Government housing bodies officially open

Government housing quango the Homes and Communities Agency has finally opened this week, and will take charge of a budget worth £17.4bn over the next three years.

The agency, which will be responsible for delivering the government’s aim of building three million homes by 2020, announced that it would continue work with a national ‘clearing house’ scheme to enable it to buy unsold private homes and convert them into social housing.

Meanwhile the Tenants Services Authority, the new social housing regulator, also officially opened on Monday.

The two agencies replace the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.