The National Housing Federation (NHF) has welcomed the launch of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Tenants Services Authority (TSA), which respectively will ensure the delivery of affordable homes and safeguard continued high standards for social housing tenants.

The HCA will be the single delivery body responsible for regenerating communities and delivering affordable homes, while the TSA will be the regulator for social housing.

The HCA takes over the housing delivery and community regeneration functions of the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships. Meanwhile, the TSA takes over the regulatory and intervention functions of the Corporation.

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In order to ensure that new affordable housing continues to be delivered through the economic downturn, the HCA will look at the way land is purchased and investment targeted - to ensure the continued provision of new, affordable homes.

Meanwhile, the TSA will protect tenants' homes and monitor the viability and performance of the housing association sector.

NHF Chief Executive David Orr said: "The setting up of the HCA and TSA is good news for everyone in the social housing sector.

"With the current economic downturn, and the consequent financial challenges for organisations managing and building social homes, housing associations - who provide most of the nation's social housing - require as much support as possible.

"Through working in close partnership with the sector, I am confident that the HCA will help associations deliver desperately needed social homes in new, flexible and innovative ways."

(CD/JM)