauling planning to make the dream of a secure home a reality for working people.
“Today’s landmark overhaul will sweep away last year’s damaging changes and shake-up a broken planning system which caves into the blockers and obstructs the builders.
“I will not hesitate to do what it takes to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
”We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing need. The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”
The government says while brownfield land must continue to be the first port of call for any new development and the default answer when asked to build on brownfield should always be ‘yes’, it is also exploring further action to support and expedite the development of brownfield land in urban areas through ‘brownfield passports’.
To support councils to update their local plans and review their current greenbelt land, areas will receive an additional £100 million of cash next year that can be used to hire more staff and consultants as well as more resources to carry out technical studies and site assessments.
This is alongside increased planning fees to cover costs and an additional 300 planning officers.
The new growth focused NPPF also includes requirements to ensure homes are high-quality and well-designed without stalling growth.
by Kim Pidgeon | Nov 30, 2024 | News
The two housing associations are set to join together by the end of the year
Grand Union Housing and Longhurst Group have announced their new name once they merge next month.
The respective boards of the housing associations have approved the proposal for both organisations to form one company.
The social landlords will come together formally and legally in December under the new name, Amplius.
Announcing the new name, a statement on Grands Union’s website said “Amplius means ‘to do more’ or ‘go further’ in Latin and that’s exactly what we’re determined to do. We want to be better and do more for our customers while continuing to provide quality affordable homes and services.”
The decision to merge followed the assessment of a detailed business case which set out the proposed benefits of the merger and how both organisations would come together.
The Boards also took time to assess the results of a due diligence exercise and the thoughts and feedback of customers from both organisations, who shared their views during a six-week customer consultation.
Grand Union provide over 13,000 homes across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Hertfordshire.
Longhurst Group own and manage more than 24,000 homes in the Midlands and East of England.
The new organisation – Amplius – will therefore own and manage over 37,000 homes. The announcement continued: “By joining together, both organisations will unlock significant potential to invest even more in their existing homes and communities, while building more much needed affordable homes and improving the services their customers receive.”
A Shadow Board and Shadow Executive Team have been appointed and will take on responsibility for the leading new organisation.
Chief Executive of Amplius will be current Longhurst Group CEO, Julie Doyle, while Emma Killick, currently Chair of Grand Union’s Board, will become Chair.
After 25 years with the company, Aileen Evans, the current CEO of Grand Union, decided not to put herself forward for a role with the new organisation and will step down from Grand Union once the merger is completed.
Evans will still serve on the board of the Chartered Institute of Housing and volunteer for Furnishing Futures – a charity that creates healing homes for domestic abuse survivors.
by Kim Pidgeon | Nov 15, 2024 | News
Regulator of Social Housing, Homes England, Hightown and A2 Dominion
Hightown Housing Association
Qadeer Kiani OBE has been elected Chair of the Board of Hightown Housing Association.
He succeeds Bob Macnaughton who held the position since 2017 and had been a Board member for nine years.
Kani has a wealth of experience which spans over 30 years in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
He now manages his own successful Housing and Management Consultancy Practice which he founded in 2007 to help social housing organisations to effectively manage their performance, people and partnerships.
Kiani commented: “I have a passion for customer driven housing services and making a difference to the lives of others. Therefore, I want to make sure that we can continue to deliver on Hightown’s mission of building homes and supporting people.”
A2 Dominion
A2 Dominion has appointed Graham Gregg as its new interim Director of Financial Services.
He joins from Sovereign Network Housing, where he served as Director of Accounting Services.
Gregg has more than 20 years’ experience in the housing sector and has held a variety of finance leadership roles with Southern Housing and Network Homes.
At A2Dominion, Gregg takes on responsibility for statutory financial reporting as well as operational finance.
Tracey Barnes, Chief Finance Officer said: “Graham has vast experience of working in the housing sector and brings specialist knowledge of improving financial performance.
“We look forward to working with Graham to help shape the finance function and deliver better results for our customers.”
Homes England
Homes England has announced two leadership changes.
The government’s housing and regeneration agency has confirmed that Chair Peter Freeman and Chief Executive Peter Denton will be stepping down from their roles after four years leading the Agency together.
Peter Freeman will handover to his successor when the recruitment of a new Chair is completed later next year.
Peter Denton will be standing down from his role as Chief Executive in January 2025 with Eamonn Boylan joining the Agency as interim CEO from 15 January.
Matthew Pennycook, the Housing and Planning Minister said: ”On behalf of the government, I would like to thank Peter Freeman and Peter Denton for their leadership of the Agency over recent years.
“Their efforts have been integral to reshaping Homes England into an effective national housing and regeneration agency that is increasingly focused on exemplary place-based regeneration and placemaking as well as new housing supply. I wish both Peters all the best in their future endeavours.”
Regulator of Social Housing
Two new non-executive directors (NEDs) have been appointed to the Board of the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister, has confirmed the appointment of John Liver and Robert Light.
The RSH undertakes regulation of providers of social housing registered with it, considering how landlords are delivering the outcomes set out in its regulatory standards.
This is an important time for the RSH following the introduction of the strengthened consumer regulation regime in April 2024, which includes routine inspections of large social landlords.
John Liver has been appointed as Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee for a term of four years and Robert Light has been appointed as a NED for a term of three years with a focus on consumers.
