Lunchtime news April 16

The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to cut carbon emissions from housing. Climate Change Starts at Home includes a proposal for energy mortgages funding improvements to existing stock and repayable through energy bills.

The Residential Landlords Association is advising its members to pull out of the housing benefit market because benefit will be paid direct to tenants under the local housing allowance.

House prices rose 12.1% in the year to February, according to the DCLG, but prices fell back slightly in February from January.

Key worker housing policy is perverse, says an editorial in the Financial Times. It boosts demand by subsidising rents and mortgages and restricts supply by making housebuilding less profitable. In the short term, increase their wages. In the long term, increase housing supply.

The Observer highlights fears that borrowers struggling with credit cards and personal loans could lose their homes when they take out consolidation loans.

Saturday’s Financial Times highlighted fears that the introduction of home information packs could lead to a hiatus in the housing market as sellers rush on to the market before June.