Homes superagency edges closer

A superagency tasked with spearheading housing and regeneration efforts across the country could start work five months ahead of schedule, it has emerged.

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) had been due to begin operations in April 2009 but chief executive Bob Kerslake now says the delay is not justified and the superagency should get to work sooner.

Responding to his comments, the outgoing Housing Corporation said it would stage the handover a month earlier - but Mr Kerslake is not wavering in his call for it to take place this November.

He is reportedly itching to start spending the HCA's £5 billion budget and put its 1,000 staff to work - mindful of a government target of delivering three million new homes by 2020.

"The only stumbling block seems to be the regulatory role of the Housing Corporation and getting this sorted legally for a November deadline," Building.co.uk reported one unnamed Whitehall source as saying. "Bob is pretty confident that this can be worked through."

The current timetable has been drafted up in order to allow the courts to approve new legislation governing HCA activities.

News posted on 25th February, 2008