What is ARCH?
The Association of Retained Council Housing was set up for councils whose tenants have chosen the local authority as their landlord. ARCH brings councils who own and manage housing together to get the best deal for their tenants.
What does ARCH do?
- Promotes best practice
- Listens to the views of tenants
- Represents collective interests of stock retained councils nationally
- Lobbies for a fairer, clearer finance system to allow councils to provide affordable homes in a sustainable way
- Demonstrates the benefits of retained stock in meeting wider local and national priorities
ARCH annual report - download here

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NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE REPORT ON DECENT HOMES
ARCH members have contributed to a report by the NAO on the Decent Homes programme. Download here
ARCH MEMBERS WIN SECOND ROUND OF HOUSE-BUILDING FUNDS
ARCH members are celebrating success in the second round of bids for funds to build new council homes. Read more
IN-HOUSE HOMES
Article by ARCH executive member Steve Warran explaining how an in-house team at Exeter City Council is among those delivering the first batch of local authority properties in decades.
Download here
A NEW GENERATION OF COUNCIL HOUSING
ARCH member authorities feature in new research report 'A New Generation of Council Housing: An analysis of need, opportunity, vision and skills'. Download here
MINISTERS NEED TO GIVE GROUND
ARCH comments on HRA reform in Local Government Chronicle. Read more
ARCH RESPONSE TO HRA CONSULTATION
ARCH has submitted its formal response to the Government’s consultation on the reform of council housing finance. Download here
ARCH TEN POINT PLAN ON HRA
An outline of ARCH’s key messages on reform of housing finance. Download here
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
ARCH executive member Brian Reilly comments on HRA reform in Inside Housing. Read here
ARCH MEMBERS KEEN TO FORM A CONSENSUS ON HRA
Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) members gave clear signals that they wish to work with central government to reach an agreement that will enable the existing housing finance system to be dismantled when they came together for a consultation event on Housing Revenue Account (HRA). Read full press release here
THE COMEBACK OF THE COUNCIL HOUSE
Local Government Chronicle article on newbuild featuring ARCH and West Lancashire District Council by deputy editor David Blackman. Read more
SUMMING UP FOR HRA CONSULTATION PRESS RELEASE
Local authorities have been armed with figures from a debt calculation exercise to help determine their response to the Government’s consultation on the future of housing finance. Read full press release here
SHOW HOMES
As work gets under way on 2,000 new homes, Ted Czerniak hopes it is just the start of a wide-scale council building programme demonstrating local government’s community leadership role. ARCH article in The MJ
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