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Housing minister announces review of allocations as part of Social Housing Bill

Stephen Delahunty — Fri, 15 May 2026 11:12:46 GMT

The housing minister has launched a review into the allocation and use of social housing to reduce empty homes.

In a letter to council leaders published yesterday, and following the announcement of the bill on the King’s Speech on Wednesday, Matthew Pennycook said this will “support better use of existing stock and ensure homes go to those most in need”.

The review will also look at “strengthening council nomination arrangements and reviewing statutory guidance to better reflect local needs and support vulnerable households”.

More details on the changes in the bill were also revealed during a first reading in the House of Lords yesterday.

In the written statement on the proposals in the bill to “reduce unnecessary bureaucracy”, Mr Pennycook said: “It streamlines the outdated consents process, so that councils do not have to seek approval from the secretary of state when they want to take certain actions to manage their social housing stock.

“And it repeals a number of unimplemented provisions from the Housing and Planning Act 2016, including the requirement for local authorities to sell high-value social homes, grant flexible (fixed-term) tenancies and charge higher-income tenants higher rents.”

The bill also outlined plans to protect tenants who are victims of domestic abuse.

Mr Pennycook added: “At present, landlords and courts only have limited means to remove a perpetrator from a tenancy while allowing the victim-survivor to remain securely in their home.

“This can leave victims facing additional hardship, instability and an increased risk of homelessness.

“The bill will give landlords and the courts new and strengthened grounds to address domestic abuse and, in joint tenancy cases, remove a perpetrator from the tenancy where there has been domestic abuse, allowing victims to remain in their home or move to suitable alternative accommodation where this is available.”

Chloe Fletcher, head of policy and external affairs at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “CIH welcomes the first reading of the Social Housing Bill, showing the government’s fast action and continued commitment to [supporting] social housing in this country.

“Legislative change to safeguard much-needed social homes and security of tenure [is] positive, and we congratulate the government on making them a priority in this parliamentary session.”

In addition to the Social Housing Bill, there were additions to the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, and the long-awaited Remediation Bill to speed up building safety work for people living in homes with unsafe cladding.

The King’s Speech also promised the introduction of the delayed duty of candour proposals under the Hillsborough Law.

You can read the sector’s response here, and Inside Housing’s five major takeaways here.

New Welsh minister for housing announced

Grainne Cuffe — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:31:45 GMT

Siân Gwenllian has been appointed as the new Welsh minister for local government, housing and planning.

First minister Rhun ap Iorwerth announced his cabinet on Wednesday following Plaid Cymru’s historic election win last week, pushing Labour out of power for the first time in 27 years.

A former journalist and county councillor, Ms Gwenllian has served as Plaid Cymru member of the Senedd for Gwynedd Maldwyn since 2016.

She was shadow cabinet member for local government, the Welsh language, equalities and planning between 2016 and 2021.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru said it welcomed the appointment and looked forward to a “collaborative relationship working towards our shared ambition of providing a sustainable, safe and affordable home for everyone in Wales”.

Plaid Cymru has made several commitments when it comes to housing. The party wants to deliver at least 20,000 new social homes over the next Senedd term, alongside establishing a new national development body named Unnos to help with this aim.

The party also promised to legislate for a ‘right to adequate housing’ in Wales, something that CIH Cymru has long called for.

Matt Dicks, national director of CIH Cymru, congratulated Ms Gwenllian on her appointment.

He said: “We look forward to working constructively with her and with ministers across government to ensure housing is treated as a national priority.

“The commitment to begin legislating for the right to adequate housing in Wales is a significant step, and one that must now be matched by pace, delivery and long-term ambition.”

Mr Dicks said housing policy is “fundamental to health, equality, economic resilience and community well-being”.

He added: “If government is prepared to act decisively in its first 100 days and sustain that focus over the course of this Senedd term, there is a real opportunity to drive down housing need, reduce inequality and improve outcomes for people across Wales.

“Embedding the right to adequate housing in law can help create a Wales where housing is not a source of insecurity, but the foundation for a fairer, more equal and more resilient nation.”

Stuart Ropke, chief executive of Community Housing Cymru, which represents housing associations in Wales, said: “We look forward to working with the cabinet secretary and her government colleagues to deliver a clear, long-term plan to build more affordable homes and improve existing homes while creating healthier, fairer places for everyone.

“Housing is Wales’ prevention infrastructure. Investing in homes means lower energy bills, better health, stronger communities and a more resilient economy.”

What is behind the fall in rent arrears?

Samir Jeraj — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:45:29 GMT

Across the social housing sector, rent arrears fell significantly between 2025 and 2026. Samir Jeraj explores what is driving this trend, and whether it can be sustained in the long term

National study on tenant participation in Scotland launched by government and residents group

Ellie Brown — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:56:07 GMT

A national study on tenant participation in Scotland has been launched by the Scottish government and the Tenants Information Service (TIS).

The TIS research aims to set out how social housing residents are currently able to influence their landlords and what this should look like in the future.

Since 2001, social landlords in Scotland have been legally obliged to involve residents in their decisions and have a strategy in place explaining how they will do this.

But in a post on its website announcing the study, TIS acknowledged the context for tenant participation has “changed significantly”.

It continued: “The Covid‑19 pandemic reshaped how people communicate and engage, accelerating the use of digital tools while also highlighting issues of digital exclusion.

“At the same time, rising financial pressures, stretched resources, national housing challenges and changing tenant expectations have altered what effective participation looks like in practice.”

Sharon Donohoe, interim chief executive of TIS, said: “Tenant participation has matured over the last 25 years, but the world around it has changed.

“This research gives us an important opportunity to pause, reflect and listen – to tenants, landlords and the wider sector – about what’s working, what feels challenging and what tenant participation needs to be in the years ahead.”

The project will look at how tenant participation in Scotland is structured and resourced, the methods used, and how inclusive and accessible it is for different communities.

Researchers are carrying out two national surveys: one for registered social landlords and councils which is open for another two weeks, and one for tenants that closes on 1 June 2026.

They will also organise workshops with tenants, housing staff and board members to discuss issues in depth this summer.

More details on how to get involved can be found here.

King’s Speech promises to introduce delayed duty of candour proposals under Hillsborough Law

Eliza Parr — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:55:25 GMT

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has pledged to introduce the Hillsborough Law, which will bring forward a duty of candour for public servants, during the next parliamentary session.

The pledge for the Hillsborough Law will come in under the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, and was included in the King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

It was introduced to parliament in September 2025 and passed its second reading in the House of Commons in November.

The bill will impose a duty of candour on public authorities and offices to act with candour, transparency and frankness, and the government revealed last year that this will extend to the Housing Ombudsman.

It will mean public authorities and officials are legally bound to tell the truth during official investigations, inquests and inquiries, and follows calls from bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire for the requirement.

The Hillsborough Law was a commitment in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto.

A briefing document published alongside the King’s Speech said: “The measures in this bill will end the culture of cover-ups and institutional defensiveness by bringing forward measures that create duties of candour; individual accountability; honesty and frankness when things go wrong; and ‘parity of arms’ at inquests.”

In January, the government said it would delay the Commons report stage and third reading of the bill, so that further amendments could be made to “get the right balance between transparency and national security”.

In late April, the House of Commons passed a ‘carry-over motion’ for the bill to allow it to be picked up in the parliamentary session beginning this month, without which the bill would have failed.

The bill had previously been blocked by the government in July 2025, which sparked outrage among Grenfell survivors and bereaved families.

Campaigners feared measures could be watered down and the duty of candour element removed, but in October the government said it would remain in the legislation.

The law was first tabled by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham in 2017, and stems from inquests into the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. During an FA Cup tie at Hillsborough Stadium, 97 football fans were unlawfully killed after gross negligence by police.

Inquests later exposed that there was no legal obligation for the public authorities involved to co-operate with the process, and information was able to be withheld.

In the 2024 King’s Speech, the government promised to introduce a duty of candour law, to ensure “that the state can never hide from the people it is supposed to serve”, while also citing the Post Office Horizon scandal and the Grenfell Tower fire.

The bill will also establish clear individual accountability for creating and spreading false narratives, through the creation of the offence of misleading the public.

Legal aid reforms within the legislation will increase the number of legally aided inquests from roughly 200 to 400 per year, up to 11,400.

RSH finds London council has not assessed some stock for over a decade

Stephen Delahunty — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:54:37 GMT

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has handed a non-compliant consumer grade to a London council after most of its stock had not been surveyed in over 10 years.

The RSH has handed Islington Council a C3 grade. The local authority could not provide an accurate understanding of its residents and its surveys lacked a formal Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment.

The council could also not assure the English regulator that its properties meet the Decent Homes Standard (DHS).

The accuracy of the council’s health and safety compliance data was described as “limited” and it had more than 1,000 overdue lift remedial actions, which Islington reported did not pose critical safety risks and did not require the lifts to be closed.

The council has demonstrated that it treats tenants with fairness and respect, and uses their insight to shape services. But further work is needed to strengthen and close gaps in the information it holds on tenants.

Councillor Una O’Halloran, leader of Islington Council, said: “We take the Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement seriously and fully accept that improvement is needed. The findings highlight weaknesses in how we understand the condition of our homes and how we assure ourselves on safety data, and that is not good enough.

“This is not about a lack of commitment, but about systems and assurance that must be stronger. We had already begun an improvement programme before the inspection, and we are now accelerating that work, with clear accountability and close engagement with the regulator, to make sure residents have safe, decent and well-maintained homes.”

Islington Council has been engaging constructively with the regulator, understands the issues and is taking action to address them.

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the RSH, said: “All social landlords should aim for a C1 grade as the minimum standard.

“To do this, they need to understand the condition of tenants’ homes and act on this to find and fix problems, and tackle the root cause. They also need to listen to tenants, treat them with fairness and respect, and use feedback to shape services.

“Landlords with a C1 grade still have room to improve, but they will have plans to deliver it. When we find weaknesses or serious failures through our inspections or referrals, we work with landlords to make sure they improve for the long term.”

As part of its latest round of judgements, the RSH added GreenSquareAccord to its gradings under review list due to issues that may indicate serious failings in the housing association delivering the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard.

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council have been given the top C1 consumer grade.

This is because Hammersmith and Fulham Council has an accurate record of the condition of tenants’ homes, with a clear plan to complete all surveys by June 2026.

Plus, 99% of the authority’s homes meet the DHS and councillors have oversight of health and safety performance, with outcomes reported across the main areas of compliance.

Stockport Council also has an accurate understanding of most of its stock and the RSH revealed that the local authority is “actively focusing on homes that it has not been able to access”.

Stockport reported that 99% of homes meet the DHS and it is taking all reasonable steps to comply with legal health and safety requirements.

The council is responsible for a number of tall buildings, all of which have an up-to-date fire risk assessment, with remedial work in progress and mitigations in place where needed.

Housing associations Housing 21 and Golden Lane Housing received G1, V1 and C1 grades.

As well as meeting the outcomes of the consumer standards, the RSH said “they also demonstrated that they are well run and meet RSH’s governance requirements, and have the financial capacity to deal with a range of adverse scenarios”.

Salford City Council and Milton Keynes City Council received a C2 grade, meaning there are some weaknesses and improvements are needed.

Both local authorities have engaged constructively with RSH, as well as demonstrated that they understand the issues and are taking action to address them.

More than 200 residents decanted from SNG block in Wembley due to fire safety risk

Stephen Delahunty — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:53:54 GMT

More than 200 residents have been moved out of a Sovereign Network Group (SNG) block in London and into temporary accommodation after fire safety risks were found during remediation works.

A total of 208 SNG residents at the Grand Union Heights development in Wembley, north London, have been decanted from their homes.

During remediation work to replace the external wall system and install a sprinkler system, additional concerns were found which are currently being investigated, the 85,000-home landlord confirmed.

A Fire Risk Assessment of the building, shared with Inside Housing, identified an “intolerable” risk to life due to a number of concerns, including failures in compartmentalisation and concerns with the suitability of evacuation staircases.

Nicole Sharp, chief customer officer at SNG, said: “Grand Union Heights, a scheme of five high and medium-rise buildings in Wembley, is currently undergoing fire remediation works including the replacement of the external wall system and installation of a sprinkler system.

“Very recently, during the sprinkler installation and removal of external cladding, additional issues were identified which required further specialist investigation.

“Following advice received late on Wednesday 29 April from our independent fire safety specialists, it was confirmed that it is not currently safe for residents to remain in their homes because of concerns about how the buildings could perform in the event of a fire.

“On this basis, and to protect the safety of our residents, we took the decision to ask all households to temporarily move out of the buildings with immediate effect, while we carry our further investigations. Until this point, the safety measures in place had been agreed by fire engineers and the London Fire Brigade.

“We understand how distressing and disruptive this is for the people living at Grand Union Heights, and we are very sorry for the impact this situation is having on them and their families.

“Our teams have been on site from the outset to provide support. We’ve also held a meeting with residents to give them the opportunity to ask questions, and our teams will continue to be on site throughout this period.

“We are supporting all residents to move into temporary accommodation, and we are working closely with each household to ensure they receive the financial and practical assistance they need.

“Our approach has been supported by our primary fire authority and we remain in close contact with the London Fire Brigade and other key local stakeholders. Resident safety is our absolute priority, and we will update residents as soon as we know the outcome of our investigations.”

Why housing must put mental well-being at its heart

Julie Haydon — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:35:25 GMT

Julie Haydon’s campaign as president of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is called Rooted in Resilience. For Mental Health Awareness week, she writes for Inside Housing about why the housing sector should be creating resilient organisations

With Mental Health Awareness Week upon us, I find myself reflecting on my journey as CIH president – one that has taken me across the UK, from early conversations last November through to Housing Brighton earlier this month.

It has been a journey of listening and learning, but also of sharing a simple, urgent message: resilience in housing is not a ‘nice to have’. It is essential.

Social housing is operating in a period of profound change. Demand continues to outstrip supply, regulation is intensifying and expectations of housing professionals have never been higher. This is, without question, the most scrutinised and accountable environment our sector has faced – and rightly so!

When housing fails, the consequences are not abstract. People don’t just lose a service, they can lose their health, their safety, their sense of security, sometimes even their lives. We continue to see residents living with damp, mould and disrepair, and we carry the weight of where the system has fallen short.

Policy is key here, because despite a renewed political focus on housing, we continue to operate in a system that is under strain. Stalled supply, constrained funding, delays in planning and rising costs continue to impact our work.

And yet, despite the crisis we are operating in, housing professionals show up every day and do extraordinary work. They protect communities, improve lives and provide stability in an increasingly unstable world. That contribution deserves far more recognition than it receives.

But alongside the visible pressures on services, there is a quieter, less visible crisis building within our organisations: workforce burnout.

Research from CIH Futures found that over a third of housing professionals under 35 reported feeling extremely tired, stressed or overwhelmed at work. This reflects a wider national picture, where mental health is now the leading cause of sickness-related absence. Beneath the surface of our organisations, these are the fault lines – and they cannot be ignored.

The question is no longer whether organisations should care about resilience. It is whether we can afford not to.

For me, this is not just a professional issue. It is deeply personal.

I grew up in a loving home, and like every family, we experienced challenges. One unspoken chapter came when my father, a proud, hardworking man, experienced a mental breakdown at a time when mental health was rarely spoken about – particularly for men. The prevailing attitude was simple: keep going, say nothing, push through.

But the man I knew as strong and steady became withdrawn and unrecognisable to my young eyes. My mother carried the weight of our family through that period, quietly and with determination. She cared for my dad, looked after five young girls and held down a full-time job.

That experience shaped my understanding of resilience in a way no textbook ever could. It taught me that mental health matters, that silence is not strength, and that asking for help is not weakness – it is strategy.

These lessons are at the heart of my presidential campaign: Rooted in Resilience. Championed by the Chartered Institute of Housing, it builds on the sector’s longstanding commitment to professionalism and development, but goes further, placing well-being where it belongs: at the centre of how we lead, manage and deliver services to our customers.

Too often, resilience is framed as an individual responsibility, something people must build in themselves to withstand pressure. But resilience does not exist in isolation. It is shaped by culture, leadership and the systems around us.

If we want resilient people, we must create resilient organisations.

That means making well-being a strategic priority, not an afterthought. It means fostering cultures where people feel supported, valued and connected. It means embracing a growth mindset, where learning and mistakes are seen as part of development, not failure.

In practical terms, it requires leadership to:

Put well-being firmly on the agenda, including at the highest levels
Talk about mental health openly and consistently
Model compassionate, resilient and kind leadership
Build teams where capability and confidence can grow

Because culture is not defined by what we say, it is defined by what we do, every day.

The Rooted in Resilience toolkit is one step in that direction, offering practical ways for individuals and organisations to embed well-being into everyday practice. But tools alone are not enough. Change comes from commitment, from recognising that the sustainability of our services depends on the sustainability of our people.

Resilience is easy to dismiss, until the moment it is needed. And then its absence is crippling. But when it is present, it protects individuals, strengthens teams and underpins the services our communities rely on.

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week, this is my challenge to the sector: if we know resilience sustains our colleagues, our services and our communities, why would we not give it the importance it deserves?

Julie Haydon, president, Chartered Institute of Housing

Merseyside landlords call for national pledge to support residents with hoarding

Katie Bell-Smith — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:52:38 GMT

A group of 13 Merseyside landlords are calling on the sector to adopt a national pledge to help standardise support for residents struggling with hoarding.

The call upon the sector for a national pledge was made ahead of National Hoarding Awareness Week, which started yesterday (11 May).

The proposed pledge aims to help registered providers identify hoarders and develop methods of delivering appropriate support. It will also set standards for training and education for staff and contractors.

In 2013, hoarding was recognised as a complex mental health condition by the NHS, and the community interest company Hoarding Disorders UK estimates that 2-6% of the population struggles with hoarding.

Hoarding can lead to emotional symptoms such as shame, isolation and anxiety, as well as physical health problems due to unhygienic conditions, increased risk of damp and mould, reduced access and fire safety issues.

To help tackle this issue, Liverpool-based social landlord Prima Group established the Housing and Hoarding Innovation Group in 2025.

The group was founded in an attempt to standardise the approach to support given by housing associations and local authorities to people struggling with hoarding. Its goal is to improve safety in tenant’s homes and support them to have their voice heard, through a collaborative approach to service delivery.

In addition to sharing best practice and raising awareness, the group has been working on developing a national charter that will set out what people living with hoarding can expect from their landlord.

The call comes after Inside Housing’s sister publication, Inside Housing Management, took a longer look into London landlord Clarion’s hoarding pilot scheme.

One of the landlord’s tenants, Ruth Cookson, was a hoarder herself, and after the Covid-19 pandemic, action had to be taken due to the severity of her hoarding.

She said: “In 2017, I came out of a bad relationship and then it got worse with everything building up.”

Ms Cookson is using her experience to support tenants by co-founding the Prima peer support group, Bringing Hoarders Together, which meets fortnightly in Birkenhead and allows those suffering to navigate challenges together.

“Speak to your housing officer,” she said. “Pluck up the courage and say: ‘I’m a hoarder and I need help.’”

Bringing Hoarders Together is a part of a wider network, Hoarders Helping Hoarders, which currently has 19 peer groups across the Merseyside area all with a similar aim.

Jenny Devon, sustainment and cohesion manager at Prima Group, said: “Tenants and residents attending Bringing Hoarders Together meetings say there is currently a very inconsistent approach from housing associations and local authorities when speaking to hoarders and managing cases.

“As hoarding takes place in the home, the sector is at the heart of the issue and perfectly placed to create a co-ordinated, compassionate approach, which is what the pledge will provide.”

The Housing and Hoarding Innovation Group has grown to 13 members: Alpha Living, Cobalt Housing, Family Housing Association, Livv Housing, Magenta Living, Onward Homes, Prima Group, Regenda Homes, Riverside, South Liverpool Homes, Torus, Westfield Housing Association and Wirral Methodist Housing Association.

Our new Access to Accommodation programme is investing in new ways to provide housing

Duncan Shrubsole — Fri, 15 May 2026 10:35:54 GMT

Duncan Shrubsole explains why St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity has set up a new fund to support small housing projects for people experiencing homelessness, with the aim of opening up innovative ways to address the housing crisis

Tackling homelessness requires urgency and action at both a national and local level.

At the end of last year, the government set out its long-awaited strategy to tackle homelessness in England. It promised to prioritise prevention, end unsuitable temporary accommodation for families and halve long-term rough sleeping.

As we said at the time, the commitments were right and very welcome, but what matters is the sustained leadership and resources to ensure it actually happens on the ground.

Crucial to success is ensuring the right accommodation is actually available across the country for the people who need it. And with national homelessness statistics showing that all forms of homelessness are remaining stubbornly high, particularly the number of households in temporary accommodation, that need is clear.

Those working on the frontline of tackling homelessness told us at St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity last year that 83% of them found it difficult to access housing that meets the needs of the people they support, with over half (55%) telling us this had worsened in the last year.

And the latest national rough sleeping statistics show that nearly a third (31%) of people sleeping rough reported this was because they didn’t know how to find accommodation or help. A fifth of them said it was because that there was no homeless accommodation available locally.

The government has committed itself to building 1.5 million new homes. This is a big task, and we need these to be built quickly – with as many of them to be socially rented as possible. But new homes and wider change will take time. If you are homeless today, time is one thing you do not have.

That’s why at St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity we have created our Access to Accommodation fund. Through conversations with charities, frontline workers and people with lived experience of homelessness, we heard the same message: organisations are working hard to develop practical housing solutions, but often lack the resources needed to unlock them.

Through this new programme, we have dedicated over £620,000 to support smaller, community-based charities to develop new ways to either create or unlock accommodation in their local area. Each has seen a significant demand in their services, but they have been struggling to access accommodation for those they are working with.

Our funding will enable them to provide housing solutions in their local communities – using local expertise to respond to specific challenges and developing solutions with these insights in mind.

From repurposing derelict buildings in Great Yarmouth to building modular homes on unused land in Oxford, to adapting properties for disabled people in Liverpool and creating new options to live and work for women with no recourse to public funds in Leicester, all eight projects are designed by teams working closely with those experiencing homelessness.

The projects are tackling unmet local needs and will receive significant flexible funding and support from us over the next three years. Working alongside these organisations to gather insights and learnings, our programme aims not only to deliver immediate housing but also to help identify solutions that could be replicated more widely across the sector, and in different locations. And we are now expanding the programme to support projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too.

World events are undoubtedly casting a heavy shadow and will make economic prospects and funding for new housing even more challenging. With this programme, and the partners we are supporting, we want to show it is possible to make a real, practical and tangible difference with relatively small amounts of money, making more appropriate accommodation available to help people move out of and away from homelessness.

Grassroots charities are on the frontlines of the housing crisis, and they know their communities inside and out. We hope this will encourage government, local councils and other funders to invest in and support these kinds of organisations to create solutions to the housing crisis so that more people can have a safe and secure place to call home.

Duncan Shrubsole, chief executive, St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity

‘I cried all night, because I just felt like a different person’: inside Clarion’s bold hoarding pilot scheme

Anna Highfield — Tue, 12 May 2026 07:45:00 GMT

Hoarding had taken over Mark’s home and his life – until a Clarion pilot scheme helped him to reclaim it. Anna Highfield reports

Content warning: the following story contains references to suicide

More than 20 councils warn government’s accessible housing target is ‘not ambitious enough’

Lara Bowman — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:33:48 GMT

More than 20 local authorities have said the government’s proposed target for accessible housing is “not ambitious enough”.

