Research into expenditure within the Housing Revenue Account

This report addresses the work related to expenditure in the HRA, including construction of a national financial model which enables a projection of expenditure and income, and engagement with local authorities to gain feedback on local experiences.


Savills Affordable Housing Consultancy was jointly appointed by the Local Government Association (LGA), and its partners the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) and the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), to undertake research into various aspects of the policy, financial and technical operation of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). 

There are three areas of research, each addressing a key area for review and exploration:

  1. HRA Expenditure: incorporating a review of expenditure pressures affecting services provided to council housing within the HRA including: landlord services and housing management, building safety, net zero carbon and other pressures.

     
  2. HRA income: incorporating a review of income pressures, possible alternative approaches to rent policy, future rent increase policy and all other areas of income.

     
  3. Towards a more sustainable Right to Buy: not challenging the RTB policy itself but researching and exploring issues around sales volumes, the operation of discount levels, the recycling of RTB receipts – aimed to come up with some thoughts around future policy ideas to make the policy more sustainable for local authorities.