Housing Initiative

This award is open to a single council or where appropriate a partnership of councils, or a council-owned company. Private sector partners can enter on a council’s behalf, with the permission of the council itself.

Many parts of the country are facing major housing problems. While a soaring market has left property beyond the reach of many potential buyers, there is also a major undersupply of rented accommodation. This award is for the local authorities that have done most to devise imaginative solutions to ease such problems, be they in social housing, the private rental sector, in accelerated house building or in enabling home ownership.

Submissions should focus on:

• A full description of the project and the challenge or opportunity it is intended to address;
• A description of how it has been resourced and the number of staff involved in delivering it;
• Details of how the council has worked with external organisations to bring about progress, including social landlords, the construction industry, land owners and the financial services industry;
• Evidence that the schemes in question have been successful.

Award entries will be judged upon:

• The level of innovation shown in overcoming the barriers to progress and improving access to housing;
• The extent to which the evidence shows that projects have met demands;
• The entrant’s ability to work with other organisations and members of the public to provide solutions;
• The extent to which the project provided a unique local solution to an issue facing that area.