The findings come from councils that responded to the Centre for Ageing Better’s informal survey.

The national charity and partner organisations accused ministers of “aiming too low” with their proposed 40% minimum target for accessible homes under reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), warning that it risks failing to address the scale of the issue.

The Housing Made for Everyone Coalition, which is co-chaired by the Centre for Ageing Better and Habinteg Housing Association, is calling on the government to raise the minimum target before the reforms come into force.

In addition to the survey, Freedom of Information (FOI) responses analysed by the national charity found that some councils are already significantly overshooting the government’s proposed minimum, while others have set themselves more ambitious targets.

The M4(2) standard includes step-free access, wider doors and corridors, and layouts that allow for easy and cost-effective adaptations over time.

The FOI research also found that many councils do not record the number of accessible homes planned or completed within their boundaries.

The wide-ranging NPPF consultation closed in March, and the government is expected to respond in the coming months.

The Centre for Ageing Better said robust policies are urgently needed to ensure more accessible homes are delivered. Its analysis found that 12 million people in England are living in homes that do not meet their accessibility needs.

Plus, 87% of homes across England do not have all four basic accessibility features that make a home visitable for most people, as set out in minimum housing standards.

Housing accessibility also varies drastically by region. In London, 17% of homes meet the four basic accessibility criteria, more than double the proportion in the North West and West Midlands, both at 8%.

The previous Conservative government announced plans almost four years ago to require all new homes to have step-free access at entrance level, as well as other accessibility features as a minimum requirement. However, a second consultation intended to finalise the move to the new regulations never materialised.

Millie Brown, head of homes at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “Having a minimum target of new housing that has to meet higher accessibility standards is a positive step forward and is an important recognition from the government of the importance of building more homes that meet the needs of our country’s growing ageing and disabled populations.

“But we are not alone as an organisation in believing that the government should go further if it really wants to tackle the scale of the issue here. Local authorities, which know only too well what can be practically achieved, have also echoed this call.”

She warned that the “real risk” of setting the minimum target too low is that councils “will not be closing the accessibility need gap quickly enough”, leaving residents living in homes that make day-to-day life difficult “for years to come”.

Ms Brown added: “Having insufficient minimum targets also sets up the risk of deepening the postcode lottery of accessible housing, with some local authorities happy to just hit the minimum target while others treat the issue with a higher priority and achieve 80-95% accessible housing, therefore making it much easier for their residents to find a home in their local area which meets their accessibility needs.

“Everyone deserves a good-quality home that keeps them safe, healthy and secure. Accessible homes enable people with mobility issues or disabilities to live independently and safely, helping avoid injuries and falls.

“Everyone can benefit from accessible homes, including families using prams and anyone who has older people or friends with mobility issues visiting them. The government should be aiming to make this a reality for more people, more quickly.”

Previous polling carried out for the Centre for Ageing Better found that more than three in four people (77%) think all new homes should be built to a standard that allows people to live independently as they age or if they become disabled.

Two-thirds of local authorities surveyed list housing as key challenge in meeting demand for school places

Stephen Delahunty — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:34:30 GMT

A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has identified housing as a key issue in meeting demand for school places at a time of falling pupil numbers.

The findings come from 76 local authorities that responded to the survey, describing a lack of visibility over government policies surrounding housing and its impact on school places as one of their main challenges.

Plus, almost a third of local authorities surveyed reported being unhappy with the Department for Education’s (DfE) support and guidance on managing school places.

Much of the NAO report focused on how national demand for primary school places fell by 3% between 2018-19 and 2024-25, with a further fall of 7% forecast by 2030, albeit with local variation.

Unfilled school places rose from 10% to 14% in the same period.

The DfE expects local authorities to use birth rates, migration and housing developments data to forecast demand for school places.

It works with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to provide tools and guidance to help local authorities plan school places to reflect housing developments.

This includes a tool to estimate the pupils from housing developments, and guidance for securing developer contributions towards providing more school places, funding new school buildings or improvements to existing ones.

Local authorities are responsible for overseeing school places in their local area. However, the report finds that the DfE only started to track the specific risk of not responding to changing demographics in 2024, and does not yet have a clear approach to supporting the sector in deciding how and when to respond.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “After a long period of increasing demand for school places, we are now seeing an overall fall in primary school pupil numbers with local variation.

“This will require a targeted response from DfE, local authorities, academy trusts and individual schools, in order to protect educational outcomes and value for money.”

Inside Housing has previously reported how the housing crisis was partly blamed for a fall in numbers of school-aged children, after a London council was forced to close two primary schools and merge four others across the borough.

At the time, Hackney Council said the fall in school-aged children across the capital is being driven by the housing crisis, falling birth rates, the pandemic and Brexit.

When Inside Housing launched its Build Social campaign, it reported how a shortage of affordable housing is leading London councils to ship more people experiencing homelessness outside the capital.

Part of this investigation found that out-of-area placements put additional strain on local services, including schools.

Since then, Hackney has announced plans to repurpose primary schools shut due to falling pupil numbers into temporary accommodation.

This decline in pupil numbers can also impact schools financially, because most school funding is based on pupil numbers.

The NAO estimates that a projected reduction of 56,300 primary school pupils in 2027 could mean that schools receive £288m less in per-pupil funding.

In response, a Local Government Association spokesperson said: “Councils want to work with the government to ensure every child attends a school where they can be happy, safe and reach their full potential.

“The Department for Education should ensure that all schools, including academies, work together to manage the implications of a fall in pupil numbers, and to minimise the impact on children’s long-term educational attainment. Schools are at the heart of communities and should remain open wherever possible and used where they can.

“Local government shares the collective national ambition to tackle the housing crisis, which will only be achieved with strong national and local leadership working together. Councils need to be empowered to build more affordable, good-quality homes quickly and at scale.”

The report comes after research by Shelter last year that found more than half of teachers in state schools across England have reported educating children experiencing homelessness.

A DfE spokesperson said: “Every child deserves a great school place close to home, and this government is already taking action to shape the future of our schools system: as pupil numbers change, we’re supporting areas to plan ahead and make the best use of their school estate.

“We’re backing this with record investment, including a £1.7bn increase to the core schools budget in 2026-27, with above-real terms per pupil increases continuing, alongside £400m to create tens of thousands of nursery places and £3.7bn for new SEND [special educational needs and disabilities] provision.

“Our Estates Strategy will introduce a new decision-making framework from autumn 2026 to help local leaders respond to changing demand, while the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill gives the Schools Adjudicator the power to specify a school’s published admission number as last resort where local agreement breaks down, with school quality and parental preference at the heart of decisions.”

Exclusive: more than 700 people died in temporary accommodation in London in past three years

Stephen Delahunty and Jack Shaw — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:33:03 GMT

More than 700 people have died in temporary accommodation in London between 2022-23 and 2024-25.

The data was collected and shared exclusively with Inside Housing by Jack Shaw, director of Groundwork Research, using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every council in the capital over a three-year period.

The total number of deaths was 741, but the figure is likely to be higher, as some councils claimed they could not provide the information as it was “not in a reportable format”, and Ealing Council said the information was not held.

Ealing was asked to explain why it does not have the information. Through the data collected it is not possible to know whether temporary accommodation contributed to the deaths.

However, previous reporting on this issue has shown that between 2019 and 2024, 74 children have died unexpectedly in cases where temporary accommodation was a contributing factor.

At the time, Dr Laura Neilson, chief executive of the Shared Health Foundation (SHF), which is co-secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation, described the deaths as “preventable and fixable”.

A group of MPs last month called for English councils to be required to carry out inspections of temporary accommodation before sending families to live there for the first time.

Commenting on the latest findings, a spokesperson for the SHF said: “This new data should shock us all. Over 700 deaths in temporary accommodation over three years in our capital, many of them children, is a damning reflection on our society.

“One death is too many, 700 is an absolute scandal. The government should prioritise improving the standards and support offered for all those living in temporary accommodation.

“It should be on the front pages every day, in every cabinet meeting and plastered all over Whitehall until the death toll reaches zero, because unless we have a true cross-department, cross-party consensus on this we will see the numbers continue to rise.”

The latest findings come after data linking stillbirths to temporary accommodation in England was published for the first time last month. This report also revealed that temporary accommodation has been listed as a contributing factor in the deaths of 104 children in England over the past six years.

In response to the FOI release, a London Councils spokesperson said: “London is grappling with the most severe homelessness emergency in the country, with around one in 50 Londoners currently living in temporary accommodation.

“Boroughs are working hard to support homeless residents. We have consistently called for further policy action at a national level to boost the availability of affordable housing and to help residents into permanent housing as quickly as possible.”

A spokesperson for the mayor of London said: “Any death as a result of the housing and homelessness crisis is a tragedy, and the mayor is clear that every Londoner deserves a safe and secure home.

“London is acutely feeling the long-term consequences of the national housing crisis, with local authorities’ budgets slashed by the previous government, forcing many councils away from homelessness prevention and into crisis management mode.”

Earlier this month, the government’s latest homelessness figures revealed a drop in rough sleeping in London, but the number of children in temporary accommodation reached another record high.

Last year, Sir Sadiq Khan announced a new £1m homelessness strategy to deliver intensive and targeted interventions to 17 rough-sleeping hotspots around the capital.

This built on the previously announced Ending Homelessness Accelerator Programme, backed by £3.5m in funding.

The spokesperson added: “The mayor will continue to work closely with government, councils and partners to deliver his commitment to end rough sleeping for good in London by 2030, as we work together to build a safer, fairer and better London for everyone.”

Last month, the government published new data that revealed a hidden population of children in B&B temporary accommodation, following an Inside Housing investigation.

FCA probe to examine how claims management firms handle cases such as housing disrepair

Stephen Delahunty — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:35:38 GMT

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching a probe into concerns that “consumers are being failed” by some claims management companies (CMCs) and law firms.

The FCA will work with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) on the review, which will examine what it describes as “the root causes of poor practices across the market, like aggressive marketing, misleading advertising and unfair exit fees”.

The FCA said it is concerned about the handling of housing disrepair claims, and cited examples of consumers being signed up without their consent, and without clear, upfront explanations of the implications of signing up or ticking a box.

This includes being approached via social media adverts, or by multiple representatives, potentially causing confusion and delaying compensation.

The probe by the FCA comes after the government confirmed at the end of last year that it is mulling a ban on referral fees for housing disrepair claims, as it seeks to tackle “unscrupulous” claim-farming activity in the sector.

Prior to this, Mansfield District Council put out a warning to residents, after claiming that ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors’ representatives are gaining access to tenants’ homes by pretending to be council officers.

The financial watchdog will look at competition on price and quality, and whether existing price caps are still fit for purpose, especially where free-to-use redress mechanisms like ‘no win no fee’ exist.

It will look at financial incentives, fee structures, funding and insurance arrangements, and whether these create conflicts of interest that could lead to poor conduct and outcomes.

The probe will also examine whether lead generation, marketing and advertising deliver good consumer outcomes, and whether different approaches across different regulatory regimes affect firm behaviour, or if some firms are still failing to secure the appropriate permissions.

In another case last year, a housing solicitor was ordered to pay a tenant’s legal costs after a housing disrepair case failed.

The FCA warned that “robust action” will be taken against any parties who refuse to engage with the investigation.

The authority could recommend legislative changes to the government if needed, including whether CMCs and law firms should be subject to stronger compensation mechanisms if they cause harm.

Alison Walters, director of consumer finance at the FCA, said: “CMCs and law firms can help consumers secure compensation they are owed. But too often consumers are being let down, eroding trust in firms that should be supporting them and damaging the economy.

“This review will give us a clear picture of how the market is working and galvanise the further actions that are needed.”

Aileen Armstrong, executive director for strategy, innovation and external affairs at the SRA, said: “When they work well, claims management services can benefit consumers. But we are concerned about poor practices and behaviours that are not looking after consumers’ best interest.

“We will work closely with the FCA on this important review. This is a cross-sectoral problem that requires joined-up solutions.”

Further information on the review is expected in the middle of this month, and the FCA said it will continue to intervene where it sees harm, including through the joint regulatory taskforce set up to tackle the poor handling of motor finance claims.

This includes action against misleading advertising and sign-up processes, meritless claims and multiple representation.

The taskforce will also look at firms’ financial and operational resilience including, but not limited to, the quality and integrity of accounting and audit practices.

How Incommunities has used the NHF’s diversity data tool

Marianne Elliott — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:54:08 GMT

The National Housing Federation is currently collecting data from housing associations for its equalities, diversity and inclusion tool. Marianne Elliott explains how Incommunities has been using the tool

As a housing professional working in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), I’ve learned that good intentions alone are not enough. If we want lasting, meaningful change, we need evidence to guide us. Used well, data strengthens EDI by grounding intent in evidence and accountability. It gives us clarity, confidence and the ability to act.

At Incommunities, data has played a central role in shaping our EDI journey. Not as an end in itself, but as a foundation for better decisions, more inclusive leadership and services that better reflect the people we exist to serve.

That is why the National Housing Federation’s EDI data tool has been so important to us.

When I joined Incommunities in 2022, I was encouraged to learn that the organisation had already taken part in the NHF’s first EDI data collection. Like many organisations at the time, our data was developing but incomplete. We understood the importance of EDI improvement, but we lacked a clear sector benchmark to help us understand where we stood.

The 2023 NHF EDI data collection changed that. For the first time, we had a robust picture of how our workforce compared with the communities we serve, our region and the wider housing sector. The benchmark provided both reassurance and challenge, and a practical framework we could build from.

The NHF EDI data tool is unique within the housing sector. It allows housing associations in England to compare workforce diversity with the characteristics of the communities where their homes are located, using consistent and nationally aligned questions.

In 2023, 177 housing associations took part, representing 79% of members’ homes nationally and 92% of homes in Yorkshire and the Humber. That scale matters because it turns individual organisational effort into meaningful sector insight.

One of the most tangible impacts of aligning with the NHF data tool was how it shaped our employee and customer data dictionary. We created a single, trusted reference point that defines the data we collect, why we collect it, how it aligns with government census standards and how we use it ethically to improve outcomes.

In practice, this allowed us to align definitions across teams, build consistency across systems, prioritise the most valuable insight and strengthen confidence in the integrity of our data.

“As someone who grew up in social housing, I believe understanding how many colleagues share that lived experience matters”

Building on this work, we launched our major customer census, The Big Check In, supported by an external data consultant. The aim was to refresh, validate and strengthen our understanding of who our customers are, so we can tailor services more effectively.

Accessibility was central to the approach. Customers could respond via email, text, telephone, post or in person with neighbourhood officers. That flexibility made a difference, particularly for people with additional needs or digital barriers.

The response has been strong. We have received around 19,000 responses to date, and early analysis shows that approximately 90% of our existing EDI data was accurate. This has provided reassurance, while also highlighting where further insight is needed.

Collaboration has been critical to this success. Our external data partner supported question design, customers from our EDI network helped shape language and tone, and internal teams brought practical insight into delivery and accessibility.

The real value lies in how the insight is used. We now understand not only who we hear from, but who we might be missing. This allows us to identify underrepresented voices, focus resources where they will have the greatest impact and embed inclusive service design in priority areas.

For our leadership team, this has shifted how EDI is discussed. Conversations have moved away from aspiration and towards evidence – where representation is improving, where it is not, and what that means for workforce planning, engagement and service priorities. This clarity has strengthened accountability and made EDI a shared leadership responsibility rather than a specialist concern.

Extensive research across sectors consistently shows that more diverse and inclusive organisations make better decisions and achieve stronger outcomes, driven by broader perspectives and more effective challenge. This insight sits at the heart of our new five‑year EDI strategy, which commits us to embedding diverse perspectives in everything we do, for colleagues and for customers.

“[EDI] brings empathy, insight and connection into leadership and service design”

For me, one of the most meaningful aspects of this journey has been my involvement in the NHF’s national EDI steering group. Over the past year, I worked alongside NHF colleagues and housing association members to improve the 2026 data tool. Feedback from the previous collection informed changes, inclusivity across protected characteristics was strengthened and member voice remained central throughout. External bodies, including Stonewall, were also consulted.

I was particularly pleased to contribute to the inclusion of optional guidance questions about the experience of social housing. As someone who grew up in social housing, I believe understanding how many colleagues share that lived experience matters. It brings empathy, insight and connection into leadership and service design.

If there is one message I would share with colleagues across the sector, it is that the NHF EDI data tool is more than a reporting exercise. Used well, it can become a shared resource for understanding our people, our communities and the decisions we make. The greater the participation in the 2026 data collection, the stronger our collective insight and the greater the opportunity for meaningful change.

NHF members have until 1 June 2026 to contribute their data to the sector-wide analysis.

Marianne Elliott, strategic EDI business partner, Incommunities

Update: at 8.50am, 11.05.26

This story was updated because it included the incorrect deadline for responding to the NHF data collection – the story originally stated this was 15 May, but it has been extended to 1 June

County council sets up new housing scrutiny committee in response to C4 grading

Eliza Parr — Thu, 14 May 2026 11:53:22 GMT

Northumberland County Council (NCC) has established a new housing scrutiny committee to oversee improvements following its recent C4 grading from the regulator.

In February, the 8,000-home landlord was handed the lowest consumer grading by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) over “unacceptable” failings.

The RSH told the council to make “fundamental changes” after discovering serious issues with its information on homes, its compliance with health and safety requirements, and how it offers tenancies.

NCC holds up-to-date information on just 3% of homes, the inspection found, and previously carried out a stock condition survey for 10% of its housing almost 15 years ago.

In response, NCC councillors have voted unanimously to set up a fifth overview and scrutiny committee dedicated to housing.

A report put forward for a council meeting on 6 May said NCC has been working with the regulator on an improvement plan following its inspection.

It continued: “A key part of these improvements is to extend governance and the robustness of assurance arrangements for the NCC landlord function.

“In order to provide oversight of the delivery of this improvement plan and associated assurance, including tenant engagement, [the] council is recommended to establish a dedicated housing scrutiny committee.”

The report said the committee will be set up on an “initial task and finish basis until such time as the regulator requirements are met”.

“Following this, arrangements will be reviewed, but it is anticipated that appropriate formal and specific housing scrutiny will be required,” it added.

As well as scrutinising delivery of the council’s housing improvement plan, the committee will seek to explore any wider improvements to NCC’s housing service, to ensure it “considers how to adopt sector best practice”.

During the council meeting, councillor Scott Dickinson said: “It is incredibly important that we have a structured and competent committee that looks at the housing issues not only with the council but brings in wider partners such as other social providers and others that provide housing services to our residents.”

Glen Sanderson, leader of the council, said it is “very important” to him that the new committee is both “vibrant and challenging” and also chaired and vice-chaired by members of the opposition.

Landmark High Court ruling finds non-compliant exempt provider ‘taking advantage’ of benefit system for profit

Stephen Delahunty — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:33:50 GMT

A High Court judge has ruled that a non-compliant provider’s attempt to claim exempt housing benefits was “taking advantage” of the system.

The case was brought by Middlesbrough Council and Sunderland City Council against My Space Housing Solutions after they both rejected claims for benefits related to properties in their areas.

Exempt status allows providers to claim enhanced levels of rent, but this was rejected on the basis that the housing schemes had been established to benefit from the system designed to support vulnerable people.

When the properties were visited, council officials found they were covered by one staff member who was unable to provide sufficient support to the scheme’s 38 tenants.

The Bolton-based charity developed two supported housing schemes in North Ormesby in 2017.

They were offered to the councils as specialist housing provision, but rejected as being unsuitable for all client groups, including vulnerable and disabled residents. Despite this, the charity pushed ahead with its plan.

My Space subsequently appealed the decisions initially to Teesside Magistrates’ Court in 2024 and then again to an upper tribunal at the High Court in October 2025.

In a judgement published on 20 April 2026, Judge Edward Jacobs dismissed the appeal and found there had been no error of law during the earlier hearing.

In the tribunal document the judge explained: “These liabilities were created to take advantage of the housing benefit scheme.

“For the reasons we set out below, care was not provided at any reasonable level in the Middlesbrough appeals and we think this was probably because importance was not placed upon the provision of care so as to channel resources to cover the costs associated with paying the head landlords and ensuring housing management standards were maintained.

“These payments were, in our view, necessary to bring the accommodation within the scope of ‘exempt accommodation’ and in [the judges’] view amount to an abuse of the scheme.

“The fact that setting up My Space and being involved in its operations in the ensuing years appears prima facie to have enabled [the owner] and the companies he operates to make significant profits ostensibly at public expense.”

The judge explained that the evidence presented to the court “appears to us that significant profits were achieved on the back of the operating model”.

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) warned in 2025 that specialised supported housing is not being delivered by lease-based providers in a way that consistently meets its standards.

The judge also referenced previous reporting by Inside Housing on My Space as he described the organisation as one “without any apparent understanding of how it should operate within the confines of charity law and the rules associated with being a registered social landlord”.

Nicky Walker, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for finance, said the authority had acted at all times to protect the integrity of the benefits system.

“This has been a long-running legal process, but we’re again pleased our position has been backed in court,” she said.

“It’s vitally important that the benefits system is used properly rather than abused. Vulnerable people shouldn’t find themselves at the centre of cases like this. They just deserve the proper support by companies acting in their best interests.

“By refusing these claims and defending the position robustly in the courts the two councils have done right by the taxpayer and saved the public purse huge sums of money.”

In February 2025, My Space entered a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with its creditors, saving it from liquidation.

The CVA came two years after the RSH issued an enforcement notice to My Space Housing Solutions, saying it needed to commission insolvency advice.

In October 2022, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the provider after it found that payments of more than £1m were made to nine of its own trustees over a period of seven years.

In December the same year, the English regulator downgraded My Space to the lowest possible governance and financial viability grades after its failure to provide evidence was branded “unacceptable”.

International homelessness leaders visit Belfast to learn from success of youth programme

Grainne Cuffe — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:31:17 GMT

Around 30 homelessness leaders from Canada and the US visited Belfast to see how prevention models for young people are working on the ground in Northern Ireland.

The three-day visit, hosted by the Simon Community, brought together senior staff from homelessness services, research bodies and funders across North America to observe the success of the charity’s approaches.

This includes its Housing First for Youth programme, which provides safe housing alongside tailored support to young people leaving care.

The visit comes as homelessness continues to rise in the country, with almost 19,000 children and nearly 9,000 young people aged 18 to 25 currently without a stable home.

Delegates toured Simon Community services, met frontline staff and spoke directly with young people being supported into permanent homes.

The focus was on prevention of homelessness, rather than responding only when young people reach crisis.

Heidi Walter, programme design and training consultant at national coalition organisation A Way Home Canada, said: “Simon Community’s Housing First for Youth programme has demonstrated how successful this model can be in supporting care leavers.

“Our visit to Simon Community has been inspiring, showing that prevention really does pay off. They are a committed and courageous organisation, unafraid of change and always focused on doing what is best for young people.”

The delegation also shared learning from North America, including the importance of involving family and trusted relationships as part of solutions to youth homelessness, something Simon Community said it would now like to embed within Northern Ireland.

Jim Dennison, chief executive of Simon Community Northern Ireland, said: “This visit is about shared learning on a global scale and young people are at the heart of it.

“By learning from colleagues across the world and sharing what we’ve learned here in Northern Ireland, we can improve outcomes for young people, wherever they live.”

