£68 million split between 54 councils doesn't sound like much. Last year Enfield Council alone got £195 million just for the infrastructure needed to unlock Meridian Water gov.uk/government/new…

The lack of a national spatial strategy for housing at this stage in the housing crisis is astonishing and inexcusable... Yet rarely mentioned. Do we (architects, urban planners, planners etc) need to create one for them? 🏘️🚆

There are over a thousand long-term vacant homes in Enfield, which despite the housing crisis, is at the highest number in 16-years. There are a further 2,000+ short-term empty homes. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

Today’s The Times and The Sunday Times . We Shelter our partners & campaigners have argued long and hard for a new generation of social homes - the only answer to the chaos that housing and homelessness are in. We have everything crossed for the budget. Full story here (£): thetimes.com/article/ffa143…

We spend £30 billion on housing benefit, £1.9 billion on temporary accommodation for homeless people (£474 million on bed and breakfast) - the case for investment in social rent housing could not be clearer and may be being recognised. From the Times (£): thetimes.com/article/ffa143…

Times (£) “Rayner is pledging to build enough council homes to stop (the net loss of 11,000) by April 2026 and Rachel Reeves has agreed a top-up to her budget of between £500 million and £1 billion.” It’s a start. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

This £1 billion boost to the Affordable Homes Programme is not enormous. But, it could support councils who are struggling to build and boost numbers significantly if given out strategically…

Such an important graph in answering the commonly asked question "how the UK fucked up housing policy so badly" (From the CIH's UK Housing Review, via Jules Birch) insidehousing.co.uk/comment/do-sig…

Your regular reminder (from today's FT - £). 'Can the private sector deliver Labour’s housebuilding boom?' on.ft.com/48kkIlX via Financial Times

Plan for six-storey block of flats proposed in Edmonton – but no affordable homes The proposed site has been vacant for a number of years and is described as “currently unusable” enfielddispatch.co.uk/plan-for-six-s…

'... more than 200 local authorities in England have a policy which disqualifies prospective tenants from bidding on social housing if they have rent arrears. Others deprioritise prospective tenants on bidding lists if they have rent arrears.' inews.co.uk/news/housing/h…

Ponders End mother forced to delay cancer surgery amid housing shortage Landlords tell desperate mum Chantel they can't "take the risk" with her while current housing association cites "limited availability" as she seeks flat without stairs enfielddispatch.co.uk/ponders-end-mo…

Plans approved to convert Southgate office block into 90 flats, housing roughly 190 people (18 x studio, 46 x 1-bed, 26 x 2-bed). No affordable housing, amenity space or S106. All single aspect + some without openable windows (plans don’t say how many).

Construction set to restart on Arnos Grove Station housing site Planning permission has now been granted for fire safety upgrades to the original scheme enfielddispatch.co.uk/construction-s…

The JRF estimates a freeze will leave private renters who get housing benefits £243 per year worse off on average and said renters would feel "let down" by the move. Over 80% of private renters in Enfield receive housing benefits. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

London Assembly calls for more cash to help replace dangerous cladding National Audit Office warns up to 60% of buildings with dangerous cladding have still not been identified by the government enfielddispatch.co.uk/london-assembl…

Plans for a Brimsdown tower block that councillors had been repeatedly urged to throw out for safety, design and financial reasons has finally been refused at the fourth time of asking. enfielddispatch.co.uk/plans-for-unsa…

Concerns raised as another large office block set to be converted into flats The Grange in Southgate will retain offices on its ground floor but convert five floors above into flats with no affordable housing included enfielddispatch.co.uk/concerns-raise…

Enfield's poor performance is unsurprising, only one of Enfield’s parks holds a Green Flag Award, a stark contrast to other boroughs such as Hillingdon, which boasts 66, and Lewisham, with 23. This is also a significant decline from the 10 Green Flag Awards Enfield held in 2016

Construction of affordable housing in London plummets by 88% Some boroughs saw just one new affordable property begin construction in the space of a year, with Enfield starting three enfielddispatch.co.uk/construction-o…