During six-month pilot in West Midlands, 109 people who were in Britain illegally were identified as a result of compulsory checks on new tenants
Saturday 24 October 2015
Friday 23 October 2015
Totally Amazing Technology In This House
UNBELIEVABLE! I WANT ALL OF THESE..............NOW!
Notice he says you can buy an apartment that you can afford.
Source:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catll-XwVn0
Notice he says you can buy an apartment that you can afford.
Source:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=catll-XwVn0
Thursday 22 October 2015
Right To Rent Scheme To Be Extended Nationwide From February
Compulsory checks by landlords on the immigration status of new tenants are to be introduced across the country from February, Home Office ministers have announced.
The decision follows an official evaluation of the first six months of a pilot scheme in the West Midlands, which concluded that there were “no major differences” for white British and black and other minority ethnic tenants in renting accommodation.
The right to rent scheme, which is being introduced as part of the government’s drive to “create a hostile environment for illegal migrants”, has been attacked by the shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, as a modern-day equivalent of the “no dogs, no Irish, no blacks” signs seen in boarding house windows 50 years ago.
Research by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants found some landlords were reluctant to rent out properties to people with foreign-sounding names and to those without a British passport.
But the official Home Office evaluation said that while the comments of a small number of landlords indicated a “potential for discrimination”, there was no difference in the final outcome between white and other potential tenants in their search to rent somewhere to live.
The report says 109 people who were in Britain illegally were identified as a result of the compulsory checks during the six-month pilot. Sixty-three of these people were previously unknown to the Home Office. Only five penalty notices were issued to landlords for failing to enforce the checks.
A “mystery shopper” exercise carried out for the official evaluation found that potential tenants who were black or from other minority ethnic groups were asked to provide more information – such as references and how long they had lived in the area – than potential white tenants.
The official report quotes the experience of one Asian “shopper” who phoned a landlord in response to a card advert: “The landlord said that if I was under that scheme he was not going to bother because he had a local person who wanted the property and it was much easier to rent to them.”
A second Asian shopper who went to an independent letting agent reported: “I was told they needed to look at what they had that was suitable for me and they needed to check with the landlords on whether the landlord wanted to do the right to rent check because it cost extra.”
The evaluation report says that while such responses appeared to imply an element of discrimination, they amounted to only a small number of instances, and the vast majority of comments from the mystery shoppers did not allude to any discrimination.
Crisis, the homelessness charity, said it was alarmed by evidence in the report that some people had become homeless as a result of the checks. Its spokesman Matt Downie said: “Crisis has already raised serious concerns that requiring landlords to check the immigration status of renters could make it even harder for homeless people to find a place to live, and this report shows that our fears are well founded.
“It is deeply troubling that in the pilot area, six of the local charities surveyed said that people they represent had become homeless as a result of the scheme, while seven indicated that people with the right to rent were struggling to find accommodation.”
The immigration minister, James Brokenshire, said: “Right to rent checks are quick and simple, and many responsible landlords already do them as a matter of routine. We are providing landlords in England with all the advice and support they need before the checks go live on 1 February 2016.
“The new rules are part of the Immigration Act 2014 which introduced measures to reform the immigration system. Right to rent is about deterring those who are illegally resident from remaining in the UK. Those with a legitimate right to be here will be able to prove this easily and will not be adversely affected.”
Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said: “We now know why the government tried to conceal this report before MPs voted on the Immigration Bill. It threatens to make Britain a more hostile place for anybody with a foreign-sounding name or accent. Now that the government has evidence that Right to Rent led to some landlords opting for tenants with ‘local accents’, the home secretary must find convincing answers to prevent discrimination or drop her plans. If she fails, Theresa May risks entrenching casual discrimination in the housing market, which has no place in 21st century Britain.”
Source:- http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/20/right-to-rent-scheme-nationwide-february-tenant-checks
Wednesday 21 October 2015
Instant Treehouse: Luxe Pre-Fab Treehouse Unit Sleeps Four
© Blue Forest
More and more people are choosing to downsize to smaller "transformer"-type spaces, well-designed trailers and live+work spaces, embracing the financial,pragmatic and spiritual freedom it entails. So what about a trailer for the trees?
UK-based design and construction company Blue Forest's pre-fabricated eco-PERCH offers a refreshing refuge that not only sleeps four, but also conforms to code.