Landlords performing badly on safety TSMs will face questions, regulator warns

Ellie Brown — Mon, 11 May 2026 08:52:42 GMT

Landlords that do poorly on safety indicators in the tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs) will face questions from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), its director of strategy has said.

Will Perry told the Housing Brighton conference on Thursday that while the English regulator usually treats TSMs as evidence to guide inspections rather than a scorecard, the RSH also looks at them “in a trigger kind of way”, particularly management information relating to safety.

“You should be hitting 100% compliance on all of your safety indicators,” he told delegates.

“If you’re not and you’re missing them by quite a margin, we will come and ask. Because that is one of your fundamental responsibilities – keeping your tenants absolutely safe, meeting with your health and safety checks. There is absolutely no excuse there.

“So that is one area where it is an absolute trigger for us coming and asking you some searching questions.”

Mr Perry said the RSH has yet to identify “egregious safety failings” in the indicators.

“Just because a check hasn’t been carried out, doesn’t mean that the property that hasn’t been checked is unsafe. It means that you don’t know whether it is or not – and that’s the important thing,” he said.

When following up with these landlords, the regulator has found that providers are doing work to tackle the issues, such as catching up on works or sorting out contractor performance, Mr Perry added.

Earlier this year, Inside Housing analysis of TSM data revealed thousands of missing safety checks and assessments. However, overall compliance was high, with more than 98% of checks done for gas and fire and over 97% for asbestos, water and lift safety.

In the session, Mr Perry also commented on complaint-handling scores in the TSMs. He described the 35.5% overall score as “dire” and “something that I think we should all be questioning ourselves about”.

He acknowledged that respondents to this measure are predisposed to be unhappy with their landlord as they have had to make a complaint.

Asked by Inside Housing why the sector is doing poorly on complaint-handling, Mr Perry said there is evidence of providers in some cases not having figured out how to effectively manage their relationship with the people who raise issues.

“Sometimes it comes down to communication; sometimes it comes down to the fact that issues don’t get resolved quickly enough,” he said.

“Sometimes it comes down to that basic feeling of not being treated with fairness, with respect.”

Another issue is that residents complain about underlying issues and landlords then “reinforce the hurt” by not dealing with the complaint effectively, he added.

“If you are one of those providers who has a particularly low level of complaint satisfaction, I think that is usually indicative of wider issues within your systems, within your relationship with your tenants, within the way you communicate with your tenants and the way you deliver services.”

The sector needs to up the pace on harnessing artificial intelligence

Fiona Harris — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:35:55 GMT

As expectations rise, AI and data can play a crucial role in driving improvements in customer experience, writes Fiona Harris, chief information and data officer at Vivid

We hear with regularity now about the scope of AI and the opportunities and risks its presents. As part of the discussions taking place, this includes the debate about automation and implications for future workforces, as well as how AI can be used to help create better customer experiences.

As a sector, we’re facing many pressures, including greater regulatory demands and rising customer expectations, and in a period when the ombudsman has received a significant increase in complaints. As part of our technology strategy, we recognised the opportunity to improve customer satisfaction by harnessing AI to better use existing customer data.

This isn’t about removing or reducing human involvement and judgement in the services we provide, but about providing our organisation with greater insight and opportunity to address potential issues early. Instead of the organisation managing incoming complaints, predictive AI is now helping our teams to proactively reduce or eliminate their potential.

Our first major step saw our in-house team build a cost-effective predictive AI model, bringing together existing service data, including repair history, customer contact patterns and known vulnerability indicators. By analysing information we already have, the model predicts the likelihood of future complaints where it sees a high risk of dissatisfaction amongst customers.

This has helped our customer-facing teams better focus their attention where it’s needed most, enabling them to intervene earlier and meaning customers receive the right support to resolve their issues. The outcome of those high-risk cases: a customer satisfaction score of 9.9.

“AI must be seen and used in ways that strengthen and support human decision-making, keeping human judgement at the centre of the services we provide”

In reflecting on our work to date and in considering the lessons learnt, we’ve recognised that several key principles must underpin how AI is harnessed when seeking to drive improved customer experience.

AI must be seen and used in ways that strengthen and support human decision-making, keeping human judgement at the centre of the services we provide. For teams to properly trust AI and to willingly use its outputs in helping manage complex cases, such as in our work, plain-English explanations are vital. These are far more helpful than teams being presented with complex scores or highly technical outputs.

Whether it’s the complaint-risk model we’ve developed or others where AI can intelligently aid decision-making, the key is embedding AI within teams and embedding it well. We’ve learnt this matters more than the technology itself. In our view, AI works best when it supports real teams and real workflows and when there’s clear accountability.

We can confidently say that, while our own progress has been rapid and ambitious, it’s also been well measured and carefully governed. Every step we’ve taken has been done so with a strong emphasis placed on control, oversight and responsibility.

All developments remain fully aligned with key regulatory frameworks, including the EU Artificial Intelligence Act and GDPR, embedding compliance and ethical considerations into our processes from the very start, rather than as an uncomfortable afterthought.

At the same time, we know that innovation carries broader responsibilities that outstrip regulation alone. It’s for this reason, that we’re actively monitoring, assessing and working to reduce the environmental impact associated with our AI initiatives.

By combining speed with discipline, and innovation with accountability, we’re building AI capabilities that are not only effective and forward-looking, but also sustainable, transparent and trustworthy in the long term.

“If we don’t properly realise the gains and make the most of the very latest our evolving technological landscape offers, we’ll be doing our customers a clear disservice”

But if we’re to see AI and data properly employed and maximised for customers’ benefit, we need them placed at the centre of our organisations. To do this, we need a cultural step-change, so let’s see our sector up the pace, given how well businesses working in other areas are already embracing AI to deliver better customer experiences.

On this basis, we should also recognise the opportunity to learn from others as we start to catch up with those businesses that have already seen positive customer outcomes. As a sector, collaboration and knowledge-sharing has always been one of our strengths – let’s capitalise on this to help us make the rapid strides we need to make.

If we don’t make the most of the very latest our evolving technological landscape offers, we’ll be doing our customers a clear disservice. The long-term benefit to our organisations and crucially, to all our customers in making such a step-change is significant. Predictive customer support will soon be an expectation, not an innovation.

Fiona Harris, chief information and data officer, VIVID

Fewer than 20% of Scottish landlords’ allocation policies refer to autism

Grainne Cuffe — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:28:50 GMT

Only 16% of Scottish social landlords’ housing allocation policies feature the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’, leading to the housing needs of autistic children not being met, new research has found.

The research by Housing Options Scotland found that of the 129 housing association allocation policies reviewed, only four of the policies (3%) awarded medical priority or points in reference to the medical needs of autistic people.

Of the 26 local authority allocation policies reviewed as part of the research, two (or just under 8%) featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’.

None of them featured the words ‘neurodiversity’, ‘neurodivergent’ or ’neurodivergence’.

The report concluded that the allocation policies “do not give a great amount of consideration to autistic children and their families”.

The research looked at the social housing allocation policies of Scotland’s social landlords and councils to understand how they are responding to the needs of autistic children.

It found a “significant gap” between the understanding of autism as represented in governmental strategy and how the housing needs of autistic people, particularly children and young people, are actually being identified and met in policy and practice.

In contrast to the allocation policies, 22 of the 32 (or 69%) local housing strategy documents reviewed featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’.

Four of these strategies also featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’.

The report was commissioned by the charity, which helps disabled people, older adults and members of the Armed Forces community to find suitable housing, following a steep increase in calls from clients saying that their requests for appropriate spaces were not being considered.

According to the latest pupil census, 5.24% of children attending school in Scotland are autistic.

These children and their families have specific housing needs. Housing Options Scotland said that finding the right home to meet their needs can be challenging, “particularly during a housing crisis when social landlords and local authorities are under extreme pressure”.

The charity is calling for strategy to be translated into policy and practice and for more to be done to understand autism.

As well as greater understanding, it said there is scope for more discretion for social landlords to allocate homes according to need.

Moira Bayne, chief executive at Housing Options Scotland, said: “We absolutely recognise the extraordinary pressures that social landlords and local authorities are under during the housing crisis.

“Often the rationale is that housing a family in any house is better than not at all. The fallout from not getting it right can however come at a far greater cost.”

Housing association becomes member of JV North

Grainne Cuffe — Thu, 07 May 2026 15:06:37 GMT

Warrington Housing Association (WHA) has become a member of consortium JV North.

The 1,500-home landlord joins the North West housing consortium as it delivers a five-year development programme that will focus on social and supported rents.

Becoming a full member gives the organisation a seat on JV North’s board and access to the consortium’s £500m framework.

The move comes as the new £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) gets underway.

Bidding for funding opened in February, with Homes England expected to announce its new strategic partners under the programme in late summer.

Helen Smith, executive director of property at WHA, said joining JV North would help it deliver affordable homes for local communities.

She said: “By working in partnership with other like-minded housing associations we can access greater collective expertise, resources and development opportunities than we could alone.

“This collaboration supports Warrington Housing Association’s long-term commitment to tackling the housing shortage, accelerating the delivery of new homes and ensures that developments are sustainable, well designed and meet the evolving needs of residents.

“While we are a relatively small provider, we are developing at a strong and ambitious rate proportionate to our size, and joining JV North enables the organisation to maximise its impact.”

Sean Stafford of Saffer Cooper Consultancy, which oversees JV North’s development programme, said: “Warrington Housing Association has identified the array of benefits that come from being part of the consortium and we are really looking forward to working with their development team in the years ahead.

“The new SAHP is now upon us and it is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for all housebuilding landlords to really make a difference, so we are really pleased to welcome them into the fold.

“We operate as a collective to share intelligence, best practice and mitigate risk with the ultimate aim of being able to build more affordable homes so people across the North West benefit.”

WHA is the 16th member of JV North and follows First Choice Homes Oldham, which joined at the end of last year.

After hitting the top regulatory grades, why is Midland Heart looking for tougher scrutiny?

Martin Hilditch — Tue, 12 May 2026 08:39:20 GMT

Housing association Midland Heart landed the top C1/G1/V1 grades from the Regulator of Social Housing, and it outperforms most when it comes to tenant satisfaction measures. Martin Hilditch meets some of the landlord’s key players to find out why it is still looking for more challenge and more scrutiny

Midland Heart’s chief executive, Glenn Harris, should be over the moon. By almost any metric, the 35,000-home housing association, based in the centre of Birmingham, has been getting things right when it comes to delivery.

Last year it received the highest possible consumer, governance and viability grades (C1, G1 and V1) from the Regulator of Social Housing. It outperformed the national median scores for all of the key perception metrics for social tenants in the most recent set of tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs).

For Mr Harris, though, this is no reason to break out the party hats and start a conga line around the room.

He doesn’t mince his words when it comes to why he thinks the regulator’s consumer gradings, or the TSMs, should not be the end of the scrutiny story, however good they might look.

“Every day we will let somebody down, we will do something that is not perfect,” he says. “The idea is, how do you keep improving?”

Tenant involvement and scrutiny – more of that later – is one approach, but external review, challenge and ideas are also important, he feels.

“We were very pleased to get C1,” he says. “What we felt is that is basically saying you are reasonably competent and you have got a framework in place. But clearly, we know we have areas we need to improve.”

In order to do that, Midland Heart has just put itself through the landlord accreditation process run by tenant engagement experts Tpas. It is one of 22 social landlords to have passed the accreditation so far.

And its score of 97% – the highest ever posted – is what has piqued Inside Housing’s interest. We are here today, in the landlord’s vast boardroom, to find out more about the learning that has emerged from Tpas’ deep dive and how it might help other housing associations and councils striving to improve their services.

To dig into exactly what has been happening and why, we are speaking to three of the key players. Mr Harris and Trevor Stanley, chair of Midland Heart’s My Impact tenant group, sit around the table, while Jenny Osbourne, chief executive of Tpas, looks down on proceedings from the big screen, in what feels like a visual representation of scrutiny in action.

The first question is why Midland Heart wanted to go for the accreditation in the first place. Do the new consumer inspection regime and the TSMs not give it all the assurance it needs? The answer, according to Mr Harris, is a resounding no.

“If you think about it, in everything else we do, we have quite high-level assurance,” he states. “For things like cyber security we have third-party assurance, and [the same for] audit – everything we do except for the customer stuff.”

Ms Osbourne confirms that Midland Heart’s 97% is the “best score that we’ve had” so far. Another 40 social landlords are going through the process. “That’s the most interesting figure in some ways, because this is a process that is tough,” she says.

There’s certainly plenty of scrutiny, with landlords first completing a self-assessment, before Tpas descends and asks staff, the board and residents questions to gauge the reality on the ground.

Landlords that have completed their accreditation get a scorecard – a bit like a school report for tenant engagement – which explores how they are delivering on a series of priorities, and sets out recommendations for improvement. Even a housing association with a 97% score has plenty of recommendations to work on.

Tpas checks on progress after a year (and landlords have to score a minimum of 80% to get the accreditation). After three years, it reassesses organisations to see how things have progressed, and whether they can retain their status.

“When you put a bit of time into it, you hear some stuff that sometimes people in my position don’t want the board to hear... You have to be a bit uncomfortable”

So, what does Midland Heart’s school report look like, and what recommendations did it receive? Like anyone taking part in the process, the housing association was judged against seven key themes: governance and transparency, scrutiny, business and strategy, complaints, information and communication, resources for engagement, and community and wider engagement.

Clearly, with a score of 97%, there are a lot of positives to reflect on. Typical tenant feedback recorded in the report states things like “we can challenge them, they listen and act” or “before Midland Heart had to [do tenant engagement], now they do it because they care”.

That means there is plenty for other landlords to learn from the approach to tenant engagement that Midland Heart has been taking. The Tpas report sets out what is working and why, as it explores each of the key themes in detail.

When it comes to governance and transparency, for example, the Tpas report finds that the landlord has set out a “clearly defined and agreed role for residents in the governance arrangements”.

This includes three residents sitting on the operations committee (a sub-group of the main board), who are paid for their time. That committee has a clear remit to “oversee the effective implementation of customer engagement and customer scrutiny”.

Tpas also flagged the collaboration between Midland Heart and its residents on developing its new corporate plan, Tenants at Heart. Tpas identified potential challenges, too – for example, the report flags that the housing association is looking to deliver “more locality working, increasing a focus in local areas”.

When tenants were asked about governance and transparency, they could give “numerous examples of influencing outcomes”, Tpas’ report states.

That doesn’t just mean the usual suspects – tenants who were already engaged – either. The report highlights a focus on analysing data to understand how different groups of tenant are using and accessing services.

All tenants involved complete equality, diversity and inclusion training to ensure they think about wider tenant views and needs, and the approach to scrutiny is praised for being “solution-focused” and constructive.

As for complaints? Midland Heart has a complaints learning group that involves tenants. Tpas found that real learning “does occur” as a result and “directly drives improvements across services”.

“Slowly and surely, both sides seemed to realise that we actually on the same page, we were just not talking the same language”

Mr Stanley, chair of the My Impact tenant group, has been a Midland Heart tenant since 1980. He says the organisation has transformed how it works with residents in recent years. In a nutshell, he likens the change to “working together rather than throwing bricks at each other”.

It’s been a long journey, he indicates. But that in itself has insight for other providers looking to improve their relationship with tenants – there are no shortcuts to success.

“There was some mistrust on both sides of the fence,” he says, talking about the early moves towards change. “Slowly and surely, both sides seemed to realise that we actually on the same page, we were just not talking the same language.”

Mr Harris agrees. “Trust was the thing,” he says.

Improving trust involved the organisation meeting residents and having honest and open conversations. It also meant involving staff from all departments “so colleagues all over the organisation genuinely see the impact we have with someone if we get things wrong – and not only [the impact] when we get it wrong, [but also] when you don’t follow up on trying to put it right”.

Building trust doesn’t always mean that everything is perfect, Mr Harris argues. But it does mean being open about things that have gone wrong. “When people get inside and see staff are trying to do the right thing – not always well executed – I think that is where you start to build trust.”

Misinformation risks undermining real causes of housing crisis, major sector body boss warns

Stephen Delahunty — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:33:58 GMT

The chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has called on the sector to focus on the real causes of the housing crisis at a time when misinformation is driving a more challenging public debate.

Gavin Smart was speaking at a conference after Inside Housing last month published its exclusive survey revealing the scale of anti-immigrant views and misinformation, and their toll on staff and tenants.

Mr Smart said: “We face a more challenging public debate. We’re seeing more misinformation – about migration, about housing allocation and about the causes of the housing crisis. And that matters. Because it risks pulling attention away from the real issues.

“The reality is that the housing crisis is driven by long-term undersupply and long-term investment challenges across all tenures, not short-term narratives. And if we want solutions, we need to stay focused on the evidence.”

Inside Housing’s research showed that misinformation about migration is actively harming staff, residents and the housing sector as a whole.

Mr Smart’s concerns about misinformation have been echoed by Mushtaq Khan, chief executive of the Housing Diversity Network, who called on the sector to confront misinformation on immigration.

On a more positive note, Mr Smart told attendees at Housing Brighton 2026 that progress had been made over the past year.

He said: “The Spending Review and rent settlement have brought greater certainty – particularly around investment in affordable housing and the resources needed to respond to growing demand.

“And we now have a much clearer policy and regulatory environment. After a period of significant change and uncertainty, that clarity matters. It gives the sector more confidence to plan, to invest and to deliver.”

Ahead of the local elections tomorrow, Mr Smart described them as “a reminder that housing is not just a national issue, it’s deeply local”.

He added: “[The elections] will help shape the political landscape in the run-up to the next general election. There is a growing recognition – across the political spectrum – that housing has to be part of the answer to wider economic and social challenges.”

Ahead of the local elections, Inside Housing spoke to the Green Party candidate for Hackney, and looked at what the key housing pledges are in Scotland and in Wales, and how they differ from the debate in England.

Mr Smart also highlighted how homelessness and extended stays in temporary accommodation continue to rise, at a time when the sector ideally needs to deliver 90,000 social rent homes a year.

The government’s target under the Social and Affordable Homes Programme is 180,000 social rent homes over the next decade.

Mr Smart added: “Arguably the impact of housing shortage and the complex consequences it creates for affordability and access spills over into our politics and is increasingly expressed through more contentious debate, the propagation of misunderstandings and myths, and the attraction to apparently simple solutions to complex and long-standing problems.

“And we mustn’t forget the ongoing cost of living pressures. Many social housing residents are still facing difficult choices – between heating, food and other essentials – and that has real implications for arrears, well-being and demand for support services.

“It’s something all providers need to remain acutely mindful of. So while the framework is improving, the outcomes still need to catch up.”

For the sector to be successful in its delivery goals, the CIH boss called for “sustained commitment”, “investment and capacity”, “partnership”, and “a clear sense of purpose”.

Agony Aunt: A persistent caller is exhausting our complaint channels

Inside Housing Management — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:10:27 GMT

Inside Housing Management’s Agony Aunt column helps housing management staff tackle some of their trickiest work problems. This week, Agony Aunt Tola Amodu advises on how to respond to a resident who repeatedly raises complaints that the landlord has already answered. Illustration by Pong

Tenants face ban on buying flats as Northern Ireland eyes shake-up to Right to Buy-like scheme

James Wilmore — Thu, 07 May 2026 15:02:08 GMT

Social tenants in Northern Ireland living in flats could be banned from having the chance to buy their property, under new proposals being considered to slow the loss of stock.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) has launched a 14-page consultation on changes to the House Sales Scheme, which has been running since 1979.

The NIHE said the circumstances in which the scheme operates have “changed fundamentally”, since there has been a net loss in housing stock and rising demand.

Nearly 123,000 social tenants have acquired their properties at a discounted rate through the scheme since its launch.

However, the NIHE said the scheme has “contributed to a substantial reduction in the availability of social homes” as housebuilding has not kept up with demand. Around 50,000 households are currently on waiting lists.

Among the proposals, as part of a 12-week consultation, is a plan to “exclude” flats from sales.

“Sales of flats/leaseholds can create long-term management and investment challenges and erode available stock in higher-density locations,” the consultation said.

Currently, out of 87,712 NIHE homes, around a fifth (16,793) are flats, while more than half are houses.

Other proposals include extending the period during which the NIHE can buy back a sold home from 10 to 20 years; changing how discounts are calculated in some cases; and not selling some homes that have been adapted for disabled people.

Ailbhe Hickey, assistant director for land and regeneration services at the NIHE, said: “Demand for social housing continues to rise, the number of households in housing stress is increasing and the availability of suitable homes is under sustained pressure.

“At the same time, the Housing Executive, in partnership with government and the housing sector, is working intensively to increase supply, regenerate existing stock and ensure public investment delivers the greatest possible benefit for those in need.

“In this context, it is both necessary and timely to consider changes to the scheme so that social housing can be protected for future generations, while also enabling tenants who wish to pursue homeownership to do so through modern, affordable and sustainable routes.”

The NIHE manages a stock of 82,865 homes. In recent years, an average of 360 social homes have been sold annually under the scheme, it said.

In England, the government is in the process of reforming the Right to Buy scheme, which was introduced in 1980 under the Margaret Thatcher government.

Changes include reducing maximum cash discounts for tenants to between £16,000 and £38,000, depending on the region. In the latest update, the government said last week that tenants will have to wait over three times as long as they currently do before being eligible to buy a council home at a discount.

The current Labour administration has said that too many homes have been sold off without stock being replaced.

Non-tenants handed power to complain to watchdog over social housing

Eliza Parr — Thu, 07 May 2026 15:04:35 GMT

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has been given new powers to deal with complaints from non-tenants over how councils manage social housing.

Under changes brought into force last week by the Renters’ Rights Act, people who have concerns about how councils manage social housing can now complain to the LGSCO even if they are not a tenant.

Previously, the LGSCO could not look at such complaints, and neither could the Housing Ombudsman.

“This meant people had nowhere to turn if things had gone wrong,” the LGSCO said.

The changes were made to the Local Government Act 1974 and came into effect on 1 May 2026.

Complaints from tenants about their social landlord, including where that landlord is a council, will continue to be handled by the Housing Ombudsman.

Amerdeep Clarke, the local government and social care ombudsman, said it is a “significant and long-overdue change”.

She continued: “Until now, people who had genuine concerns about how their council was managing social housing – but who were not tenants themselves – had nowhere to turn once they had exhausted the council’s own complaints process.

“These amendments close that gap and ensure that we can provide the independent scrutiny and redress that the public deserves.

“I would encourage all local authority complaint managers to familiarise themselves with the new arrangements and the signposting tool we have developed.”

Further stages of implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act will involve the establishment of a Landlord Ombudsman for the private rented sector.

Other major changes in the legislation include the banning of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

Scottish Housing Regulator sets out plan to involve tenants

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:44:33 GMT

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has published a new plan setting out how it will keep tenants and service users “at the heart” of its work.

The regulator said its plan for 2026-27 renews its commitment to including tenants and service users.

The plan outlines how the SHR will use a range of initiatives to understand tenants’ views and priorities.

This includes continuing to work with its National Panel of Tenants and Service Users, which was established in 2013 and now comprises 450 members.

Tenants will also be involved directly in the SHR’s work via its pool of independent, volunteer tenant advisors. These advisors review information landlords produce for their tenants and feed back on how the regulator communicates.

The SHR has worked with tenant advisors since 2011. The current group of advisors was recruited last month and will be in place for around three years.

