HLPA members Robert Latham and Ben Chataway ran a workshop on housing and legal at the Legal Aid Conference: Social Welfare Law Matters on 12 November 2010. The workshop paper is available here [doc], and although pre-dating the Green Paper reforms, sets out the current position and costs of housing legal aid, and the benefits to individuals, communities, and society that flow from it.

New forums for HLPA members to discuss the Legal Aid and Social Housing reform proposals and HLPA’s response are open. For the Legal Aid reforms forum, go here. For the Social Housing Reforms forum, go here.

The Ministry of Justice has issued the green paper on reform of Legal Aid for consultation. Responses are required by 14 February 2011. The proposals will have a major impact on housing law practitioners and on their prospective clients. The consulation paper can be downloaded here.

The DCLG has issued the Social Housing Reform green paper, which can be downloaded here. Responses are to be in by 17 January 2011. THe proposed reforms amount to the largest change in social housing tenure for decades.