© Blue Forest
Eco-PERCH is more modern in aesthetic, but has the requisite wood-burning stove and integrated plant room out back for gardeners, though the design's entirety can be reconfigured into work as an off-grid classroom, studio or office. Designboom describes this cozy abode:
Assembled with natural materials, the structure may be implemented within 5 days, minimally impacting the landscape with adequate site preparation beforehand. Contained within a 6 meter by 8 meter footprint, the combined kitchen, dining, living area and bedroom may comfortably accommodate four people. Wrapped with a continuous roof surface, its oval sectional geometry visually connects with the outdoor scenery through windows and a veranda formed with a deep eave.
Eco-PERCH complies with the UK Caravan & Mobile Homes Act, and is a more attractive alternative to poor quality trailers, giving a more generous use of space, while still remaining efficient.
© Blue Forest
© Blue Forest
Placed in a natural setting amongst the trees, the front porch would be quite the spot to hang out and watch the clouds go by.
© Blue Forest
© Blue Forest
A viable option for those who need a treehouse, fast. More information over at Blue Forest.
source:- http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/eco-perch-blue-forest-pre-fab-tree-house-unit.html
Friday 2 October 2015
Talented Architect Tackles The Tiny House And Comes Up With A Mini Gem
Last year we wrote about How a talented architect makes an RV look like a charming cabin in the woods, where Architect Kelly Davis looked at the rulebook for Park Model homes and reinvented the model. Because it's all about rules; if you want to build anything there is a set of them somewhere. That's why tiny homes are 8'-6" wide and on wheels- they then can be called recreational vehicles (RVs) and be exempt from standard building codes and zoning bylaws.
Now Kelly Davis and Dan George Dobrowolski are at it again, pushing the RV rule book to design and build a stunning new Tiny House, the Escape Traveler.
© Escape traveler
The team writes in their about page:
A remarkable building, hand crafted in our own plant in America's Heartland. Its design magically allows living large in a small, energy-efficient space. Leave it in place or move it at will. Even most standard pick-ups can move it. Traveler does things in a big way.
I am not so sure about that; the specs say it weighs between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds, which requires a Class A drivers license that very few non-commercial drivers have. But most Tiny Homes are not designed to really move a lot; they are designed to provide space for a different kind of lifestyle, to be far less costly than a house permanently tied to a piece of land.
© Escape traveler
So let's get that out of the way fast and save commenters the trouble: This ain't cheap, starting at $65,400, loaded for $82,400. But they mean loaded; beautiful finishes, and a design that allows for a full bathroom with full size tub, a kitchen with full sized appliances.
© Escape traveler
The living area has a fireplace and a transformer sofa bed so that you don't have to climb into a loft if you don't want to. This is a great feature for older buyers and others who don't like climbing ladders in the middle of the night, or bumping their head when they sit up.
© Escape traveler
It is a very different plan from most tiny homes, divided by the lofts into three zones, one washroom, one living area and one kitchen and dining. As shown it can accommodate six; that will be cozy around the dinner table. I also think the full size range is overkill, but they offer a two-burner induction stovetop as an option.
Traveler does things in a big way. Full-size kitchen and bathroom, large dining or work table, living area with fireplace and big screen TV, soaring windows, on-demand hot water, even a washer/dryer. And...it sleeps up to six! Plus plenty of storage, completely climate controlled, and minimal power consumption.
© Escape traveler
It's nicely detailed with cedar siding on the exterior, recycled maple planks on the interior. Those lights worry me; to get approval as an RV absolutely nothing can stick out beyond 8'-6" and they will measure from the outside of those lights.
© Escape traveler
The specs are solid, foam insulation, on-demand hot water heaters metal roofing and cool architectural details galore like these aluminum pegs.
© Escape traveler
The role of an architect (and the hardest thing in a tiny house) is to decide how much space to give to each function. In the Sustain Minihome, it was the kitchen that was spectacular, a galley that filled the middle of the (albeit much larger) unit. Here, Kelly Davis has put it into the bathroom, a full size one with five foot tub and long vanity. I think they know their market; this looks and costs like a higher end second home type unit where people don't want to take showers while standing on the toilet. The market will tell them whether they are right or wrong.
© Escape traveler
Kelly Davis, his client and his builders changed the game with the park model, and I think they are doing it again here, bringing it to a different market. Perhaps they are thinking of a high end RV park; perhaps it's going to be high end guest accommodation. But it most definitely is not your usual tiny home. Lots more information at the Escape Traveler website.
Source:- http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/talented-architect-tackles-tiny-house-and-comes-mini-gem.html
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