Ongoing engagement with tenant representative bodies, such as Tenants Together (Scotland), will remain a key part of the plan, the regulator said.

The plan also sets out how the regulator will communicate with tenants about its work, including hearing from the diverse groups of people it regulates to protect.

The regulator said: “We want to hear from all the groups we regulate, including tenants, people who are homeless, Gypsy/Travellers and others who use social landlord services.

“To ensure that people can readily approach us and feel comfortable sharing their views, we aim to provide clear and accessible routes for people to contact us.”

Michael Cameron, chief executive of the SHR, said: “We regulate to safeguard the interests of tenants and service users. So, it’s crucial that we understand their priorities and experiences.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with tenants and tenant representative bodies to make sure we keep tenants and service users interests at the very heart of how we regulate social landlords.”

A2Dominion appoints new interim director of change

James Hockaday — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:46:07 GMT

London-based landlord A2Dominion has appointed Siobhan Weightman as its new interim director of change.

She replaces David Fisher, who was appointed on a fixed-term contract and joined the association in October 2025.

Mr Fisher left the role in February 2026.

Ms Wightman is responsible for defining and delivering 38,000-home landlord’s enterprise-wide change strategy, ensuring that all transformation programmes are prioritised, governed effectively and deliver measurable benefits aligned to organisational objectives.

A2Dominion described Ms Wightman as having an “authentic lived experience of social housing to her work and grounding her leadership in empathy and insight”.

She has over 25 years’ experience of leading transformational change and corporate governance within complex regulatory environments, including local government and policing, the housing association added.

Ms Weightman said: “I am absolutely delighted to join A2Dominion to continue to help colleagues on the improvement journey after demonstrating real courage and integrity through its voluntary undertaking to the Regulator of Social Housing.

“This honest and transparent decision aligns with my core values and deep commitment to ensuring accountability and excellence for customers.”

Priya Javeri, chief information officer at A2Dominion, said: “We’re pleased to welcome Siobhan to A2Dominion as our new interim director of change.

“Siobhan’s wealth of experience in transformation makes her a fantastic addition to our leadership team.

“I look forward to the impact she will make as we continue to evolve and grow A2Dominion.”

MPs urge government to bring forward long-term strategy to improve social housing conditions

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:43:46 GMT

A group of MPs has called on the government to set out its long-term housing strategy as soon as possible, along with clearer timelines on action to improve social housing conditions.

Last week the government published its response to the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee’s report on social housing conditions, which had found that too many people are living in “appalling” conditions.

The report, released in February, urged the government to introduce a new modern Decent Homes Standard (DHS) programme to support landlords to raise standards.

This included recommendations for a “pooled fund” for improvements to social homes and a single housing quality framework to consolidate regulatory requirements on social landlords.

The government did not agree to these recommendations and referred the HCLG Committee to the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) consumer regime.

It also said it is committed to developing detailed guidance on the revised DHS, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and further implementation of Awaab’s Law.

In response to the committee’s call to set out the long-awaited housing strategy as soon as possible, the government said it plans to publish the strategy “shortly”.

The committee had also urged the government to put in place interim targets stipulating the percentage of social homes that should be upgraded to the revised DHS each year before the final 2035 implementation date.

Responding to this recommendation, the government said it will “agree a compact” with sector bodies, including the National Housing Federation and the Local Government Association, in the coming weeks.

This compact will then be overseen by a taskforce that comprises sector leaders, as announced in January.

The government also said the RSH is developing its own approach “to seeking assurance from landlords that they are appropriately preparing” for the revised DHS.

Florence Eshalomi, chair of the HCLG Committee, said in response that it is “unacceptable that almost 430,000 social homes still fail to meet even basic housing standards”.

She continued: “It’s crucial that government measures, including Awaab’s Law and the new Decent Homes Standard, bring a meaningful improvement to social housing conditions.

“The government’s response to our social housing report highlights a series of areas where clearer timelines and further detail is needed on the action to improve social housing conditions.

“The government needs to push ahead with their long-term housing strategy as soon as possible and set out a credible plan both for the regeneration of existing housing stock and the building of the new social homes the country needs.”

Inside Housing Management Podcast: Rerun of our episode on flag policies, hate crime and lessons from an ASB veteran

Inside Housing Management — Tue, 05 May 2026 06:00:00 GMT

The Inside Housing Management Podcast is your on-the-go show covering the biggest stories and issues affecting workers at the forefront of social housing. This week, we rerun a popular episode that explored ‘flag policies’, hate crime and advice from an anti-social behaviour officer with 13 years’ experience in the field

In this rerun of a previous episode of the Inside Housing Management Podcast, Anna Highfield, editor of Inside Housing Management, and Katharine Swindells, deputy features editor at Inside Housing, explore whether housing providers should have ‘flag policies’, and how they can respond better to hate crime.

The popular episode also features an interview with Melonie Wheatle, anti-social behaviour (ASB) officer at Hexagon Housing Association, in which she shares lessons from her 13 years in the field, the biggest challenges for ASB staff in 2026, and what makes a good recruit.

Listen here, or wherever you normally get your podcasts.

Listen to "Rerun of our episode on flag policies, hate crime and lessons from an ASB veteran" on Spreaker.

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Riverside sets out aim to build 5,000 homes and bolster care and support provision in five-year strategy

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:42:06 GMT

Riverside has set out in its new corporate strategy an aim to build 5,000 homes over the next five years.

The 75,000-home landlord said the new strategy will build on work to improve homes, enhance customer service, and bolster its care and support provision.

This will put Riverside in the best position to navigate the challenges of rising regulatory expectations and increasing pressure on the health and care sectors, the housing association said.

The landlord plans to bring all homes up to an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C by 2030, as well as build approximately 5,000 homes over the next five years, with a total of 8,000 expected to be built by 2036.

Riverside’s new strategy, which was shaped by its largest-ever consultation exercise with more than 1,000 customers, sets out five goals that will be reviewed by its board twice a year.

These include ensuring that every customer has a “quality, safe, affordable and healthy home” and services are “reliable and easy to use”.

The Liverpool-based association will aim to lead the sector in “advancing care, support, reducing stigma and promoting inclusion”, as well as deliver “as many homes as it can with a commitment to remain financially resilient”.

Called ‘Brighter Future Together’, the strategy also centres on developing a high-performing and inclusive workforce.

This is the first time Riverside has set its planning cycle to five years instead of three.

Paul Dolan, group chief executive of Riverside, said: “We had thousands of customers, colleagues and board members come together to celebrate this truly remarkable milestone at Riverside, building on the brilliant legacy of Riverside’s reputation as one of the country’s leading housing associations.

“This week marks a new era for us and an unwavering commitment to deliver better services, provide high-quality homes, support people in our society who need us the most, and create an inclusive and passionate team to deliver for today and far into the future.”

Terrie Alafat, group chair of Riverside, added: “The team at Riverside should be really proud of our new strategy, Brighter Future Together, which brings to light our five new ambitions under our strategic pillars: homes, customers, care and support, and people.”

As a housing lawyer I help clients fight eviction notices. Yesterday, I was issued one too

Oliver Edwards — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:48:09 GMT

Oliver Edwards, a housing solicitor working for Greater Manchester Law Centre, received a Section 21 notice the day before the Renters’ Rights Act came into effect. He argues that although the act delivers better law on paper, justice remains out of reach for most renters

You’re told as a solicitor to keep your legal and personal life separate. I’m a housing lawyer at Greater Manchester Law Centre – a “lefty lawyer” is the stock introduction to strangers at the pub – and I spend my days acting for tenants to resist evictions and save their homes. Yesterday, that separation collapsed.

I was in an afternoon meeting, closing out a client’s case in which we’d successfully resisted a possession claim and secured repairs under a counterclaim. He was eager to show me something: a Section 21 notice. One of many I’ve seen at the eleventh hour. I gave my standard response – “come back if your landlord issues proceedings (we have no capacity at notice stage)” – and headed back to my desk.

While I’d been in my appointment, the group chat for my house share had been busy.

Earlier that week we’d all received, hand-delivered and by email, a suite of documents: gas safety, Energy Performance Certificate, electrical safety, ‘how to rent’ guide, deposit protection information. I know these well; I check them routinely for technical defences to Section 21 notices.

Buried in my notifications: an email at 3.30pm serving us a Section 21 notice.

The date was not accidental: 30 April was the last day a Section 21 could legally be served. This produced an inevitable cliff edge, and landlords – well-advised and well-resourced – have been racing to deploy a legal weapon before it was abolished.

My honest reaction? Mild annoyance. I’ll find a technical defence or use my modest savings to move elsewhere. I’ll be fine.

The last three clients on my books were faced with the same notice in their hands as the one I received, but for them things are different. A family of six, father unable to work, mother juggling employment and everything else. Already overcrowded, now facing a market of inflated rents where their budget means smaller.

A single parent with an autistic child who has finally settled into school, on every waiting list under the sun. Will they be forced to relocate?

A family of seven, including older parents and a severely disabled adult son. The local community knows how to guide him home when he goes missing, but if they’re uprooted, who will?

All on benefits, all working or retired, all potentially losing their home. Their landlord didn’t even have to say why. I am at ease because I lack their precarity. The comfort I can offer is legal advice, and I’m certain at least two of these families have a technical defence.

There is a false illusion in this: they are among the few with access to a legal aid lawyer at all. Roughly 25% of the population qualifies for civil legal aid, but just under half do not have a housing provider in their county. Legal aid rates today are lower in actual terms than 1996 – the year after I was born.

The result is legal advice deserts across whole counties. There were once eight law centres in Greater Manchester, now there is only one – ours. Our housing team numbers six and our frequent response to a Section 21 is, reluctantly: “Sorry, no capacity.”

If you think finding an NHS dentist is hard, try finding a legal aid housing lawyer when you’re staring down the barrel of an eviction.

Legal aid was introduced in 1949 as part of Clement Attlee’s post-war welfare state, and it is as essential as the NHS, as schools, as the rule of law itself. Successive governments have cut it to the bone, and families like the ones I’ve described suffer the consequences.

“If you think finding an NHS dentist is hard, try finding a legal aid housing lawyer when you’re staring down the barrel of an eviction”

Which is why today matters. From 1 May 2026, Section 21s are gone. Landlords must now have grounds for possession and establish them in a court of law. This is the most significant evolution of housing law in my lifetime. Tenants, and in particular private tenants, have better legal rights.

But rights on paper are only as good as the advice that makes them real. The Law Centres Network and the Law Society have warned that the act cannot achieve its aims without investment in courts and housing legal aid. These new legal contests need diligent and dedicated representation. Without it, the Renters’ Rights Act delivers better law on paper, but justice for most remains out of reach.

Today, Section 21 notices are over. Yet the fear of losing your home – for the families I represent, for millions without a lawyer to call – remains. The act has changed the law. Now we must fund the infrastructure to make it justice.

Oh, and for any housing lawyers wondering? No, I haven’t had a chance to check whether my Section 21 is valid yet: no capacity.

Oliver Edwards, housing, homelessness and public law solicitor, Greater Manchester Law Centre

Coroner sends prevention of future deaths report to landlord after death of older resident due to fall

Ellie Brown — Fri, 08 May 2026 14:35:37 GMT

A coroner has raised concerns with a social landlord about hazards caused by stored items following the death of an older resident after a fall at her home.

Nicholas Graham, area coroner for Oxfordshire, sent a prevention of future deaths report to Sanctuary Housing Association last month.

In the report he said there seemed to be no clear policy on how long items should be stored in residents’ living areas and warned that tenants could be at risk from restricted movement or trip hazards in the future.

It followed an inquest into the death of Catherine Oliver following complications of a hip injury that she sustained after falling over in her living room last December.

The investigation found that nearly a month before the incident, contractors employed by Sanctuary had moved boxes from the loft into her living room so they could carry out works.

The items left only a narrow walkway in the area and restricted the 88-year-old’s ability to move safely around her home.

They were not removed despite requests by Ms Oliver and her family, the inquest heard.

After falling, Ms Oliver was later found injured in the confined space between her armchair and the stacked boxes.

Her death was ruled an accident and the coroner made it clear that it was not possible to determine whether the boxes caused the fall, and no such finding was made.

But Mr Graham said the evidence showed that storing the boxes in the room for a prolonged time created a mobility hazard in the home, adding that this was “significant” especially for an older tenant who might be more vulnerable.

He said there appeared to be no clear policy governing how long items should be stored in living areas for necessary works or what mitigation there should be when the storage is long term.

Sanctuary said: “We co-operated fully with the inquest and our thoughts remain with Mrs Oliver’s family following their loss. We will ensure that the concerns raised in the notice from the coroner are addressed in full.”

The landlord is required to provide a response to the report within 56 days outlining the actions it will take to prevent a similar incident in future.

Sector welcomes drop in London rough sleeping figures but raises alarm over children in TA

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:39:16 GMT

The government’s latest homelessness figures have revealed a drop in rough sleeping, but the number of children in temporary accommodation (TA) has reached another record high.

There were 176,130 children living in temporary accommodation as of the end of 2025, which is the 12th consecutive record high and up 6% compared to the previous year.

Sector bodies have welcomed the ban on Section 21 evictions which has come into force today (1 May) under the Renters’ Rights Act, but called for action to ensure people can move on from temporary accommodation into affordable homes.

New data on rough sleeping in London, published yesterday, also revealed that 3,944 people were recorded as sleeping rough between January and March this year.

This represents a drop of 11% compared to the previous year, and is the largest percentage cut in rough sleeping since 2018 in a year unaffected by Covid.

The figures, published by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), showed that 1,762 people were recorded as sleeping rough for the first time, which is 15% lower than last year.

Data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on statutory homelessness for the period between October and December 2025 showed that 84,250 households had an initial assessment, which is down 1.3% on the previous year.

There were 16,290 households accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty, down 11.3% on the same period in 2024.

MHCLG said the fall in the number of households owed duties indicates that fewer households are approaching their council and receiving support.

There were 134,210 households in temporary accommodation as of 31 December 2025, which is an increase of 5% on the previous year, but down 0.4% from the record levels in the previous quarter.

“While this shift is small, this is the first quarter that the number of households in temporary accommodation has fallen since 2022,” MHCLG said.

In response, Stephanie Morphew, policy lead at the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “As rights strengthen in the private rented sector and prevention activities at councils strengthen, a plateau in new duties owed might be on the horizon.

“This is welcome, but without an at-scale plan to decant households from temporary accommodation to stable, affordable housing, we risk parking households in expensive and unsuitable temporary accommodation.”

Ms Morphew said that restoring Local Housing Allowance rates in the short term is the “single most effective lever” to transition households from temporary accommodation into a stable home.

“In the long term, we look forward to the government’s long-term housing strategy delivering a vision for a housing sector that works for us all,” she added.

John Glenton, chief care and support officer at Riverside, said that the thousands of children living in temporary accommodation will be “sharing beds in cramped, poor-quality housing and living without kitchen facilities, so they can’t have a home-cooked meal”.

He said the government’s Value for Money review is “an opportunity to reset homelessness funding” so that more money goes towards prevention and supported housing.

“Supported housing providers can then work together with councils to uncover the level of need in each local area, so we get to grips with the massive scale of the homelessness crisis and end the needless cycle of TA,” he said.

Mr Glenton also said that it is “heartening to see the largest percentage reduction in the number of people sleeping rough in London for eight years in a year unaffected by Covid”.

“We remain hopeful that the mayor of London’s ongoing efforts to eliminate rough sleeping by 2030 will see the number of people sleeping rough in London continue to fall during 2026,” he added.

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said: “Once again, official statistics have reinforced what we are seeing with our own eyes: more and more families with children stuck in temporary accommodation.”

He said the government must build on the Renters’ Rights Act by taking “urgent action to make sure everyone can access a genuinely affordable home”.

Mr Downie continued: “We are very pleased to see the fall in rough sleeping figures in London, and now need to build on this success by tackling pressures in temporary accommodation.

“The single biggest intervention the Westminster government could do right now to prevent rising homelessness across the board is to unfreeze housing benefit.”

Responding to MHCLG’s figures, Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue, said the government’s investment in homelessness is “beginning to turn the tide”.

He said: “While it’s good to see numbers starting to fall, we must be wary of becoming over-reliant on the sticking plaster solution of temporary accommodation.

“Our councils are spending up to 60% of their so-called homelessness prevention grants on temporary accommodation. I fear ‘homelessness prevention’ is becoming a buzzword, a false promise by politicians with no new ideas.”

Rick Henderson, chief executive at the membership body for front-facing homelessness services, Homeless Link, said the government needs to put its National Plan to End Homelessness into action.

He said: “The Treasury’s upcoming Value for Money review is a golden opportunity to deliver fundamental change for the homelessness system, shifting to a sustainable model rooted in prevention and long-term support.

“It is crucial that the review is grounded in evidence of what works to end homelessness and not used as a cost-cutting exercise, with the homelessness and housing sectors given a seat at the table to capture their expertise.”

Of the new London rough sleeping figures, Mr Henderson said the “significant fall” in the number of people forced to sleep on the streets is likely down to the impact of the mayor’s plan of action and the “efforts of exemplary local services”.

He added: “However, numbers of people sleeping rough remain extremely high. Years of stagnant funding and real-term cuts have pushed vital homelessness services to breaking point.”

What changes will next week’s election bring to housing?

Jules Birch — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:13:40 GMT

Next week’s elections are predicted to herald a change in at least some of the UK’s political map. Jules Birch breaks down what the results mean for housing

Significant change could be on the way for housing in the wake of next week’s elections.

The obvious place to start is Welsh politics, which seems set for a major change that could end 100 years of Labour dominance and see another party running the Welsh government for the first time since devolution.

Recent polls have Plaid Cymru and Reform running neck and neck, and a victory for either would take housing in new but opposite directions.

With a new electoral system adding extra uncertainty, Plaid looks like the favourite to form a new government, but would probably need formal or informal support from at least one other party.

That result would bring some continuity for social housing: the last Welsh government started with a co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid. The two parties have similar targets for new social homes, so the change might be felt more in details such as the energy standards that apply to them.

But Plaid is also proposing two significant changes that could rewire the wider housing system.

The first is a pledge to introduce a right to adequate housing in Wales. This could help to make housing a higher priority in decisions on policy and investment and hold governments to account for them.

This policy has widespread support across the housing sector in Wales and is also backed by the Greens and parts of Welsh Labour.

Preparatory work has already been done, with white paper proposals going out to consultation under the previous Welsh government as part of the co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid.

But key issues remain to be resolved, including whether the right to adequate housing would be directly incorporated into Welsh law or indirectly via a duty on ministers to pay ‘due regard’ to it, or perhaps a combination of the two.

This would probably mean the right being phased in and ‘progressively realised’ over time.

And there are other barriers to implementation. Significant policy areas, such as housing benefit, are still controlled by Westminster, raising the possibility of the policy being undermined by things like the freeze in Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap.

Even within Wales, local authorities will need a lot of convincing about the strategy and funding for a change that could leave them facing the costs of legal challenges over policies and decisions forced on them by their constrained finances.

Scotland could also get a right to adequate housing after 7 May, with the SNP pledging to bring back a Human Rights Bill that was put on the back burner in the last Scottish parliament. This would incorporate a range of international conventions into Scottish law and is also supported by the Scottish Greens.

“The Greens have sought to make rent control a key dividing line between the party and Labour, and that could increase the temptation for the government to defend its left flank by introducing a form of regulation”

It’s a similar story with the second major change, where Wales could be about to follow a path already taken in Scotland by introducing a form of rent control.

Plaid is promising “fair rent setting” through “limiting annual rent increases to the lower of wage growth or consumer price index inflation, or a clearly defined equivalent benchmark”.

That’s dipping a toe in the water, but the Green Party has hinted that rent control could be one of the conditions for its support, and wants to go much further.

The Greens are promising a one-year rent freeze to be followed by rent controls allowing ministers to designate Rent Pressure Zones, where rent increases would only be allowed where landlords “deliver genuine improvements to homes”.

The rules would apply across the private rented sector, with no exemptions for mid-market or build-to-rent housing.

That last bit seems to derive directly from the debate in Scotland, where the SNP government has introduced exemptions to prioritise efforts to increase rental supply, but the Greens have accused it of giving in to “lobbying by profiteering landlords”.

The prospect of rent control in both Wales and Scotland would sharpen the debate in England as well.

Tensions surfaced this week as the Treasury failed to deny a report that chancellor Rachel Reeves was considering a plan for a one-year rent freeze, only for Downing Street to dismiss it and say “that’s not the approach we’ll be taking”.

Housing secretary Steve Reed reiterated that “we are not looking at rent controls” in an interview on Wednesday, adding that when they were introduced in Scotland it “ended up with rents going up much higher”.

But that is a change from the position he adopted back in 2019 when he was in opposition, when he described a plan for rent caps proposed by London mayor Sadiq Khan as “a fantastic initiative” in a post on X.

“Reform has campaigned with pledges including a clampdown on immigration at a UK level, preventing “migrant HMOs”, reserving social housing “for Welsh men and women” and removing sustainability requirements for new homes”

All that uncertainty is likely to have a negative effect on new investment in build-to-rent, and could even lead to higher rents as landlords decide to increase them just in case.

This is hardly ideal timing with the Renters’ Rights Act set to be implemented today. The act includes provisions that limit rent increases to once a year, which are also open to challenge at tribunal.

In the local election campaign in England, the Greens have sought to make rent control a key dividing line between the party and Labour, and that could increase the temptation for the government to defend its left flank by introducing a form of regulation.

Meanwhile, Reform has inevitably played up the politics of housing and immigration.

Back in Wales, the party has campaigned with pledges including a clampdown on immigration at a UK level, preventing “migrant HMOs”, reserving social housing “for Welsh men and women” and removing sustainability requirements for new homes.

In line with its UK policy, local authorities would be mandated to enforce a strict 10-year residency requirement for social housing, except for service veterans, domestic abuse survivors and care leavers.

Whatever the voters decide on 7 May, major change could be on the way.

Jules Birch, columnist, Inside Housing

Read the housing pledges for the local elections in Wales

Read the housing pledges for the local elections in Scotland

Government must address ‘inadequate’ supported housing funding before it implements licensing regime, report warns

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:35:15 GMT

A homelessness charity has called on the government to provide transitional funding for supported housing providers, among other “urgent improvements”, as it implements a new licensing regime.

At an event in parliament last week, hosted by Labour MP Paula Barker, Emmaus UK launched a new report which identifies key areas of risks in the government’s plans to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act.

This included “inadequate resourcing, lack of transitional funding for providers and the risk of a rigid two-year limit on length of stay being applied locally”.

Emmaus warned that, if not addressed, these risks could “destabilise high-quality provision and push more people into homelessness”.

The legislation is intended to tackle the number of rogue supported housing providers in the sector by introducing mandatory national standards and a licensing regime.

Earlier this month, the government published its long-awaited consultation response, which set out clearer details of how the licensing regime will work.

Emmaus’ report urged the government to strengthen the National Supported Housing Standards in order to “reflect what drives quality”, including a more explicit focus on the value of purposeful activity, community and social connection, and security and flexibility of stay.

It also highlighted the importance of designing a licensing regime that “protects quality without reducing supply”, given that many providers are operating under severe financial strain.

The report said: “In a context where one in three supported housing providers reported housing site or scheme closures last year due to funding pressures, regulatory design cannot be divorced from funding reality.

