Neil McDonald, director of housing at the ODPM, announced the move on Wednesday at the Chartered Institute of Housing's annual conference in Harrogate.
The Barker review of housing supply recommended that nine executives be set up to oversee the merged boards, but the ODPM prefers the idea of a national body.
McDonald explained: "A single unit might be made up of leading experts and by working across the country, it would be well-placed to deal with inter-regional issues such as migration."
The unit would also gather and disseminate data so that future regional housing strategies would have a stronger evidence base than those for 2004/5.
McDonald also said the merged housing and planning boards would come under the remit of the regional assemblies.
The nine regional government offices are currently responsible for the housing boards but the ODPM wants to introduce a greater level of democracy.
However, there are fears that putting the regional assemblies in control could shift the boards' emphasis towards planning, because the assemblies are already in charge of planning (HT 28 May, page 8).
CIH policy director Sarah Webb said: "Housing debate is about more than just planning and we need to make sure that's not lost.
"It would be a real tragedy if we went back to strategies that were just about supply and didn't take into account the broader picture."
Webb also said that for the regional structure to work effectively, central government would have to allow regions to set their own priorities and not be constrained by national priorities such as the decent homes target.
She said: "If we are going to do it, it might involve sacrificing some of those national targets."
Source
Housing Today
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