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The social housing regulator
Successful places with homes and jobs
A NATIONAL AGENCYWORKING LOCALLY
What does the regulator expect of
Boards?
Matthew BailesDirector of Regulation, HCA
The social housing regulator
Overview An important first principle
Finance and Risks
What we mean by diversification – what’s different?
Changes to the Regulatory Framework and how we regulate
What do we want to see?
How VFM fits in
Some news about the regulator
The social housing regulator
An important principle
“The Principles of co-regulation
1. Boards and Councillors who govern providers are responsible and accountable for delivering their organisation’s social housing objectives”
If your organisation is a charity, you might like to look at Charity Commission guidance on the role of trustees too.
The social housing regulator
Sector finances are healthy…
Healthy balance sheet
Assets worth £118bn, largely valued at cost
Growing surpluses - £1.8bn in 2012
Access to funding at competitive rates, increasingly through the capital markets
Available security, albeit not evenly distributed
Position will be pretty stable in next global accounts
The social housing regulator
..but thanks in part to unusually benign conditions
Very low variable interest rates (1% on variable rate debt is worth c.£200m/annum)
Healthy profits from sales in a more buoyant market (profits from sales account for about 1/3 of the sector’s surplus)
RPI (rents) rising faster than wages
The social housing regulator
Historical perspective (base rates)
The social housing regulator
Historical perspective (house prices: earnings)
The social housing regulator
So although conditions might feel a bit like this…
The social housing regulator
The figures suggest conditions are more like this…
The social housing regulator
Sector risks
Second sector risk profile published September 2013
Welfare reform
– Under-occupation
– Benefit cap
– Direct payment
– What’s round the corner?
Historic debt and gearing covenants, in a world in which lenders are losing money on pre-credit crunch deals
Sales and development risks
IFRS, pensions and, for some, loss of rent convergence
The social housing regulator
Diversification
Exists already, but now driven by end of “vanilla” option
Diversification of activities and funding
Risk profile of activities varies considerably, e.g:– High turnover, low margin, limited liabilities
– long-term liabilities that rely on non-social housing revenues
– Exposure on sales receipts
Our interest lies in the potential recourse to social housing assets
The social housing regulator
Likely Regulatory Framework changes
Stress-testing of businesses – e.g. higher interest rate / sales risk scenario
Forensic grip of assets and liabilities, including recourse to social housing assets
Appropriate pricing of risk, in line with charitable vires/investment powers where appropriate
Skills and capability that measure up to market exposures
Boards confirming that they comply with our standards
The social housing regulator
What we expect of Boards
Underlying premise – Boards as custodians of assets for long-term provision of community benefits
Prudent risk taking to meet your objectives
Strategic choices grounded in commercial and financial realities
Iron grip on risks, and strategy for dealing with a more difficult market
Don’t lose sight of the basics – e.g. gas servicing
Transparency with us – and accurate data on time
Protecting the sector’s reputation
The social housing regulator
What we expect of Boards on VFM Value for money is not an add on or a nice to have. Key to
continuing to deliver and manage risks
We want to see, in the public domain:– An understanding of costs and the outcomes they deliver– An understanding of return on assets, and a strategy for optimising
future returns– The basis of your assurance that your organisation measures up
on the above (e.g. via benchmarking results)– A full and frank picture– Stretching future targets
There will be governance downgrades this year, based on weaknesses and timeliness of public statements
No room for complacency. For most what was good enough this year won’t be good enough next year
The social housing regulator
Sound advice
The social housing regulator
What about the regulator? Credit crunch and austerity mean that:
– Our resources have been cut and we need to continue drive out costs wherever we can
– But we also have to regulate a more complex and risky market
– We have made some important changes to improve our regulation and we’ll have to continue to evolve
Against that backdrop we want to start a debate with the sector:
– To what extent should the taxpayer bear the costs of regulation?
– Should the sector pay some or all of the costs, bearing in mind the benefits providers receive from regulation?
– What’s the best way to ensure the regulator remains fit for purpose?