“Without transitional support, providers may be forced to divert resources away from frontline support to meet compliance demands, undermining the very standards the act seeks to strengthen.”

Other recommendations included ensuring national consistency, avoiding “cost-cutting incentives” and mitigating the risk of increased homelessness following implementation of the act.

The report said: “A persistent concern raised by residents and staff is what happens if schemes fail to secure a licence.

“Without clear national and local contingency arrangements, there is a real risk of residents being displaced from vital supported accommodation if a scheme’s licence application is rejected.”

Emmaus co-produced the report with residents with lived experience of homelessness.

Ms Barker, who is also co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Ending Homelessness, said: “One of the virtues of the report is the chance it gives to tenants to stress that supported housing is about more than just shelter – vital though that is – and I strongly agree with the call by Emmaus for government guidance to clarify that support should mean purposeful activities like training, education and work experience, as well as being part of a community.”

She also told attendees that it would be a “tragedy if the introduction of this act unintentionally... left anyone homeless”.

“That’s why I believe it’s important that there is flexibility, so that there’s not a hard advance on two-year limits to transitional accommodation,” Ms Barker added.

Charlotte Talbott, chief executive of Emmaus UK, said: “Peer-led by Emmaus residents, this report gives a powerful voice to the people who know supported housing best, and makes clear that the act is a positive force for driving up standards – but that improvements are still needed to protect both residents and providers.

“We urge the government to take on board our research about the positive impact of community, purpose and flexibility of stay in supported housing, and why these should be an essential part of the new national standards.

“Funding is also a critical issue: with no additional resource announced for providers, the act risks placing new burdens on an already struggling sector.”

Action needed to address rise in housing-related hospital discharge delays in Wales, CHC says

Gavriel Hollander — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:59:19 GMT

Community Housing Cymru (CHC) has called for the next Welsh government to address housing-related delays in hospital discharges after new data showed an increase in 2025.

Using official Welsh government data on discharge delays, the membership body for housing associations in Wales found that while overall delays were down, those caused by housing issues increased.

Based on snapshot data from December 2025, CHC found that housing-related discharge delays affected around 5% of patients, with 63 patients affected at the point the data was collected. This equates to 4,981 cumulative days of delay, costing nearly £2.5m, which is nearly 5% of NHS Wales’ performance and improvement budget.

CHC said that the situation is creating a “bottleneck that leaves patients stranded in the hospital and puts their recovery at risk”.

Overall, the data for December 2025 showed that there were 1,401 patients with discharge delays across Wales, representing a 4% decrease from the previous month. This suggests that while the picture for discharge delays overall has improved, housing issues continue to put strain on the system.

Furthermore, while the average discharge delay has fallen from 50 to 45 days since April 2023, the average delay for housing-related issues has increased from 63 to 76 days.

In its latest action plan ahead of next week’s Senedd election in Wales, CHC has called on the next government to launch what it described as a “hospital to home mission” to identify ways for the housing, health and care systems to work together to reduce delayed transfer of care.

The group has identified three key actions as part of its plan. It called for the establishment of a shared accountability framework so that hospital, housing and care data and performance indicators are more closely linked.

It also suggested the expanded use of existing housing infrastructure, such as extra-care or independent living schemes, as “step-down” beds for patients with housing issues to access when they leave hospital. This would be part of an expanded “discharge to recover and assess” process, which would also see long-term care assessments carried out in patients’ homes wherever possible.

Finally, CHC called for a more secure funding environment to improve housing infrastructure for those leaving hospital or care settings.

This would include a “multi-year inflationary uplift” for Wales’ Housing Support Grant, as well as a boost for the Physical Adaptations Grant, which helps providers pay for adaptations in people’s homes.

The action plan was one of three that CHC has published ahead of the election in Wales next week. The group has already called for the implementation of a National Development Corporation.

Alongside this, Wales needs a national construction skills strategy if it is to achieve net zero goals, with labour supply projected to be sufficient to meet only 25% of demand in 10 years’ time.

The Crisis and Resilience Fund has replaced Discretionary Housing Payments. What does that mean for housing and homelessness?

Rhiannon Sims — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:22:37 GMT

While the Crisis and Resilience Fund includes some welcome changes, it is hard to see it as a game-changer in homelessness prevention and responses to housing precarity, writes Rhiannon Sims, research associate at Heriot-Watt University

At the start of April, the Crisis and Resilience Fund was launched in local authorities across England. Worth £842m per year to March 2029, it has been hailed as a step towards ending reliance on food banks.

Amid the fanfare, there has been little attention on what the fund – which subsumes the budget for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) – means for housing and homelessness.

Amid a spiralling homelessness crisis and increasing housing affordability gaps for those in the private sector, DHPs have been a vital source of financial support for struggling families. While the Crisis and Resilience Fund may offer more stability to local authorities through multi-year funding, it does nothing to address the gaps in housing benefit that low-income households face.

Why? Because DHPs were never meant to fully protect households from cuts and freezes to housing benefit. For a decade after their introduction in 2001, the annual DHP budget allocated to local authorities remained stable, at £20m.

During the 2010s, successive Conservative-led governments radically scaled up DHPs to mitigate some of the worst effects of cuts to housing benefit made as part of a major programme of welfare reform. This included the introduction of bedroom tax, the benefit cap and changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA), a process some called “cut and devolve”.

Despite this sevenfold increase in the budget to plaster over major cuts to housing benefit, DHP spending represented only 6% of the total savings expected from those reforms over the same period.

“The poorest 5% of private tenants now spend almost two-thirds of their income on housing costs”

As a result of these cuts, over a million low-income households face gaps between the housing assistance they receive and their actual housing costs, leaving many at risk of financial hardship and homelessness.

In addition, rises in interest rates, a shortage of affordable housing and weak regulation have seen private rents soar over the last decade. The poorest 5% of private tenants now spend almost two-thirds of their income on housing costs.

Support for those struggling with housing costs has never been more important, but LHA, originally designed to cover rent for the cheapest third of properties in a local area, has failed to keep up with the real cost of renting due to successive freezes. LHA rates were reset in 2024 – the first increase in four years – and have since been frozen. They are expected to remain so until at least 2030.

This affordability crisis is contributing to, and exacerbating, a homelessness crisis. The number of households being placed in temporary accommodation has more than doubled since 2010, and we are seeing more reliance on some of the worst-quality and most expensive forms of temporary accommodation.

This puts unsustainable financial pressure on local authorities. Last financial year alone, local authorities spent £2.8bn on temporary accommodation, contributing to several local authorities issuing Section 114 notices, effectively declaring bankruptcy.

In its National Plan to End Homelessness, the government recognised that the “gap between housing costs and income has placed many individuals and families at risk of homelessness”, but included no actions to plug this gap.

At this critical juncture for DHPs, we explored their role over the last 10 years, drawing on interviews with DHP scheme managers as part of the Safety Nets project, and longitudinal surveys of English local authorities as part of the Homelessness Monitor study.

Local authorities closely guard DHP budgets, as they’re seen as playing an “invaluable”, “crucial” and “essential” role in mitigating the impacts of welfare reform and preventing – or at least delaying - homelessness. But it’s also clear that DHPs have significant limitations as a tool to assist low-income families.

First, limited budgets mean stretched local authorities are forced to choose which households to help in a context where demand radically outstrips supply, leading to concerns about access and the means of prioritisation used.

Second, the devolved and localised nature of DHPs means there is wide variation in the support available to households across England, raising questions about equity and fairness.

Third, and perhaps the core limitation of DHPs, is that they are ill equipped to tackle the systemic causes of households struggling to afford housing costs, which put them at risk of rent arrears, eviction and, ultimately, homelessness.

From the perspective of local authorities, there is insufficient affordable housing to meet need, private rents are high and increasing, and low-income households face shortfalls in support for housing due to the benefit cap, bedroom tax, and LHA caps and uprating policies.

“The surest way to help low-income households avoid homelessness is to restore an adequate social security safety that reliably covers people’s rent”

As one local authority participant in the South East put it: “One-off funding pots do little to prevent the root cause of homelessness. The government needs to upstream homelessness prevention and the DHP is of strategic importance in achieving this.”

So, while the Crisis and Resilience Fund includes some welcome changes, it is hard to see it as a game-changer in homelessness prevention and responses to housing precarity.

As the world reels from unpredictable conflict in the Middle East, a deepening cost of living crisis could put additional pressure on the fund which, unless Housing Payments are ringfenced, could eat into this vital source of support.

What is clear is that the Crisis and Resilience Fund cannot address the underlying gaps in the benefits system driving housing insecurity. The surest way to help low-income households avoid homelessness is to restore an adequate social security safety that reliably covers people’s rent.

Policies like the removal of the benefit cap and the relinking of LHA rates to actual rents are clear and effective means to reduce homelessness risk at the population level and address child poverty – explicit aims of the current government.

Until then, funds like the Crisis and Resilience Fund are, as one local authority respondent from the East Midlands put it, “a sticking plaster over a bullet hole [and] will not resolve the problem”.

Rhiannon Sims, research associate, Heriot-Watt University

New electrical safety requirements: are you prepared?

Lorna Kenyon-Pain — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:52:53 GMT

New electrical safety requirements will apply to social landlords from 1 May. Lorna Kenyon-Pain, senior associate in the commercial litigation and regulatory team at Anthony Collins, explains how social housing providers can prepare for the next phase of the legislation

Former council housing officer handed suspended sentence for £40,000 fraud

Eliza Parr — Wed, 06 May 2026 10:10:47 GMT

A former employee of Central Bedfordshire Council has been handed a suspended sentence for housing fraud of almost £40,000 after “manipulating systems and diverting funds”.

Kanyin Jolaosho, who worked as a senior housing officer, pleaded guilty to 13 counts of housing-related fraud committed during his employment at the council.

Bedfordshire Council is pursuing recovery action to reclaim the stolen funds, which totalled £39,812.85.

Mr Jolaosho appeared at Luton Crown Court, where he was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to pay costs of £3,850.

The judge described Mr Jolaosho’s actions as “despicable” and ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 ‘rehabilitation activity requirement’ days.

Bedfordshire Council staff had raised concerns about Mr Jolaosho’s activities and referred the case to the council’s fraud team.

“Investigators discovered that Jolaosho manipulated council systems and processes to undertake the frauds, which included diverting tenants’ rent payments that were due to be paid to the council, diverting tenants’ deposits and a fake landlord incentive payment,” the council said in a statement.

The council also said Mr Jolaosho often dealt with vulnerable homeless people in his role as a senior housing officer.

It confirmed that affected tenants and landlords “have not been left out of pocket, with swift action taken to replace any identified losses”.

John Baker, executive member for finance and highways at Bedfordshire Council, said: “The council takes any fraud extremely seriously. These offences represented a serious abuse of position and a breach of the trust placed in council staff.

"Importantly, swift action was taken to ensure no tenant or landlord was out of pocket and funds were repaid.”

More work needed as two councils upgraded under RSH consumer standards

Ellie Brown — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:57:24 GMT

Two councils managing around 5,500 social homes between them have received consumer standards upgrades from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

Castle Point Borough Council in Essex has gone from a C4 to a C3 grading, while North Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire went from a C3 to a C2.

The English regulator said it had seen improvements at the pair during its responsive engagement with them, after inspections led to the original non-compliant grades.

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the RSH, said: “Safety of tenants’ homes is our clear priority and where we identify serious failings, we expect landlords to act quickly to protect their tenants by prioritising the most urgent health and safety issues.”

She said the changes are “fundamental and take time to embed”, but also give landlords “an important opportunity to involve tenants and secure lasting change”.

The RSH acknowledged that the local authorities have made progress but stressed there is still work to do.

Castle Point received a non-compliant C3 grading, and still has “serious failings” in how it is delivering the standards, specifically on how it manages tenancies amid concerns around transparency, influence and accountability.

Since the C4 grading in December 2024, the 1,500-home landlord has surveyed more than four-fifths of its stock.

This revealed that 10% of its homes are non-decent and the authority is targeting 100% compliance with the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) by March 2028.

It plans to tackle overdue water safety and fire remedial actions and has put in place measures to reduce the risk to tenants in these homes until the work is done.

Overall, the regulator said Castle Point’s improvement plan has led to “significant change” across the housing service and prioritised risks to tenant safety.

North Kesteven returned to compliance after improving its understanding of its homes and demonstrating that these meet the DHS.

In its previous inspection, only a third of its homes had received a Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment, and the council could not show that these were free of the worst ‘category one’ hazards.

But in its ruling today, the RSH said the council needs to do more to make sure its homes remain free of category one hazards and will be closely monitoring progress on this.

Castle Point said: “The council welcomes the regulator’s judgement and remains committed to ongoing, intensive engagement with them as it continues to deliver its housing improvement programme.”

The gradings were part of a batch of regulatory judgements published by the RSH today.

Two of the G15 group of London’s biggest landlords received their first consumer standard gradings. The Guinness Partnership was given a C1 grading and Peabody received a C2.

Also achieving compliance on consumer standards were City of York Council and Newlon Housing Trust, which both achieved C2 grades.

Aman Dalvi, chair of Newlon, said: “Good governance is at the very heart of navigating challenges and risks and I am pleased that during our inspection, the RSH saw strong evidence of this. It’s also pleasing that the strength of our resident engagement is recognised in this judgement, as well as the numerous ways residents can influence change.

“However, we know, and our residents certainly know, that our repairs service isn’t and hasn’t been good enough. It’s improving quickly, with good work by our teams in partnership with residents and backed by strong board oversight in the past year.”

Alongside this, the RSH published an interim judgement for Portus Supported Housing. This confirmed the provider’s non-compliant gradings of G3 and V3 and serious failings in delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard.

Welsh sector must push for equivalent to English competency standard, CIH leaders say

Eliza Parr — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:56:25 GMT

Welsh housing leaders have called on the sector to push for its own version of the Competence and Conduct Standard being introduced in England.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru has said it will launch a consultation in the coming weeks to gather views on whether Wales should legislate for a professional standard.

At the Tai 2026 conference in Newport this week, CIH leaders highlighted the policy gap between Wales and England, suggesting this could leave the sector in a difficult position if something goes wrong.

The Competence and Conduct Standard, which will come into force in England in October this year, was developed in direct response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s findings of a lack of appropriate staff training.

The standard introduces a sector-wide framework for promoting high professionalism within the sector, as well as requiring people who deliver social housing services to have specific qualifications.

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the CIH, told conference attendees that the new standard creates an “uncomfortable” policy gap between England and the devolved nations, which he said should not be “allowed to stay in place forever”.

He continued: “There will be cross jurisdictional comparisons made between, ‘What’s the position in England, what’s happening in Scotland, where’s Northern Ireland?’

“If your political leaders don’t have a compelling answer to that, that could be very uncomfortable, especially if something subsequently goes wrong.

“And the question is, ‘Well, in England, they made changes. What did you do here?’ And if the answer in another nation is, ‘Well, we didn’t really do anything.’ I think that is potentially quite difficult.”

Mr Smart added: “In this weird sort of four-way race that we’re all in, someone has now raised the game, raised the bar, and it’s for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to think about how we respond.”

During the same panel, Jonathan Morris, chair of CIH Cymru, highlighted the need to tailor any legislation specifically for the sector in Wales.

“We need to have a Welsh solution; we need to understand and have that debate as to what this means this side of the border,” he said.

But he urged attendees to act quickly, questioning whether politicians and the sector would have an answer if a tragedy like Grenfell occurred in Wales.

Mr Morris said: “We have to take the bull by the horns and, if we want it, we have to collectively move it forward from all sides… from the academic route, from CIH, from us as individual organisations.

“And may I suggest now is the time. Things will change next week, and we need to take that opportunity and to actively, jealously maybe, look across the border and say as a collective, including tenants, ‘We want some of that – we want it in a Welsh form.’

“And start that discussion, because I’m not entirely sure we’ve had that discussion yet in Wales. We’ve gone around the edge. But… time is of the essence.”

He also suggested that the Welsh sector could consider creating an independent body that regulates the profession and can strike off professionals.

One of the characteristics of other professions, he said, is that “if you do not act as a professional, an independent body can take that ability to practise from you”.

“Maybe that’s something that we need, if we are holding on to this work, maybe that’s something… we need to consider for the future,” he added.

During his opening speech at the conference, Matt Dicks, national director at CIH Cymru, said that the professionalism of the housing sector will be a key part of his organisation’s pitch to the next government.

He said that many in the sector have questioned whether Wales should legislate as in England and that there are “strong views on both sides”.

“Often where we get stuck is on the ‘how’. That’s why, in the coming weeks, we’ll be launching a consultation with you, CIH members, and the wider sector in Wales to shape what the future of our collective and individual professional journeys should look like here,” Mr Dicks added.

Housing association urges sector to step up on biodiversity

James Riding — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:55:30 GMT

A housing association has urged social landlords to step up their efforts to improve biodiversity, saying it is “in the sector’s interest” to invest in nature recovery.

Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL) called for a “sector-wide push for nature recovery” as it hosted a meeting of 50 housing and environment professionals in Suffolk.

Daniel Salliss, biodiversity and land manager at BFL, said: “It’s in the sector’s interest to keep backing nature recovery. It helps create stronger communities, supports people’s health and makes places more resilient to climate change.”

He continued: “Housing providers manage enormous amounts of land. If we get the green spaces around our homes right, we can make a real difference to wildlife, help manage climate risks and improve people’s well-being.

“But this needs the whole sector pulling in the same direction, and it needs policy that treats nature as part of the solution, not something to be traded away when it’s inconvenient.”

BFL’s Nature in Housing summit, held in Stowmarket, Suffolk in April, brought together social landlords including Clarion and Southern Housing, and groups such as Suffolk Wildlife Trust, CPRE Norfolk, and the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership.

Consultancies and sustainability specialists including Garden Organic, Greengage, Tranquil City and Wendling Beck were also present.

BFL cited recent warnings from scientists that Britain has 20 years to halt a “spiralling decline” in wildlife, with 2050 described as a “point of no return” for dozens of native species.

A study published in March 2026 by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology warned that decisions on climate and land use over the next 20 years will determine the fate of dozens of native birds, butterflies and plants across Britain. The researchers said that without strong action, more than 200 species could become extinct.

The UK has lost more than half of its natural biodiversity and is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

BFL aims to create wildflower meadows across 1,200 sites by 2030 and manage its green spaces in more nature-friendly ways.

Mr Salliss added: “Networks like the Biodiversity in Housing Network show just how much good work is already underway. The question now is how we all scale it up fast enough to match the pace of the crisis.”

Biodiversity net gain became mandatory for most new developments in England in February 2024. It requires developers to demonstrate at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value, secured and managed for a minimum of 30 years.

In December 2025, the government announced that smaller housing sites under 0.2 hectares would be exempt from biodiversity net gain requirements.

‘We need more people, we need good people and we need people who care’: Peabody’s Elly Hoult on her mission to sort housing’s future

Martin Hilditch — Wed, 06 May 2026 08:40:05 GMT

Elly Hoult is deputy chief executive at one of the UK’s oldest housing associations – but it is the future of the sector she loves that has her worried. She talks to Martin Hilditch about her ongoing hopes for her campaign to get more people to choose housing as a career, and why addressing the skills gap is so crucial

Elly Hoult’s background holds the key to why she has ended up devoting her life to social housing.

Her dad worked in the ambulance service, her sister is a social worker and her brother is a nurse. Public service runs through her family like letters through a stick of rock. When she got her first paycheck, it was celebrated at home because it meant she was making a contribution to wider society.

“Fairness was a huge part of growing up,” she says. “Probably my number-one value is around fairness, and that includes society as well. That definitely comes from my parents: fairness and making sure that everybody has the same start [in life].”

For Ms Hoult, who is chief operating officer and deputy chief executive at housing giant Peabody, this sense of fairness has translated into the way she looks at her career and the role social housing plays in society.

“Social housing for me is about equitable outcomes,” she says.

Given that focus on public service, it is very in character that Ms Hoult spent last year looking to give something back to the sector in which she has built her career.

As president of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), her Choose Housing campaign aimed to raise awareness of the career opportunities that the housing sector provides, encouraging greater diversity and inspiring more people to pursue housing as a career of choice.

Inside Housing met with her to find out what she hopes the campaign’s long-term legacy will be – but also to find out more about the person behind it.

A year ago, in a speech at the CIH’s annual presidential dinner, Ms Hoult told a personal story about how her background taught her about the hugely important role social housing plays in society.

She explained her own experience of social housing to a packed room of sector professionals. “Our home was damp, it was cold and it was overcrowded,” she said.

“It was meant to be temporary, a relic of post-war Britain, but it had endured for decades. It had no central heating, no double-glazing and open fires.”

Everything changed when the family were moved into a new housing association home, which she associates with three words: “warm, dry, safe”.

For Ms Hoult, the move gave her something other than somewhere to live – it gave her a sense of purpose, which has never left her. The power of the story and its message lie right at the heart of Ms Hoult’s campaign and her career.

Early steps into the sector

Her early life experience might have taught her about the power of social housing, but how did Ms Hoult choose it as a career? Her journey started out in the admin team at Cherwell Housing Trust. Within weeks she was hooked.

“I was sitting next to people who worked in supported housing and within two weeks I was thinking, ‘wow, these jobs are so interesting’.”

Seeing the impact the roles could have on people’s lives, helping them to improve their outcomes, led Ms Hoult to decide there and then that she wanted to work in supported housing. “That was me choosing housing, and it was quite quick.”

Ms Hoult has never looked back. She started out as a supported housing officer when the sector was riding high, with “so much investment by the Labour government [under Tony Blair]”.

“I had a caseload of 12 residents who were what we would call ‘high needs’. I had people on probation, care leavers and people with multiple complex issues. But [being] that person that was advocating, working with them, supporting them very intensely, you could actually change people’s lives.”

It’s the complexity and the variety of working in housing that Ms Hoult feels is the big attraction of the sector, but also perhaps why it is not as widely understood as some other public service roles. And it is the long-term nature of the relationship with residents that makes it such an important job to get right.

“If you go to a nurse, it’s time-limited,” she states. “If you’ve got a teacher, you’re at school for six or eight years, the teacher has a class. A resident is with us for their entire life potentially. What that does mean is that if a resident has a bad experience, they may never change their view.

“It’s very unique, I think, in that way. It means that we need to build trust because we’re going to have a relationship with our resident for the rest of their life, and potentially [with] their children and their families.”

Attracting new talent

Ms Hoult’s direct experience of the difference the sector made advocating for people with “multiple complex issues”, along with her own family’s experience, fed directly into her campaign. The name – Choose Housing – came in a flash one Friday night watching a 1980s rerun of Top of the Pops.

“The ‘Choose Life’ t-shirts came on and I was like, ‘that’s it!’” she says.

There were a few reasons for the campaign, she explains. “One, we’ve got a skills shortage and we need more people, we need good people and we need people who care and have the same passion as most of my colleagues.”

Following on from that was the desire for social landlords to “think about what they could do to improve” recruitment to the sector. “I know lots of people are doing good things, but actually, collectively, if we can gather those stories, we can get a bit of momentum behind it.”

And then finally, in a tough environment for the sector over the preceding few years, Ms Hoult wanted to “recognise the good work that [housing professionals] do and feel proud about working in housing and sharing that passion with other people”.

Last year, Inside Housing Management launched its own Housing Management Matters campaign, talking about the important role housing management plays in communities across the UK.

Our sister title is currently looking to celebrate the vital work of housing teams across the UK and publicise the contribution they make to society, by identifying 30 employees who are doing amazing work at any level in any housing management-related role.

