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Housing LIN > News > This week’s HLINks: 29 June-3 July 2020

This week’s HLINks: 29 June-3 July 2020

Jeremy talks….

Welcome to Jeremy talks and my weekly piece to audio to coincide with the Housing LIN's bulletin HLINks week ending 3rd July.

As a founding member of the HoME coalition, we were proud to put our name to a letter written to the Housing Minister that any relaxation of planning regulations must not lead to fewer accessible homes for older & disabled people. As announced by the Prime Minister this week, the government wants to 'build, build, build' and has hinted at a relaxation of planning regulations in a forthcoming White Paper. The HoME coalition is specifically asking the UK government to raise the ‘accessible and adaptable’ design standard set out in volume 1 of the Building Regulations so that M4 Category 2 becomes the mandatory baseline for all new homes. This accords with our commitment to the HAPPI design principles as a basis to further raise the standard of accessible homes and improve the housing options for all. Talk to us to find out more about how we are working with councils, social housing providers and developers to plan and create better housing choices for our ageing population and how we can assist you.

In this week's edition of HLINks, we also feature two new guest blogs sent in by Housing LIN supporters as well as invite you to take part in an important new survey (opens new window) on our sectors' digital response to Covid-19. To read these and a round-up of relevant news and events on housing, health and social care matters, check out our latest weekly bulletin on our website or register online to receive our alerts and other notifications of your choice sent direct to your inbox.

And, if you would like to talk with us about any matters highlighted and/or share learning about your work, email Jeremy talks at: info@housinglin.org.uk

Listen to Jeremy talks… here (opens new window)

Best wishes and stay safe, Jeremy 

This week HLINks also includes:

  • we teamed up with Appello to release a survey on our sector’s digital appetite under COVID-19
  • we published 2 new guest blogs: the first by Anne-Marie Nicolson, Partner at PRP architects, where she advocates for 'care hotels', a place where a patient can be rehabilitated and get back to full health. In the second blog this week, Chris Smith, executive director of business growth at Thirteen, reflects on the impact of COVID-19 within the housing association’s sheltered and extra care housing schemes.
  • a round-up of latest/updated Covid-19 resources and guidance relevant to the sector
  • our usual a round-up of news headlines and new resources on housing, ageing, design and technology, planning, health and care, calls for information, and
  • next week, we look forward to releasing our updated Design & Cost Model tool, in partnership with Pozzoni Architecture, RLB and CPC Cost Consultants. We will also be publishing two new guest blogs; the first looks at how resilient community networks in Madrid supported older adults cope with loneliness and isolation, and the second explores homelessness and mental health services in Gloucestershire under lockdown.

The Housing LIN would like to thank Willmott Dixon for their support in producing this newsletter.