News, events and consultations

Members’ area password

Apr 9, 2013 |

The password for HLPA members to access the members area of the website will be changing on 20 April 2013.

The new password will be emailed to all 2013 members very shortly. Please ensure that the HLPA administrator has email addresses for all people in your organisation included in your membership.

Meeting and AGM 20 March 2013

Mar 14, 2013 |

Impact of Benefit Reform

The speakers are:

Bethan Harris: Garden Court Chambers

Michael Spencer: Child Poverty Action Group

AGM 6.30 PM

The venue for the meeting is Portland Hall, School of Law, Regent Campus, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW,

Please note that entrance to meetings in 2013 is free for members working for not for profit and voluntary organisations and £10,00 per member for solicitors and barristers in private practice. Members are requested to arrive in good time so that the entry fee can be collected and the meeting can commence promptly at 6.30 pm.

HLPA Seminars January and February 2013

Jan 21, 2013 |

Wednesday 30 January 2013
Mortgage Possession Cases
This seminar will be of particular importance to all housing practitioners who have 2013 Housing and Debt contracts with the LSC, where it is a requirement that supervisors who have not conducted a mortgage arrears possession case in the past 12 months must be able to demonstrate how they have maintained their knowledge of mortgage possession cases. The seminar leader is Tim Powell from Powell Forster Solicitors.

The booking form can be downloaded here.

 

Monday 11 February 2013
How to Quantify Damages in Disrepair Cases
This seminar is a must for all housing practitioners who want to be able to identify the different heads of claim for which their disrepair clients can seek damages and to calculate the amount of damages which could be awarded under each head. The seminar leaders are Beatrice Prevatt from Garden Court Chambers and Andrew Brookes from Anthony Gold Solicitors.

The booking form can be downloaded here.

The seminars will be held from 6.00-8.00pm at Mary Ward Legal Centre, 10 Great Turnstile Street, London WC1V 7JU. To book places, please complete and return the attached registration forms or contact Professional Briefings on 01920 487672 or london@profbriefings.co.uk.

CLG Select Committee Inquiry – private rented housing

Jan 18, 2013 |

HLPA has made a submission to the forthcoming Parliamentary select committee inquiry into private rented housing. Submissions were asked to address the following:

– the quality of private rented housing, and steps that can be taken to ensure that all housing in the sector is of an acceptable standard;

– levels of rent within the private rented sector – including the possibility of rent control and the interaction between housing benefit and rents;

– regulation of landlords, and steps that can be taken to deal with rogue landlords;

– regulation of letting agents, including agents’ fees and charges;

– the regulation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), including the operation of discretionary licensing schemes imposed by a local authority for a category of HMO in its area;

– tenancy agreements and length and security of tenure; and

– how local authorities are discharging their homelessness duty by being able to place homeless households in private sector housing

HLPA’s submission can be downloaded here, and the appendix to the submission, from here.

Meeting 16 January 2013

Jan 14, 2013 |

Homelessness Suitability and Private Rented Sector Discharge

The speakers will be:

Liz Davies, Garden Court Chambers
Sally Morshead, Shelter

16 January 2013 at 7 pm

The venue for the meeting is Portland Hall, School of Law, Regent Campus, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW,

Please note that entrance to meetings in 2013 is free for members working for not for profit and voluntary organisations and £10,00 per member for solicitors and barristers in private practice. Members are requested to arrive in good time so that the entry fee can be collected and the meeting can commence promptly at 7.00 p

2013 Meeting Programme

Jan 10, 2013 |

The 2013 programme of meetings for members has been prepared with a view to the major looming changes affecting tenants, landlords and housing law practice. The meetings will address these changes as they come into play, preparing practitioners and suggesting tactics and issues to be addressed.

The programme is:

 

  • 16 January 2013: Homelessness, Suitability and Private Rented Sector Discharge
  • 20 March 2013: Impact of Benefit Reform
  • 15 May 2013: Using the Equality Act
  • 17 July 2013: Allocations: The New World
  • 18 September 2013: Housing Money Claims: Disrepair, Deposits and Unlawful Evictions
  • 20 November 2013: Housing Law Update

The programme may be subject to change. Any updates will on this site.  It is planned that all meetings will take place at Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW

November 2012 meeting

Nov 1, 2012 |

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Housing Law Update

Speakers:
Sam Madge-Wyld (Arden Chambers)
John Gallagher (Shelter)

7.00-9.00pm

Portland Hall, University of Westminster, 4 Little Titchfield Street, London W1W 7UW


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The Housing Law Conference 2012

Sep 30, 2012 |

11 December 2012 – The Royal College of Surgeons, London

The full programme and registration form for the Housing Law Conference 2012 can be downloaded here.

Registration is also available via the following link:

www.profbriefings.co.uk/hlc2012

The theme of this year’s conference is young people, homelessness and housing. Speakers will include:

Jon Snow, the presenter of Britain’s award winning Channel 4 News and in depth one-hour nightly news and current affairs programme. He has made several documentary films and chaired many television debates and discussions on a wide range of topics. He is also Chairman of the New Horizon Youth Centre and Deputy Chairman of the Media Trust.

Emma Loach, Joint Head of Documentaries at CTVC. She has been an observational documentary film maker for many years and in March 2010 she directed and produced Fix My Family for BBC2 – a film following life at a unique hostel that looks after homeless families and tries to keep their children out of care.

Diane Astin, a solicitor specialising in housing law with many years’ experience in private practice and in the voluntary sector. She regularly trains and lectures in housing law, community care and asylum support for organisations including Legal Action Group, the Law Centres Federation, the Red Cross and the Refugee Council.

Shauneen Lambe, Director of Just for Kids Law in London, an organisation that provides support, advocacy and representation to young people in trouble.

Ian Brady, Deputy Director, Troubled Families Team, Department for Communities and Local Government.

Jan Luba QC of Garden Court Chambers offering his perspective on the problems and challenges that housing lawyers will confront in 2013.

The conference will also include seminars on:

– Legal aid

– The Localism Act

– Capacity

– Anti-social behaviour

– Homelesness

Please forward details to any colleagues who may be interested in attending.

For further information on registering for the conference, contact Professional Briefings on 01920 487672 or london@profbriefings.co.uk