Please nominate your inspirational colleagues here. Hopefully it can act as one small ongoing contribution to Ms Hoult’s campaign.

Speaking of which, the whole campaign was designed to make an ongoing contribution to housing recruitment. Ms Hoult developed a toolkit to provide resources and guidance on how to raise awareness of the career opportunities that the housing sector delivers. She hopes there will be the chance for organisations to use this toolkit and to build on it now that her time as president has come to an end.

“I wanted it to be down to the individual to say, ‘I’m going to go into a school and talk about housing’.”

More broadly, “if everybody [who gets involved] can get five people to join housing, that is a lot of people”.

This passion and these personal stories are what is needed for a sector that can seem complex to people with limited experience of it, and “quite difficult to explain”.

As for the CIH presidency itself, “it was a huge privilege. It’s the opportunity to have your own personal [national] campaign, something you care about. I can’t think of any other sort of environment where you can do that.”

But she wanted to ensure it lived on beyond her presidential term. “My main concern is that it is really important that this can’t just be a year,” she says. “It can’t just drop away.”

As new president Julie Haydon’s Rooted in Resilience campaign gathers momentum, the creation of the toolkit and the wider branding means Choose Housing will live on as a brand that can be used to share stories and ideas.

“I’m always thinking about how can I improve my knowledge more [in order] to do a better job”

Ms Hoult is also deeply involved in other work that will continue its legacy, including work by the London Homes Coalition.

That coalition of partners, including seven housing associations, looked at the skills and labour shortages that threaten to impact (and already are impacting) affordable housing and repairs and maintenance delivery across the capital. Its Building Skills for the Future report came out in July 2024.

“They are different pieces of work but clearly intrinsically linked,” Ms Hoult says. Work continues as part of the coalition to look at better collective working between different partners in individual neighbourhoods, innovations that might help with delivery and further lobbying of the government.

On top of all this work, Ms Hoult has completed a master’s looking at the barriers and opportunities around ventilating homes. That research is already informing how Peabody engages with its tenants and residents on the issue.

“It probably comes back to the point about the regulator really pushing around understanding who is in your home and the home itself,” she says. “Actually, [it’s about] how we have meaningful conversations with residents about what would work for them and what would work for us.”

On the same theme, this month sees Peabody launch a new resident engagement strategy, which promises that the organisation will “listen well and act clearly” and evidence how it is working with residents to influence different areas of the organisation, whether that is procurement panels, recruitment for senior leaders or the induction of new staff.

That means those “meaningful conversations” should be taking place right across the organisation.

“I think anyone in a senior position has a duty to think about things from a sector perspective, as well as their own organisation, and what they can do to improve that,” she says. “I’m always thinking about how can I improve my knowledge more [in order] to do a better job.”

Ultimately, what it all comes back to are those values Ms Hoult grew up with. Social housing came with love, support, stability and an emphasis on giving back. It’s why Ms Hoult chose housing. It’s why her focus is very much on making sure many others will be, too.

Agony Aunt: Do we need to move residents into ‘like-for-like’ properties?

Inside Housing Management — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Inside Housing Management’s new fortnightly Agony Aunt column helps housing management staff tackle some of their trickiest work problems. This week, Yetunde Dania, one of our five Agony Aunts, answers a tricky query about residents wanting ‘like-for-like’ properties when they need to be rehoused. Illustration by Pong

Gambling and domestic abuse are strongly linked, but housing providers can step in

Dr Kelly Henderson and Dr Katy Brookfield — Fri, 01 May 2026 12:30:48 GMT

Early recognition and intervention can sustain tenancies, reduce arrears and, most importantly, save lives, write Dr Kelly Henderson and Dr Katy Brookfield

Housing professionals are often the only people that can enter homes, allowing them to notice subtle changes and establish a rapport with tenants. This puts them in a unique position to notice issues of concern that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 requires providers to demonstrate how they respond to domestic abuse as part of the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. This includes working collaboratively with other agencies and ensuring tenants can access support.

Given the strong links between gambling harms, domestic abuse and tenancy breakdown, the housing sector cannot afford to treat these issues as separate. Early recognition and intervention can sustain tenancies, reduce arrears and, most importantly, save lives.

Our research team, a consortium of five organisations led by Durham University Business School, Cranfield University, University of Nottingham and University of Sheffield – together with domestic abuse and gambling harm support organisations Addressing Domestic Abuse and Betknowmore UK – conducted this research aimed at exploring women’s experiences of gambling and domestic abuse, and their housing situations.

This independent research was funded by a regulatory settlement approved by the Gambling Commission. The research team is grateful to the Gambling Commission for the support provided.

“It will not always be obvious that women are experiencing domestic abuse and harmful gambling”

The team has published a detailed research report, Gambling Harms and Domestic Abuse, with a focus on women’s experiences and their housing. We also launched a practical resource designed specifically for housing professionals.

Our aim is to spark curiosity about the intertwined issues affecting women’s housing stability, and specifically the overlooked link between gambling harms and domestic abuse. It’s well known that domestic abuse is a major factor in homelessness, however, when gambling harms are present, the risks multiply.

Women may face escalating debt, coerced loans, loss of possessions or financial control. The resource outlines that economic abuse includes behaviours that have a “substantial adverse effect” on a person’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money or resources.

This interconnection has not been greatly examined, despite the consequences being profound. As the report highlights, harmful gambling, whether by a perpetrator or a victim‑survivor, can “lead to women losing access to safe and stable housing”, and without early support, may lead to homelessness.

Perpetrators may use a partner’s wages to fund gambling or sell household items. Victim-survivors may gamble themselves as a coping mechanism or to secure money to escape. The research highlights that “it will not always be obvious that women are experiencing domestic abuse and harmful gambling”.

The resource seeks to provide practical support for housing professionals in recognising that gambling harms and domestic abuse may be occurring, such as rent arrears that appear and disappear, repeated repairs, loss of possessions, unopened post or tenants who seem increasingly anxious or withdrawn.

“If people had acknowledged or seen or just asked me a few more questions... they might have then found out”

A key message in the resource is the importance of professional curiosity in responding, and for staff to feel confident in exploring concerns sensitively, without making assumptions. As the resource points out, professional curiosity means “asking open, non-judgemental questions, listening actively and keeping an open mind”.

The resource points out the importance of creating space for disclosure, as in many cases women will offer “partial disclosures” such as:

“I can’t...”
“My partner doesn’t like it when...”
“He says I’m hopeless with money, so he handles it all.”

These disclosures can be early indicators of coercive control or financial abuse linked to gambling. The resource emphasises trauma-informed, victim-led practice. Women should never be pressured to leave a relationship or report to the police.

Instead, staff should provide a safe, private space for conversation, and reassure tenants they are not in trouble. They must explain confidentiality and safeguarding early and clearly, offer choices, not directives, and connect women with specialist domestic abuse and gambling services.

Gambling harms and domestic abuse are complex, intertwined issues that can devastate housing stability. But with the right tools and curiosity, housing professionals can play a transformative role. As one woman with lived experience reflected: “If people had acknowledged or seen or just asked me a few more questions... they might have then found out.”

This free-to-access resource gives the sector the knowledge and confidence to recognise, respond and refer to specialist agencies.

Kelly Henderson, Addressing Domestic Abuse, and Dr Katy Brookfield, University of Nottingham

This research was conducted by: Dr Mercy Denedo (Durham University), Dr Kelly Henderson (Addressing Domestic Abuse), Dr Liz Riley (Betknowmore UK), Dr Katy Brookfield (University of Nottingham), Dr Chibuzo Ejiogu (Cranfield University) and Professor Amanze Ejiogu (Sheffield Hallam University)

Six days left to enter the Inside Housing Management 30!

Inside Housing Management — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:27:35 GMT

We are calling for final nominations in our quest to find 30 excellent housing professionals, as the deadline for entries looms.

Inside Housing Management is calling for as many people as possible to nominate their colleagues for the Inside Housing Management 30, ahead of the deadline for entries at midnight on 5 May.

To be named among the Inside Housing Management 30, housing professionals will need to be raising the standard, challenging the status quo or simply excelling in the social housing sector.

The initiative, launched to celebrate Inside Housing Management’s first birthday, aims to celebrate excellence in housing, by publicly recognising those who are delivering it.

The nomination process is easy – using our online form below, you will simply need to write and submit up to 400 words explaining why your nominee deserves recognition.

More than half of Scottish adults would switch votes to back party that pledges to tackle housing crisis, survey finds

Ellie Brown — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:54:09 GMT

Nearly 75% of people in Scotland said they support building more social homes to tackle homelessness and more than half would vote for another party that focused on this issue, a survey has found.

A poll of 1,002 Scottish adults was conducted by research firm Diffley Partnership with housing charity Shelter Scotland ahead of next month’s election in Holyrood.

The survey found that two-thirds of respondents would also be more likely to vote for a political party if it pledged to build more social homes, making the policy more popular than rent controls, planning reforms and grants for first-time buyers.

At the same time, 57% of voters would consider switching their vote if another party had clear policies which they liked to tackle the housing emergency.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, assistant director of Shelter Scotland, said: “This research is clear. People in Scotland know there is a housing emergency, they support social housebuilding as the best solution and it significantly impacts on their decisions as voters.”

He added: “It is an outrage that every party leader knows the solution is to build more social homes, but they seem too scared to act.

“Now, thanks to this research, they know that voters will back them if they just get on and deliver the homes people in Scotland so desperately need. Our politicians must have the courage of their convictions and deliver.”

The rate of social housebuilding starts in Scotland fell to the lowest level last year and the country has 18,000 households in temporary accommodation, including 10,000 children.

The most recent Scottish National Party (SNP) administration declared a national housing emergency two years ago and later changed the law to give councils the ability to impose rent controls.

Earlier this year, it pledged £4.1bn in public grants to fund social housebuilding over the next parliament, as well as setting up a national housing agency to speed up delivery.

The survey also found that two-thirds agreed that the country is facing a housing emergency, although just under half said it is affecting their local area.

Housing did not appear in the top five issues that voters said would be most important in influencing which party they decide to support. Housing ranked behind the cost of living, healthcare and the NHS, the economy, immigration and asylum, and Scottish independence.

Mark Diffley, founder and director of Diffley Partnership, said: “As we approach the election, this poll demonstrates a clear relationship between housing policy and voters’ decisions.

“Scots are aware of the housing emergency, are concerned about its impacts, and there’s an appetite for the new parliament to present a plan to address the housing emergency early on.

“The data also indicates potential for housing policy to influence vote switching, with a majority saying they would consider changing their second vote if another party had clear policies which they liked.”

Homeless Connect welcomes Northern Ireland Assembly committee report on homelessness

John Lubbock — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:53:41 GMT

The Northern Ireland Assembly’s recent Report on Homelessness and the Supporting People Programme has been warmly welcomed by the charity Homeless Connect.

The charity, which acts as an umbrella body representing groups that tackle homelessness in Northern Ireland, said the findings highlighted the scale of the challenges facing people experiencing homelessness in the country and proposed “important and timely recommendations for change”.

The Assembly’s report states that “the evidence presented to the Committee [for Communities] is unambiguous: the homelessness sector is facing a ‘perfect storm’ of rising demand, increased complexity of service user needs and a funding model that is in danger of collapse in real terms”.

A total of 62,314 people were officially recorded as homeless in September 2025: around one in every 31 people in Northern Ireland.

There are 90,819 people waiting for social housing in Northern Ireland and significant numbers of children in temporary accommodation, and “the committee is particularly concerned that these trends point to a system that is increasingly weighted towards expensive crisis responses rather than earlier prevention”.

The committee’s key findings reveal concerns about the financial viability of critical services for young people and those with complex needs which could lead to those services closing.

There is also a recruitment crisis in the homelessness prevention sector, and a ‘legislative lag’, with laws that are outdated compared to those of England and Wales.

The report makes five recommendations, such as sustainable multi-year funding for the Supporting People Programme including an annual inflationary uplift, and a cross-departmental taskforce on homelessness.

This is in addition to a community housing strategy that supports the acquisition of properties by community housing trusts, a new strategic needs assessment and legislative reform to prevent homelessness.

Commenting on the report, Nicola McCrudden, chief executive of Homeless Connect, said: “As the representative body for the homelessness sector, we have long been aware from our members of the recruitment and retention crisis facing services.

“As the committee’s report notes, this crisis is a direct result of policy and funding decisions over the past decade that have failed to increase funding to providers in line with inflation. In the current financial year, these challenges have been further intensified by the NI Executive’s failure to pass a budget.”

Ms McCrudden said organisations in the sector were having to rely on short-term, quarterly budgets, which create instability and undermine planning and staff morale. She said this was “a direct consequence of ongoing uncertainty around the NI Executive budget”.

She pointed out that “the committee’s report also rightly recognises that homelessness is far more than a housing issue” and commended the committee for its “strong focus on interdepartmental collaboration”.

Lastly, she urged the minister for communities to consider the report’s recommendations, saying that Homeless Connect “fully endorses the committee’s recommendation that the department conducts a comprehensive review of homelessness legislation in Northern Ireland before the end of this Assembly mandate”.

She added: “In our view, the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 requires reconsideration to place a much stronger emphasis on homelessness prevention.

“This would represent an important shift towards tackling the root causes of homelessness and would be a constructive step towards developing legislation in the next Assembly mandate that helps prevent homelessness before it occurs, rather than responding only after the fact.”

Government confirms Right to Buy reforms will go ahead

Ellie Brown — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:52:22 GMT

The government will change the Right to Buy so that tenants must wait over three times as long as they currently do before being eligible to buy a council home at a discount.

This change means the minimum eligibility period has jumped from three to 10 years before tenants can apply to buy their home.

The government will also change discount rules so these start at 5% of the property’s value and are capped at 15%, and will exempt new build social homes from the policy for 35 years.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed it would be bringing in the reforms today, following a consultation last year. The government has also done further work on potential changes to the policy.

This work includes strengthening fraud prevention so fewer vulnerable tenants are pressured into buying, investigating how the policy applies in rural areas and reforming the ‘cost floor’ so council investment is better protected.

Last year, nearly 7,500 council homes were sold to tenants under the Right to Buy policy, a rise of 7% on the previous year.

An estimated two million homes have been lost from the public sector as a result of the policy brought in over 40 years ago. The changes to the policy have been welcomed by groups in the sector.

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “CIH welcomes the government’s continued focus on reforming Right to Buy and the clear recognition that change is needed to better protect and rebuild our social housing.

“The measures confirmed today are a positive step towards addressing the long-standing imbalance between homes sold and those replaced.

“We also welcome the further work on fraud prevention and the scheme’s impact in rural areas, both of which are crucial to ensuring Right to Buy operates fairly and sustainably.”

Alistair Smyth, director of policy and research at the National Housing Federation, said: “We welcome these bold reforms. Given the scale of the housing crisis, it’s right that the government is intervening to protect our depleted social housing, which for too long has been subject to unsustainable losses as a direct result of Right to Buy.

“Sitting alongside the ambitious package of funding for new social housing, we believe these reforms help set us up for a decade of growth and renewal.

“Most importantly, it offers real hope to those at the sharp end of the housing crisis, including the 175,000 children living in temporary accommodation due to the shortage of social housing.”

The number of Right to Buy applications hit a 20-year high in England last year as council tenants rushed to access discounts before they were reduced.

A report by the Local Government Association last year found that the reforms were having a positive impact on council housebuilding and already unlocking new schemes.

Call for government action on supported housing as lack of spaces costs NHS £102m per year

Ellie Brown — Fri, 01 May 2026 08:58:48 GMT

Housing and health groups are calling on the government to tackle the shortage of supported accommodation, which is costing the NHS around £102m per year.

Patients spent a combined 121,000 extra days in hospital last year simply because they did not have suitable housing to go to, according to a report co-authored by the National Housing Federation (NHF).

During the same period, one in three supported housing landlords closed their doors, exacerbating a shortage of supply estimated to be between 180,000 and 388,000 units.

In the paper published today, the NHF and its co-author the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) urged politicians to ease financial pressures on providers.

They have called for long-term funding for support services, increasing rent flexibility by up to 20% above the current formula, and tweaking capital grant schemes to reflect the cost of developing and running this accommodation.

As of late 2024, urgent and emergency mental health beds in England were 95% occupied, compared to the RCP standard of 85%.

The NHS has also upped its spending on private mental health beds by more than two-thirds in the past five years, adding up to a combined £1.4bn.

In contrast, supported housing spaces account for an estimated one-third of inpatient beds, and tackling the shortage could save the NHS up to £65m per year, half the amount it is now paying out.

This new report, also produced with supported housing provider Look Ahead, backed joining up health and housing policies at a regional and national level.

Other suggestions include hiring housing specialists to community and acute teams, carrying out housing assessments when people are admitted to hospital, and developing place-based mental health and housing strategies led by councils and health boards.

Dr Jon Van Niekerk, chair of the RCP’s general adult facility, said the current pattern of delayed discharges and patients sometimes going into unsuitable housing “places additional strain on individuals, families and the wider health and care system”.

He added: “Secure and appropriate housing is a fundamental component of effective mental health care.

“Greater alignment between health and housing policy is essential to ensure people can leave hospital safely and sustain their recovery in the community.”

The report has also gained backing from two of the country’s largest social housing providers.

Kate Still, chief customer officer at Clarion Housing Group, said: “We strongly welcome the report’s call for housing to be embedded within neighbourhood health policy, and for health to be built into housing strategy from the outset.

“We look forward to working with partners across health and housing, local authorities and government to support driving change that improves residents’ lives and reduces pressure on the NHS for years to come.”

A survey by Clarion last year found that half of its residents are financially precarious, with an increase in mental health problems presenting a barrier to employment for people of working age.

Clarion’s chief executive Clare Miller told a roundtable discussion last week that housing associations need to be “more imaginative” on health and prevention as the system shifts towards neighbourhood healthcare.

Ms Still added: “The data tells a clear story that housing and health are inseparable and a joined-up response is needed.”

Lee Buss-Blair, director of operations at Riverside Care & Support, said: “This research demonstrates how important supported housing is as a backbone for a well-functioning mental health system.

“It also highlights how the crisis in supported housing creates appalling outcomes for people and costs taxpayers more money when patients are discharged to out-of-area housing or temporary accommodation (TA) with insufficient support, which can lead to further isolation and challenges at a time when patients are recovering from mental health problems.”

He added: “The lack of supported housing means there are insufficient bed spaces to help people affected by homelessness as well as people affected by mental health problems.

“At a time when councils spent more than £10bn on TA over the past five years, providers of supported housing are also closing their doors due to funding cuts.

“It is crucial that the government’s value for money review resets homelessness funding so less money is spent on poor-quality TA and more money is spent on funding good-quality, much-needed supported housing services.”

Sarah Finnegan, head of policy at the NHF, said: “The findings of this report show the far-reaching consequences of years of cuts to funding for supported housing.

“Not only are tens of thousands of people, who deserve the opportunity to live a healthy, happy and independent life, being failed because of a lack of supported housing, but the shortage of these homes is increasing pressure on public services and costing the NHS.

“Supported housing plays a critical role in enabling timely hospital discharge and delivering better health outcomes for residents.

“However, thousands of supported homes, with even more at risk, have been forced to close their doors over the last few years because funding cuts, alongside rising costs, have meant providers simply can’t run these services anymore.

“We will continue to work closely with the government, making the case for a long-term, sustainable funding settlement to secure the future of this vital sector.”

A government spokesperson said: “Nobody should be forced to stay in hospital simply because there is nowhere suitable for them to live.

“That’s why we’re backing the delivery of supported housing through the £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme, helping people with mental ill health live independently in their communities.

“Alongside this, we’re investing a record £16.1bn in mental health services this year, reforming the Mental Health Act and hiring thousands more staff.

“By better joining up mental health, housing and social care, we can cut delays and support recovery closer to home.”

How does the Supreme Court ruling on transgender people affect housing organisations? We’ve created a resource to help

Steven McIntyre — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:53:57 GMT

We’ve joined forces with LGBTQ+ organisations AKT and Gendered Intelligence to help organisations navigate the new legal landscape while protecting trans inclusion, writes Steven McIntyre, chief executive of Stonewall Housing

In April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refers to ‘biological sex’ – meaning, the sex someone was assigned at birth. The court did not define what this means in practice, failing to reflect the complexity of sex characteristics and lived experience of gender.

The real-world effect has been to create confusion and place vulnerable people at greater risk.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the body charged with translating rulings like this one into practical, statutory guidance that organisations can actually use. Interim guidance was published in the immediate aftermath of the ruling, and sections of draft guidance then went out for consultation.

We are still waiting for finalised guidance to be laid before parliament and published. What remains is a vacuum, especially as the draft EHRC code of practice offered little support for those who wish to be trans-inclusive, but plenty of justification for those who wish to exclude.

For trans and non-binary people, many of whom already face disproportionate barriers to accessing safe housing and homelessness support, the ruling created a new layer of uncertainty and risk.

For the organisations that serve them and employers, it has raised urgent, complex questions about legal obligations and what trans inclusion can still look like in practice.

Many organisations in the sector are already seeing the impact, where trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people are falling through the cracks, or self-excluding from services. They are being pushed further from safety, housing and support at precisely the moments they need it most.

“Trans-inclusive policies and practices not only remain possible, but are in most cases the most practical and workable approach”

The ruling risks creating a legal and ethical minefield for the sector. For housing and homelessness organisations, local authorities and charities who wish to deliver an inclusive service, this is not an abstract problem.

It means that the people making real decisions about real lives, about who gets a bed, who gets a support worker, who gets through the door, are being asked to act without the legal clarity they are entitled to expect.

AKT, Gendered Intelligence and Stonewall Housing have joined forces to launch a landmark resource supporting housing and homelessness organisations to navigate one of the most significant legal developments for trans people in recent years.

As three of the sector’s most respected specialist organisations, we continue to believe that trans-inclusive policies and practices not only remain possible, but are in most cases the most practical and workable approach.

Developed collaboratively by AKT, Gendered Intelligence and Stonewall Housing, the resource provides a structured framework to help organisations think through their specific context, document their rationale and justify decisions about their policies and practices.

“One of the most important messages in the resource is this: the Supreme Court Ruling does not strip trans people of their legal protections”

It is designed precisely for this moment: for organisations that are committed to doing the right thing, but are being failed by the absence of clear official direction.

One of the most important messages in the resource is this: the Supreme Court Ruling does not strip trans people of their legal protections. Gender reassignment remains a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Trans and non-binary people are still protected from unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

The ruling primarily affects how organisations that describe themselves as single-sex services may define eligibility, but even here, it sets out what organisations can do, not what they must do. Crucially, organisations may also face legal risk if they choose to exclude trans and non-binary people from their services. These are points the EHRC’s draft guidance did not communicate with sufficient clarity and that this resource addresses directly.

The full practical implications of the ruling are still unfolding and are likely to be subject to further litigation. In this context, an organisation needs to show that they have thought carefully through their position and can articulate a clear, considered, defensible rationale for policies and practice.

Steven McIntyre, chief executive, Stonewall Housing

New report calls on Welsh government to invest in housing workforce as staff fill gaps left by cuts to public services

Stephen Delahunty — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:26:55 GMT

The national director of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru has called on the Welsh government to invest in the housing workforce after a new report found staff filling in gaps left by public service cuts.

The report highlighted how housing professionals feel they are increasingly stepping in to support tenants in areas where other public services have been cut.

This has led to rising expectations and added pressure on staff, with many experiencing stress, burnout and vicarious trauma in their roles.

The research warns that rising demand and pressure to fill the gaps left by other public services are placing growing strain on housing professionals.

This latest report comes after a survey in February that found just over one-fifth of Welsh housing professionals said ongoing pressures are having a “major impact” on their mental health and well-being.

Matthew Dicks made the call yesterday at Tai 2026, CIH Cymru’s annual housing conference, as he reflected on a report, Hearing the Housing Professionals’ Voice, commissioned by Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Ahead of the Senedd elections, he is asking the next Welsh government to invest in and better support the workforce by increasing staffing levels, expanding training and education opportunities, and recognising the impact of working with increasingly complex tenant needs.

Mr Dicks said: “This report is a reminder of just how much housing professionals are being asked to deliver – and how vital it is that they are properly supported to do so. That’s why we need a workforce strategy that provides career routes, reflects the wider diversity of Wales, nurtures expertise, increases capacity and helps develop resilience.

“CIH Cymru’s manifesto calls on the next Welsh government to treat housing as a sustainable vocation – investing in training, well-being and recognition so that the people doing this vital work can continue to thrive in their roles.”

CIH Cymru has also warned that new and forthcoming legislation, including the Building Safety (Wales) Bill and changes to homelessness and allocations law, could place additional pressure on a workforce already facing high workloads and capacity challenges.

The Welsh membership body said the findings align with its new Rooted in Resilience toolkit, launched during Stress Awareness Month as part of CIH president Julie Haydon’s presidential campaign. The toolkit aims to support housing professionals in managing workplace pressures and building long-term resilience.

Ms Haydon said at the conference: “As a profession dedicated to providing homes and services, we know that housing’s strength does not come from bricks and mortar. It comes from people – and the resilience and professionalism that sustains them.

“If we want to deliver professional, compassionate services, we must be just as serious about investing in workforce well-being, strength and leadership as we are in the upkeep of standards.

“The voices coming through in this research from Wales reflect what we hear across the profession – housing professionals are deeply committed but need to feel that commitment is reciprocated.”

Exclusive: At least 485 arrests made under Vagrancy Act 1824 since Labour government came to power

Stephen Delahunty and Jack Shaw — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:42:35 GMT

Data shared exclusively with Inside Housing has revealed that at least 485 arrests have been made under the Vagrancy Act 1824 since the current Labour government came to power.

The data was collected by Jack Shaw, director of Groundwork Research, using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every police force in England for the period from June 2024 to October 2025.

The actual figure is likely to be higher, as the government revealed it would scrap the 200-year-old law that made rough sleeping a criminal offence in England and Wales in June 2025, but the ban only started in spring this year.

The FOI requests revealed that the forces with the most arrests were Greater Manchester Police (125), West Yorkshire Police (100) and the Metropolitan Police Service (75).

All three forces declined to provide a comment in response to their use of the act.

However, a National Police Chiefs’ Council spokesperson said: “The Vagrancy Act 1824 is still in place, therefore individual police forces will continue to use current legislation as appropriate until any such changes are formally passed by the government.

“Police forces continue to work with a range of partners, including local authorities, drug, alcohol and mental health workers, on matters surrounding homelessness and rough sleeping, to ensure the appropriate agency plays their part in addressing the underlying reasons for homelessness and we all respond appropriately to issues facing our communities.

“These are complex societal issues that can only be solved with long-term thinking and effective collaboration.

“The role of the police is to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, which may be linked to some street communities. Arrest may be necessary in some circumstances where other avenues have been fully explored.”

The government confirmed that the act remains subject to Royal Assent and commencement timings of replacement measures in the Crime and Policing Bill, but it remains committed to "repealing this punitive legislation".

In February it announced that £50m of extra investment will be split across two programmes and will help it meet the national target to halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this parliament.

A three-year grant programme worth £37m – the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund – will be “allocated competitively” to small and medium-sized organisations delivering day-to-day prevention and support services across England.

Introduced towards the end of the Georgian era, the Vagrancy Act was initially used to deal with an increase in homelessness after the Napoleonic Wars and during the Industrial Revolution.

While use of the act against rough sleeping has declined significantly over time in line with a greater understanding around the causes of homelessness, it has remained enforceable in law.

Its repeal comes at a time when the latest government figures show the number of people sleeping rough in England increased by 20% in one year.

News of the act’s scrapping was welcomed by several major charities when it was announced last year.

Matt Downie, chief executive of charity Crisis, described the decision as “a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety”.

54% of surveyed residents feel stigmatised because of their landlord’s actions, campaign group finds

Stephen Delahunty — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:48:01 GMT

Campaign group Stop Social Housing Stigma’s (SSHS) national tenant survey has revealed that 54% feel stigmatised because of something their landlord has done.

The survey, which builds on interim findings in November last year, includes responses from 1,643 social housing tenants. It also found that 70% of these tenants feel stigmatised.

A total of 68% of respondents believe that successive governments since the Grenfell Tower tragedy have done little or nothing to tackle stigma.

However, more than 27% said they trust their landlord “a lot” or “a great deal”.

SSHS believes the feedback shows that stigma remains a daily reality for most people living in social housing, and the problem “is being actively reinforced by the systems meant to support them”.

The findings were drawn from hundreds of comments by tenants of 156 housing associations and local authorities.

SSHS said that if surveyed residents’ figures were replicated across the social housing sector, this would amount to 2.5 million households feeling stigmatised because of where they live. And more than two million would feel stigmatised because of something the landlord has done.

Tenants also described being spoken to “as if we are stupid”, treated “like scum”, and routinely disbelieved when reporting problems.

Many reported that repairs take months or years to carry out, with some tenants living in damp, mouldy or unsafe homes. Others report that anti-social behaviour is ignored, leaving victims to gather evidence while perpetrators continue unchecked.

Tenants link these experiences directly to stigma. They told SSHS they feel they “are not valued” when homes and neighbourhoods are visibly neglected.

In response, housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “The results from this report should be a moment the sector stands still and reflects.

“Stigma in social housing must be tackled wherever it is found. It is clear that too many actions being taken, even if they are being made with the best of intentions, are not having a positive impact on how residents feel about the homes they live in.

“The need to hear residents’ voices on these issues and tackle stigma is one of the reasons we called for a national resident representative body in our latest Spotlight report.

“Stigma is sometimes overt in our casework but more often unconscious, such as poor communication or missed appointments. We have called out both in our reports, but there is more everyone in the sector can do.”

Media stereotypes also play a role. Tenants say they are routinely portrayed as “benefit scroungers”, criminals or irresponsible – despite many working, caring for families or living on pensions.

The analysis also highlights internalised stigma, with many tenants avoiding telling friends, colleagues or even family that they live in social housing.

Another finding shows that “stigma is not inevitable”, according to SSHS. The survey found that 25% of tenants feel respected, listened to and proud of their homes.

These tenants typically experience good communication, respectful staff, well-maintained homes and mixed-tenure communities.

SSHS is calling on tenants, the government, senior housing professionals, the media and civil society to come together with the campaign group to drive cultural transformation across communities.

The campaign group said: “It is welcome that steps have been taken towards ensuring greater standards of health and safety; towards establishing a regulator that is interested in the services that tenants receive; and towards establishing an ombudsman that seeks to drive up standards of complaints-handling.

“But whilst the cultures, attitudes and behaviours that required these changes to be made persist, tenants will continue to be stigmatised second-class citizens.”

Baroness Taylor, the Lords minister for housing and local government, described the findings as “concerning” and has agreed to chair a roundtable discussion that will include the National Housing Federation, the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institute of Housing.

She said this will help to “identify examples of good practice”.

Last year, Baroness Taylor said that a new national tenants’ body must move forward “as quickly as possible”.

Tenants have been calling for national representation for years, and the Housing Ombudsman backed the move in May amid an unprecedented surge in repairs complaints.

Research at the start of last year – sponsored by the the G15 Residents’ Group, a forum set up to deliver resident-led change within the housing sector – found that 45% of London’s social renters have experienced prejudice or discrimination because of their housing status, while 35% described feelings of embarrassment.

At the time, Daisy Armstrong, chair of the group, said: “The findings in this report deliver a clear call to action. Stigma must be addressed at every level, starting with those who provide and manage our homes.

“Grenfell’s aftermath has reshaped how social landlords operate, with new consumer standards requiring more resident involvement. But to enact real change, this involvement must be genuine, not a tick-box exercise.”

Reforming renters’ rights is not enough. Renters have to know about it

Alice Tibbert — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:49:29 GMT

Legislation does not change lives on its own. Awareness does, and that requires deliberate, co-ordinated effort, writes Alice Tibbert, chief executive of Housing Matters

The Renters’ Rights Act is the most significant reform to the private rented sector in a generation. It abolishes Section 21 evictions, ends fixed-term tenancies, bans rental bidding wars and introduces new protections that millions of renters have waited years for. It is, by any measure, landmark legislation.

And yet, according to the London Assembly’s Housing Committee, 65% of renters in the capital have either never heard of it or do not understand what it means for them. With the first phase coming into force on 1 May, that is not a minor implementation detail. It is a fundamental risk to everything the act is supposed to achieve.

But this is not a ‘London problem’, it’s a national one. And in the West of England – a region with more at stake than most – it is one we decided we could not wait for someone else to solve.

Bristol is the fifth largest private rental market in England and Wales, behind only Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. Nearly 300,000 people across the West of England rent privately.

Section 21 no-fault evictions – the very thing the act abolishes – have been one of the primary drivers of homelessness in this city, and hit a six-year high nationally in 2024. Since the start of the cost-of-living crisis, the number of households in Bristol placed in temporary accommodation has risen by 130%.

Now add this: new research projects that the South West will see the highest household growth of any region in England by 2040 – a 20% increase. The pressure will not ease. If anything, the stakes around getting this transition right are higher here than almost anywhere else in the country.

“What began as a conversation between a small number of housing organisations has grown, over the past several months, into something that – as far as we can tell – is not happening anywhere else in England, at least not at this scale”

The Renters’ Rights Act is a genuine opportunity to begin to rebalance a system that has been badly out of kilter. But legislation does not change lives on its own. Awareness does. And awareness requires deliberate, co-ordinated effort.

That is the logic behind the WE Rent campaign. What began as a conversation between a small number of housing organisations has grown, over the past several months, into something that – as far as we can tell – is not happening anywhere else in England, at least not at this scale.

All three local councils in the West of England Combined Authority are involved. So are universities, the health sector, letting agents and a wide network of charities and community organisations. More than 400 professionals have signed up to support awareness efforts.

An event at Bristol City Hall last month, led by Housing Matters and Caring in Bristol, brought together 250 housing professionals – with a further 100 on the waiting list.

It is not just resource that has made this possible – it is trust, and a shared recognition that the act only works if the people it is designed to protect actually understand it. That means reaching renters where they are, in the communities, languages and settings where they feel safe asking questions.

Community organisations are essential to that. Their relationships, built over years, cannot be replicated by a website or a press release. It also means engaging landlords – not as adversaries, but as participants in a system that is changing for everyone.

The majority of private landlords in this region are individuals, not institutions. Many of them are navigating this transition with as little clarity as their tenants. A co-ordinated regional approach that leaves landlords out is one that is already preparing for conflict rather than preventing it.

“A co-ordinated regional approach that leaves landlords out is one that is already preparing for conflict rather than preventing it”

On the morning of 27 April, organisations across the region will share the same message at the same time – a co-ordinated moment designed to cut through the noise and reach as many people as possible before the 1 May deadline. They will be signposting to a dedicated resource hub, which is now live at we-rent.org.uk, including a practical guidebook available both digitally and in print.

It’s not been simple to build – but equally not as complex as you may expect. Cross-sector collaboration of this kind requires people to operate outside their usual structures, to share platforms and credit, and to trust that the collective effort is worth more than any individual organisation’s visibility. In our experience, it is. But it requires someone to hold the room, and a shared conviction that the room is worth holding.

The London Assembly is right to call for a co-ordinated, city-wide approach to awareness in the capital. That work should happen, urgently and at scale.

But the question for the wider sector is not just what London does. It is whether by the time the next major piece of housing legislation arrives there is already a model – tested, refined, replicable – for how regions can organise themselves to make that legislation land.

In the West of England, we are taking steps to try and build a model now. We would welcome the conversation with anyone who wants to understand how it works – and what it takes.

Alice Tibbert, chief executive, Housing Matters

We’ve undertaken the most in-depth review of our culture in our history – here’s what we learned

Martyn Shaw — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:43:40 GMT

If we want to restore public trust, deliver more homes at pace and make the most of our opportunities, we must be prepared to examine ourselves honestly, writes Martyn Shaw, chief executive of Vico Homes

The social housing sector is at a defining moment. Demand for safe, affordable homes continues to grow, yet the pressure to deliver quickly and consistently is intensifying.

The conversation is often framed around numbers: how many homes we can build and how fast we can build them. But behind every target is people, whose experiences ultimately determine whether we succeed. Culture is lived by people every day. And the quality of that culture shapes the quality of the homes and services we provide.

Culture governs how people make decisions, how they respond to risk and how they treat the people who rely on them. It shapes the quality of our services as much as any process, policy or investment. And in recent years, we’ve been painfully reminded of what happens when culture fails.

The tragedies at Grenfell and the death of Awaab Ishak have left a lasting impact on us all. They exposed not just processes that failed, but systemic cultural gaps: voices not heard, concerns not acted on, people not speaking up or being ignored when they did.

Rebuilding trust isn’t just about the systems; it starts with strengthening the people within them. It calls for clarity, openness and leadership.

At Vico Homes, this recognition led us to take a step many organisations hesitate to take. With the backing of our board, we invited Nazir Afzal, the former chief prosecutor for the North West, and Rise Associates, the agency behind the Independent Culture Review of the London Fire Brigade, to undertake the most in-depth review of our culture in our history.

Few registered providers have subjected themselves to this type of scrutiny. But if we’re serious about delivering the homes that are needed, at pace, while enhancing safety and quality, we can’t afford to view ourselves through our own filter. We must be prepared to look at ourselves in full, with people in focus.

“No plan, however bold, will be realised without a culture that enables people to turn ambition into action”

The Better Social Housing Review put it clearly: housing associations must return to their core purpose and demonstrate that everything they do supports it. For us, that purpose is centred on people, providing safe, high-quality homes for the people who need them most and doing it at scale.

We have ambitious plans to deliver thousands more homes. But no plan, however bold, will be realised without a culture that enables people to turn ambition into action.

Are our people supported to work collaboratively? Do they feel empowered to make decisions? Are they encouraged to learn, challenge and improve? Are residents’ voices guiding decisions every day?

To answer these questions, we opened the organisation up to hundreds of honest conversations across development, asset management, customer services, corporate functions and customer-facing teams. We asked people what helps them do their best work and where culture creates barriers.

These conversations weren’t always comfortable. But they have told us what we need to know and, more importantly, where we can be better.

What emerged was clear. Culture is what makes pace possible. If we want to accelerate delivery without compromising standards, we must work as one united team, with clear shared expectations, clear communication and shared accountability. Silos slow us down. Ambiguity slows us down. Distant leadership slows us down.

The organisations that will thrive in the next decade will be the ones that build cultures where teams feel empowered to innovate, raise concerns early and challenge constructively. Cultures where leaders are visible, accessible and set a consistent tone. And cultures where residents’ voices shape decisions from the start, not only at the end.

“The sector is full of talented, committed people working hard to deliver homes and services under pressure. But commitment alone is not enough”

This is the cultural shift we’re now embedding. We’re creating an environment that empowers people, strengthens safety and keeps our focus on the residents we support.

That means aligning structures with accountability, investing in leadership at every level and creating the conditions for continuous improvement. It means being honest about what needs to change, not defensive. And it means recognising that culture is not a one-time project. It’s the foundation for success.

We know that external pressures, planning challenges and inflation aren’t going away. But we can choose the internal conditions to help overcome them. A strong culture helps our people to handle pressure. A weak culture adds to it.

The sector is full of talented, committed people working hard to deliver homes and services under pressure. But commitment alone is not enough. If we want to restore public trust, deliver more homes at pace and make the most of our opportunities, we must be prepared to examine ourselves honestly.

My experience, and our recent review, have reinforced my belief that successful organisations deliver best when they’re aligned, confident and united behind a clear purpose. That alignment begins with culture. If we get that right, we can deliver more homes, safer homes and better experiences now.

This is a challenge for the sector. Culture is not a secondary issue. It’s the foundation for our future.

Martyn Shaw, chief executive, Vico Homes

Moat Homes agree £200m repairs contract

Stephen Delahunty — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:47:24 GMT

Moat Homes has agreed a new long-term contract valued at over £200m with a major maintenance firm.

The 23,000-home social landlord has agreed the deal with Mears Group, and has the option to extend the deal for a further five years.

The contract will see Mears deliver responsive and void maintenance and planned works to the landlord’s homes across the South East of England.

Lucas Critchley, chief executive officer at Mears, said: “I am pleased to see continuing strong momentum with a further important contract win.

“Securing this long-term contract with Moat reflects the strength of our operational performance and our disciplined, sustainable approach to bidding new work.

“I am delighted that we will be working with Moat for the long term, who are very much a like-minded client, and I look forward to bringing the strength of the group’s continually broadening service offer to bear to deliver a great service to Moat and their customers.”

Mears previously had a 12-year relationship with Moat that concluded in 2022, and has been delivering services to Moat since 2024 through an interim appointment.

This award reflects a successful transition to a long-term strategic partnership.

This latest deal comes after Mears revealed earlier this year that its order book reached an “all-time high” of £4bn, as it reported strong growth in its maintenance services throughout 2025.

In its preliminary results for 2025, the housing management firm reported a 12% growth in maintenance-led revenue, to £620.4m, which it said was driven by providers increasing their spending because of increased regulation.

In August 2025, Moat Homes recorded a 40% drop in its annual surplus after net interest costs continued to soar, but completed more homes than last year.

The landlord posted an increase in its operating surplus from £44.6m to £49m, according to its accounts for the year ending in March 2025.

However, the increase was wiped out by net interest costs of £31.4m, up from £26.4m the year before, plus a loss of £5.4m because of the restructuring of some legacy loans and swaps.

It meant the Kent-based housing provider’s pre-tax surplus for the year was £12.2m, down from £20.9m in 2023-24, which was itself a drop of more than 50% from the year before.

Social landlords must be ‘more imaginative’ on prevention as health shifts to neighbourhoods, says Clarion boss

Eliza Parr — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:49:59 GMT

Housing associations need to be “more imaginative” on health and prevention as the system shifts towards neighbourhood healthcare, Clarion’s chief executive has said.

During a roundtable hosted by Clarion yesterday, senior leaders from across housing and health discussed how the London social housing sector can play a bigger role in improving community health outcomes.

The government’s shift towards neighbourhood health – where care moves out of hospitals and closer to home – presents a “significant opportunity to embed housing at the heart of prevention”, Clarion said ahead of the event.

Clare Miller, the G15 landlord’s chief executive, said: “This is one of the big challenges for housing associations as we look to redefine our role.”

She continued: “If I was pushed, probably I would say investing in our homes is the biggest impact that we can have in terms of health outcomes for our residents.

“But if we only do that, that’s maybe a very insular view – it’s our comfort zone, it’s what we’ve done for many, many years – [and] I think maybe we miss an opportunity to be more of an agent for change in the neighbourhoods in which we work.”

Ms Miller said social landlords house some of the poorest households in the country “with some of the worst health outcomes”.

“It is a daily challenge for my staff, who are out and about trying to help residents. So I think we need to be more imaginative in this space,” she said.

As well as investing in existing stock, Ms Miller highlighted the importance of building new homes so that landlords can “retire some of the homes that, frankly, are at the end of their life”.

The roundtable came off the back of Clarion’s Five New Giants of Opportunity report, launched last year, which called for a new social contract for housing to address the threats to quality of life affecting communities across the UK.

Leaders at the roundtable also discussed how to move beyond isolated pilots and scale up housing and health initiatives, as well as how to improve conversations between professionals from different sectors.

Andrew van Doorn, chief executive officer of HACT, who also chaired the event, said there needs to be “an explicit consideration around housing as part of health conversations”.

“If we’re honest, often housing is a kind of a side hustle in health thinking, but actually, what we’ve heard, and we know... it’s not a side hustle. It’s core and fundamental to those things that drive poor health outcomes for people.”

Mr van Doorn also stressed the importance of ensuring social landlords are part of decision-making.

He said: “How do we make sure that the social landlords – who are the deliverers of the vast majority of social housing in London [alongside] local government – how do we make sure that they’re at the table?

“Because they’re the organisations with the professional workforce, with the assets, they’re the people who are going into homes.

“How do we make sure that landlords and the G15 and others are in that conversation? And how do we ask and make sure that the NHS and health planners think about that?”

He said the neighbourhood health agenda is “a massive opportunity to get this right, because it is transferring resource”.

Michael Bell, chair of NHS West and North London Integrated Care Board (ICB) and chairman of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, told attendees that his ICB is shifting significant resources out of hospitals and into the community.

He said: “We will be shifting £120m this year. By the end of the three-year period, we will have shifted between £350m and over £700m from acute care into neighbourhood health.

“This is dramatic. This will make a real difference – £700m goes quite a long way in the acute sector, but not that far. In primary care and in community services, that’s transformative, absolutely transformative.

“So the future is potentially bright. We need to work with you to make sure that we’re getting housing around the table.”

Landlord to overhaul void process after ombudsman found it moved family into second damp home

Ellie Brown — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:15:03 GMT

A landlord moved a family with a young child out of one damp home to another after failing to carry out recommendations from a damp survey when the property was empty.

Plexus did not act on a surveyor’s findings despite records showing there was a leak and water damage in the property, the Housing Ombudsman found in its latest report.

The housing association has pledged to improve how it deals with void homes following an independent review ordered as part of the watchdog’s finding of severe maladministration.

Plexus told the ombudsman that it had relocated the tenants from their previous home, which had damp and mould due to structural problems with the roof.

But in the new home, the residents had to deal with leaks from the boiler and pipe work, as well as further damp and mould later found to be caused by faulty pipes under the hallway floor.

Plexus had spent more than £5,000 repairing the property before the family moved in. Also, the housing association commissioned a survey while the property was empty after suspecting a leak was causing rising damp.

It admitted there was no evidence that it “adequately investigated or eliminated the possibility of a plumbing leak” at this stage and only carried out one recommendation from the survey.

Plus, the frequency of the leaks should have been looked into further and a thorough inspection of the pipes would have been “prudent”.

The family who moved in complained about the leaks and damp and escalated their concerns twice over the next year-and-a-half.

It was only then that Plexus requested another damp survey, which found “significant issues” that would have needed the family to be temporarily moved out to fix. The residents ended up relocating permanently due to other issues with the home.

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, said: “The void period is a vital opportunity for landlords to make sure a property is ready to be lived in and fix underlying issues with minimal disruption to a resident.

“This case shows what can go wrong when a landlord does not use that time well.

“It also highlights the importance of good knowledge and information management for landlords to be able to access a property’s full repair history, act on survey recommendations, and ensure nothing falls between the gaps between one tenancy and the next.”

He added: “We would urge landlords to examine their own void processes in light of this case.”

In a learning statement, Plexus said: “Following this determination, we reviewed our voids process and standards, and have a checklist in place to cover all aspects of the property before it is tenanted.

“The team also now work within our repairs division working much more closely together with operatives and housing officers.

“Our repairs service has also been centralised into one regional operation, with more quality controls in place, recruitment of additional staff, enhanced one-to-one management of staff and has performance regularly reviewed through our governance structure.”

The landlord also explained that staff who deal with complaints have had further training.

Seven landlords partner on major new scholarships programme

Stephen Delahunty — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:39:28 GMT

Seven landlords have teamed up to unveil a major new scholarships programme to open up careers in social housing.

The new programme is designed “to transform pathways into housing-related careers for underrepresented groups”.

Co-ordinated by Clarion’s charitable foundation, Clarion Futures, the Social Housing Scholarships Programme is supported by Hyde, L&Q, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, Peabody, Places for People and Riverside, with match funding provided by the Fusion21 Foundation.

The landlords hope that by working together, the programme will “deliver greater reach and potential for long-term impact, aiming to break down barriers and create meaningful, lasting change”.

Managed by Blackbullion, the programme will fund 14 scholarships over two years, with each scholar receiving £18,000 paid in three annual instalments to help with living costs while at university.

Alongside financial support, scholars will gain access to mentoring, paid work experience and networking opportunities.

The programme will support a wide range of degree and career pathways connected to housing, homes and communities, including property, construction, sustainability, social policy, urban planning and business management.

Clare Miller, chief executive of Clarion Housing Group, said: “At Clarion, we believe that talent exists in every community, but opportunity doesn’t always follow.

“That’s why we’re proud to be leading the way with the new Social Housing Scholarships Programme, working with other leading housing associations to help level the playing field for social housing residents through financial support, mentoring and paid work experience to break down barriers.

“By opening up pathways into meaningful careers in housing, we’re investing in a more diverse generation of future professionals who will help shape stronger, thriving communities.”

The initiative builds on Clarion’s William Sutton Prize scholarships launched in 2025, which supported six young people – four of whom were social housing residents – to study at leading institutions including the University of Oxford, UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture and Ravensbourne University London.

Isata Kamara, a William Sutton Prize scholar who is studying architecture at the Bartlett School, said: “The scholarship has transformed my student experience, easing financial pressures so I can fully immerse myself in my architecture degree.

“Mentorship provides valuable insight into the profession, while work experience will connect me with industry experts and broaden my understanding of different practices.

“Funding for materials and study trips will help expand my skills and expose me to global perspectives, enriching my emerging practice.”

Applications for the Social Housing Scholarships Programme are now open until midnight on 5 July.

Open to social housing residents of any age in England, the programme is aimed at those beginning an undergraduate degree in 2026. Scholars will be selected following the publication of A-level results in August.

Priority will be given to applicants from lower-income households or those who are the first in their family to attend university, with selection based on attitude, determination and enthusiasm. Less emphasis is placed on academic performance than is typical in standard scholarship programmes.

There are more than 200 different roles to choose from in social housing, from customer-facing housing management to corporate service roles including business admin, HR, IT, finance, health and safety, governance, marketing and communications.

That is why Inside Housing launched its Housing Hires campaign, to promote the social housing sector as a place to work and support people to find and develop careers with housing associations and councils.

Increase in LHA could lift tens of thousands of older renters out of poverty

John Lubbock — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Research commissioned by the charity Independent Age suggests that almost 38,000 older renters would be lifted out of poverty if the government increased Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to match rents.

This is the latest call from the sector after LHA was last uprated in April 2024. LHA has been frozen for eight out of the last 15 years, including in last year’s Autumn Budget.

At the same time, average rents have increased by 10.5% since April 2024.

“Independent Age is calling for the UK government to commit to uprating LHA every year so that it keeps pace with rent and covers at least the lowest 30% of the market,” the charity said.

This request has been echoed by other charities that have submitted evidence to the Education and Work and Pensions Committees’ joint inquiry examining the government’s new Child Poverty Strategy.

In its submission, housing charity Shelter said: “Shelter questions how councils can prevent homelessness while LHA remains frozen and the household benefit cap remains in place.”

Independent Age said that 270,422 older private renters currently face a shortfall between their rent and their LHA entitlement, and that 37,900 would be lifted out of poverty if the LHA were uprated to match rents.

A total of 34% of older private renters receiving housing benefit are now in poverty, up from 27% the previous year, the charity added.

One anonymous older renter who had been helped by Independent Age said that “housing benefit pays just over half of our rent but our landlord raise[s] the rent too much each year”.

Another anonymous renter said: “The increases in rent over the past year or two have far outstripped the increases in pension... and because the housing benefit is based upon an unrealistic rent, I now pay 60% to 70% of my monthly income in rent alone... add to that council tax and energy costs, it leaves very little to live on.”

Joanna Elson, chief executive at Independent Age, said: “The situation for many renters on a low income of all ages is dire.

“Our research shows that not uprating LHA so that it keeps pace with rising rents has a very direct impact on the lives of older private renters.

“We know that some are having to choose whether they skip meals, use their lights at night, or keep a roof over their head.

“The least the UK government must do is uprate LHA so it covers the cheapest 30% of the market, as it has previously done. Currently, the measure is falling ever further behind rents and we know that, for many, this means cutting back to dangerous levels.

“Many other financial entitlements have been uprated this month, why should housing benefit be any different? An adequate level of LHA is crucial to making sure older people in financial hardship have a secure and affordable home.

“This situation is unsustainable and puts older renters at risk of homelessness. It must be remedied.”

Towards the end of last year, a cross-party group of MPs also asked the government to focus on preventative homelessness measures, such as unfreezing LHA rates and increasing the temporary accommodation subsidy.

This report was followed by the leaders of 40 groups across the housing sector calling on the government to introduce these measures.

Rent isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s time to end the freeze

Joanna Elson — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:21:07 GMT

Almost 40,000 older private renters are pulled into poverty by inadequate housing benefit, writes Joanna Elson, chief executive at Independent Age

In the last two years, the average UK rent has risen by 10.5%. So too have many unavoidable household costs. But at the start of this month, when many other financial entitlements rose, housing benefit stayed frozen at the same rate it’s been at since April 2024.

For the older private renters we speak to, covering their rent can be a source of major anxiety. Short of risking eviction and homelessness, they have little choice but to cut their already limited budgets in order to afford it. This can mean taking measures like washing in cold water, only eating one proper meal a day or not using the heating at all.

Housing benefit is designed to support renters on a low income. The amount paid is worked out through the mechanism of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which determines what you receive depending on where you live in the country.

LHA should cover the cheapest 30% of rented homes in the local area, but, as well as being stuck at the same level since 2024, it’s been frozen for eight out of the last 15 years.

At Independent Age, we’ve commissioned research that shows that, currently, inadequate levels of LHA are pulling over 37,000 older private renters into poverty. The UK government’s choice to keep housing benefit frozen means that many tenants in later life are faced with undignified choices to keep a roof over their head.

“We’re calling on the UK government to commit to uprating Local Housing Allowance every year”

One man we provided advice to told us he was living on a “shoestring” and forced to continue working past state pension age in a very physically demanding job. This was despite receiving housing benefit, because it did not adequately cover his rent.

According to our figures, he’s far from alone in being forced into very difficult choices. Our new data shows that, for this already stretched group, inadequate housing benefit is putting major, devastating strain on their budgets.

And the UK government’s figures show us that financial hardship is a major issue for older private renters, with over a third (34%) of older private renters receiving housing benefit now in poverty, a rise from 27% the previous year.

This cannot be right.

That’s why we’re calling on the UK government to commit to uprating Local Housing Allowance every year, so it stays in line with at least the cost of renting the cheapest 30% of properties in the local area.

The Renters’ Rights Act, the first phase of which will be implemented at the start of next month, will go a long way in improving the current inequality between renters and landlords, and giving tenants more security.

“More than 15,000 people aged 65 and over faced homelessness in England in the last year”

However, affordability is largely unaddressed in this new legislation. It’s important that, as the UK government remedies some dysfunctional elements of the current system, it doesn’t allow other significant issues to widen.

The number of older people facing homelessness in England is at a historic high. More than 15,000 people aged 65 and over faced homelessness in England in the last year (to October 2025). This is a rise of 79% in the last five years, and a major cause of this is high rents.

If things stay the same, renters of all ages will continue to risk homelessness, be forced to make dangerous decisions to save money or have to move to cheaper properties away from their vital support systems.

We are calling on the UK government to do the right thing and commit to uprating housing benefit, so that private renters on a low income are not left in a precarious position. LHA must be uprated so it keeps pace with at least the lowest 30% of the market.

Renters of all ages across the country on a low income shouldn’t spend every month worrying they won’t be able to afford their rent. The UK government has made huge strides in recent years in improving the situation for tenants. Let’s make sure this essential cost isn’t out of reach.

Joanna Elson, chief executive, Independent Age

View from the G15: Community investment is core to the social housing mission

Ian McDermott — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:21:42 GMT

This year’s G15 Community Investment Impact Report sets out the scale of our support, writes Ian McDermott, chair of the G15 and chief executive of Peabody

Community investment has been central to the story of social housing from the very beginning.

In Victorian Britain, philanthropists like George Peabody, William Sutton who founded Clarion, and Edward Guinness recognised the societal harm caused by poor-quality housing. They founded institutions to support better homes and places, community values and a commitment to health, well-being and fairness through housing.

In the 1960s, housing associations grew in number and influence as a response to injustice and social change. Alongside this growth came a rise in community-led initiatives set up to help meet local needs, build opportunity and help people who were often overlooked find their voice.

Community investment became a practical expression of our values and remains fundamental to who we are today. G15 members today are shaped by the diverse communities we serve.

We provide homes and services to one in 10 Londoners and almost one million households across the country. These are communities rich in ideas, skills and ambition, but also with significant experience of austerity over the last two decades, rising living costs and persistent poverty.

Many residents continue to face significant financial pressures alongside barriers linked to health, skills and access to opportunity. Our community investment helps address these challenges directly, supporting people where necessary through hardship while creating pathways into work, better health and greater stability.

The scale of our support is set out in this year’s G15 Community Investment Impact Report. In 2024-25, we collectively invested over £33m in communities, generating £74.2m in social value. We supported around 12,500 people into employment and helped over 83,000 people access health and well-being services. In total, we helped 346,708 people take part in community projects, supported by over 15,000 volunteers.

“Those who live in our communities are best placed to shape the solutions that will make the greatest difference, and our role is to help make that happen”

This is significant work and demonstrates how important strong partnerships can be. We work closely with councils, the NHS, employers, funders and grassroots organisations to deliver support that is practical, joined up and rooted in place.

We are first and foremost social landlords delivering homes and services, but we’re also part of the wider social infrastructure that helps hold communities together.

We are, and have always been, advocates and supporters of people, joining with them to tackle poverty and create opportunity. We know that those who live in our communities are best placed to shape the solutions that will make the greatest difference, and our role is to help make that happen and create the conditions in which people can thrive.

You can see that in practice across G15. On Peabody’s Priory Green Estate in Islington, Cook for Good is tackling food insecurity, social isolation and barriers to work through a surplus food pantry, community kitchen and enterprise training. Hyde also do wide-ranging work in the borough to tackle food insecurity, social isolation and poor mental health.

Riverside’s Helping Hand Fund provided direct financial support to hundreds of residents last year, from energy vouchers to essential household items, helping people through moments of acute pressure and preventing issues from escalating.

“Across London, community spaces, youth services and local initiatives continue to provide the foundations for stronger neighbourhoods”

We’re creating valuable job opportunities, with Clarion’s green skills pathway supporting residents into jobs linked to the transition to net zero. This is helping individuals access new careers while addressing labour shortages in the sector. For many, this is an immediate route towards long-term security and progression.

Partnerships with health organisations are making a difference too. Work with the NHS and organisations such as Macmillan is bringing services closer to communities, improving access to support and helping to address inequalities in health outcomes.

In specific boroughs, we’re issuing small grants to resident-led projects that are helping to reduce isolation and improve well-being. And across London, community spaces, youth services and local initiatives continue to provide the foundations for stronger neighbourhoods.

Whether it’s through safe places for young people, support for families or opportunities for residents to connect and build confidence, we’re making a positive difference in the capital’s communities.

I know community investment projects like these are a priority across the whole sector, and I’m proud of the difference UK housing colleagues make every day. For G15, this is my first community impact report as chair and I’m pleased to highlight our values and impact alongside the communities we serve.

Read the report here.

Ian McDermott, chair, G15, and chief executive, Peabody

Hear more from Ian McDermott and the G15 at Housing 2026, 23-25 June 2026. Click here to check out the London Theatre programme. Find out more about Housing 2026 below.

Data links stillbirths to temporary accommodation for first time as child deaths rise

Lara Bowman — Mon, 11 May 2026 13:16:26 GMT

For the first time, data has linked stillbirths to temporary accommodation as the number of child deaths in this type of housing continues to rise across England.

Overall, temporary accommodation has been listed as a contributing factor in the deaths of 104 children in England over the past six years, sparking urgent calls for government intervention.

A report prepared for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Households in Temporary Accommodation has found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of the deaths were babies under one, with 76 deaths recorded.

Children aged between one and 17 accounted for the remaining 28 deaths (27%).

This figures marks an increase on the 80 child deaths reported at the end of September 2024.

New data collected for the first time by Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) further uncovers the disproportionate risks faced by pregnant people experiencing homelessness.

It showed that mothers or pregnant people who had experienced homelessness were significantly more likely to suffer neonatal deaths or stillbirths.

Out of 3,303 total deaths of babies born between 1 January and 3 December 2024, at least 91 were to mothers living in temporary accommodation. This accounts for 64 stillbirths (3% of the total) and 27 neonatal deaths (2.27% of the total).

Living in temporary accommodation puts mothers more than twice at risk of stillbirths and 1.75 times more likely to lose a newborn.

The APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation argued that the overall figure of child deaths in this housing type is likely higher.

Between October 2023 and September 2025, 140 children died with their main residence listed as temporary accommodation, accounting for 3% of all child deaths during that period.

The significance of temporary accommodation as a contributing factor to these 140 deaths will be assessed by child death overview panels through the usual review process in due course.

Dame Siobhain McDonagh, chair of the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation, said: “I am appalled to see yet another rise in the number of children whose deaths have been linked to temporary accommodation, bringing the total to 104 between 2019 and 2025.

"Equally shocking is the finding that 3% of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2024 involved mothers who experienced homelessness during pregnancy. We should all be outraged by these figures.

“I welcome the government’s commitment, through the National Plan to End Homelessness, to address the impact of temporary accommodation on children, particularly its aim to reduce child mortality. This is a vital step towards preventing the most devastating consequences faced by families at the sharp end of the housing crisis.”

The APPG report highlighted that when families are forced out of routine, live in unstable housing and have their healthcare pathways disrupted, children face a greater risk of mortality.

Poverty, deprivation and race inequalities are cited as major factors leading to child mortality where temporary accommodation also contributes.

These risks are compounded by a lack of access to safer sleeping options. The report noted that ensuring families have access to cots is still not routine practice across local authorities despite being included in statutory guidance.

Dr Laura Neilson, chief executive of the Shared Health Foundation, said: “Each year this data is released, we continue to see an increase in these figures. One death is too many. 104 deaths is absolutely scandalous.

“Every number represents a child who has died, a future lost and a family left to carry that grief for the rest of their lives. These deaths are not inevitable. They are the direct result of political choices, of systems that are not fit for purpose and of a housing crisis that is pushing families into conditions that endangers their lives.

“It is also devastating that there were 91 stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2024, where the pregnant woman had recently experienced homelessness or was currently homeless.

“That should stop us in our tracks. Pregnancy should be a time of care, stability and support. It should not be filled with uncertainty, insecurity and the stress of not knowing where you will sleep.

“This must be a turning point. Because if we continue to see these figures rise year after year, it will be because we have chosen to tolerate them. That is indefensible.”

In response, Alison McGovern, minister for homelessness and local government, said: “It breaks my heart that B&Bs are tragically contributing to the deaths of children.

“We must and we are improving the whole system, so every child can get the best start in life.

“In the Child Poverty Strategy, we set out our commitment to do everything we can to eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in health care provision.

“Alongside this, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide the strongest protections in a generation, making sure vulnerable children are identified, supported and never again allowed to fall through the cracks.”

Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t: why we launched the Social Housing Scholarships Programme

Shelley Hathaway-Batt — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:49:04 GMT

We hope to create a long‑term, sustainable model for brilliant people across the country to achieve their ambitions, writes Shelley Hathaway-Batt, head of strategic partnerships and projects at Clarion Futures

Across the social housing sector, we talk often about opportunity, equity and the importance of supporting our communities to thrive. Yet for too many talented individuals growing up in social housing, the path to higher education can be limited by financial pressure, restricted networks and a lack of tailored support – barriers that can often stand in the way of their careers and aspirations.

These barriers are not about capability. They are about circumstance. And we think housing associations can play a part in helping to overcome them.

This is why Clarion, alongside six partner housing associations and our match-funders at the Fusion21 Foundation, is launching the Social Housing Scholarships Programme – a bold, England‑wide initiative designed to help people living in our homes and communities thrive.

Managed by Blackbullion, the UK’s largest scholarships hub, this programme will allow 14 social housing residents starting undergraduate courses connected to housing, homes and communities to receive £6,000 a year in financial support for three years.

Crucially, however, the programme goes beyond funding. It offers mentoring to build confidence, leadership development, paid work experience and a sense of belonging.

The benefits of this are highlighted by research conducted by The Sutton Trust in 2023, which showed that potential scholars don’t just need funding – they need self-belief, opportunity and a sense they genuinely belong.

“We are more than landlords. We are anchor institutions with deep community relationships, trusted networks and the ability to convene partners around a shared purpose”

For me, this programme represents a shift in how we think about our role as housing associations.

We are more than landlords. We are anchor institutions with deep community relationships, trusted networks and the ability to convene partners around a shared purpose. When we pool that influence – as Clarion, Hyde, MTVH, L&Q, Peabody, Places for People and Riverside have done here – we can create interventions that are genuinely transformative.

What makes this programme different is not only its scale, but its design. It has been shaped with young people at its heart, drawing on The Sutton Trust’s national research.

This research highlighted the realities of higher education: the pressure of rent and food costs, the fear of not being “chosen” and the value of real‑world experience. These insights directly informed the programme’s structure, ensuring it is accessible, relevant and empowering.

This is not simply about helping 14 scholars. It is about demonstrating what becomes possible when we remove barriers and invest in potential.

It is also about creating a long‑term, sustainable model – one that I hope might grow into a sector‑wide scholarship fund enabling brilliant people of all ages across the country to achieve their ambitions.

“Scholars will gain financial stability, confidence and lifelong networks. Housing associations will strengthen their relationships with residents and partners”

We hope the programme’s impact will be both immediate and enduring. Scholars will gain financial stability, confidence and lifelong networks. Housing associations will strengthen their relationships with residents and partners. And over time, a growing alumni community will become visible role models – proof of what can happen when talent is recognised and supported.

This initiative invites us, as a sector, to think bigger about our social purpose. Not in terms of filling skills gaps or diversifying recruitment pipelines – though those benefits should follow – but in terms of unlocking opportunity, strengthening communities and helping people build the futures they deserve.

Ultimately, this is about long‑term change. By opening up pathways into meaningful careers in housing, we’re investing in a more diverse generation of future professionals who will help shape stronger, thriving communities.

Shelley Hathaway-Batt, head of strategic partnerships and projects, Clarion Futures

Webinar on demand: Are you ready for the Competence and Conduct Standard?

Inside Housing Management — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 07:08:19 GMT

The Competence and Conduct Standard is set to play a pivotal role in improving the quality of social housing, and will aim to promote higher standards and professionalism across the sector. Find out more about best practice and how to comply with the standard in this webinar from Inside Housing Management

The new Competence and Conduct Standard will come into force from October 2026, with the government estimating that around 30,000 staff will need to gain or be working towards a qualification.

This webinar explores how social landlords are preparing for the incoming legislation, their biggest challenges and concerns, and discusses best practice on how they can ensure compliance ahead of implementation in October.

If you are in a housing management role in the social housing sector, whether at a council or housing association, this is a must-watch to ensure you understand what is needed to meet the mandatory qualification standards coming in.

Our expert panel includes:

Anna Highfield, editor, Inside Housing Management
Charlotte Hilliard, policy lead on professionalisation in social housing, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Pete Linsley, academy lead Chartered Institute of Housing tutor, Places for People
Dominic Thurston, head of learning and development, L&Q

Watch the webinar by clicking here

Can we improve conditions in temporary accommodation?

Jules Birch — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:42:05 GMT

Inside Housing columnist Jules Birch analyses the latest report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

What do you call something that’s not permanent but no longer temporary?

‘Temporary’ no longer seems an adequate way to describe accommodation that has become ‘home’ for families with children for two to five years, or much longer in some cases.

Matt Downie, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, told the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee that this grim situation has become “a normalised emergency” – but how long can an ‘emergency’ go on before it is no longer an emergency?

As he put it: “When the records are broken every time the statistics come through, not just for overall temporary accommodation but for children in temporary accommodation or any other way you seek to cut the data, there appears to be no way of generating greater political expediency through the statistics, because they are normalised.”

The report published by the HCLG Committee today (Wednesday 22 April) repeats many of the same recommendations it made a year ago about the “utterly shameful” situation facing 164,000 children in temporary accommodation and the consequences to their health, well-being, safety and education.

A world where words have either lost their meaning or their ability to shock is one where we come to accept the unacceptable.

Since then, the government has published its National Plan to End Homelessness, which promises to increase the supply and improve the quality of temporary accommodation. There are now almost 176,000 children living in temporary housing. The plan also set a national target to eliminate the unlawful use of B&Bs for families and there has been good news on that front, with the number of families in B&Bs beyond the six-week legal limit falling from 4,000 in June 2024 to 1,640 in September 2025.

That is real progress, but the total is still three times higher than at the end of 2021 and 10 times higher than when Labour was last in government in 2010. And these numbers do not include families in other accommodation with shared facilities that do not qualify as B&Bs because they are not privately managed.

The committee says that it should be possible to eliminate the unlawful use of B&Bs by the end of the parliament, but warns that “there are risks that councils may resort to increasing their use of out-of-area placements or other shared accommodation that is potentially unsuitable”.

In some cases, it heard, landlords of B&Bs have converted properties into self-contained studios that fall outside the definition of a B&B but still have the same shared facilities.

The HCLG Committee’s last report asked whether the six-week limit should apply to ‘non-self-contained’ accommodation rather than narrowly defined B&Bs, but the government’s response argued that accommodation with shared facilities was a “necessary stepping stone” for families.

The contradictions do not stop there. On disrepair, the MPs heard evidence that the most serious Category 1 hazards are “commonplace” in temporary accommodation and was told of one child being bitten on the toe by a rat and another waking up covered in ants.

The committee recommends that the government should begin to roll out Awaab’s Law and ensure that the regulations are fully applied to temporary accommodation by the end of 2028-29.

The government also plans to apply the revised Decent Homes Standard to all forms of temporary accommodation from 2035. Charities and consumer groups want it much sooner, but councils warned that applying the standard in temporary housing before the rest of the private rented sector could have unintended consequences for supply and landlords’ ability to comply with their legal duties. So we must wait another nine years.

The biggest dilemmas – and contradictions – come in managing and improving the supply of temporary accommodation.

For starters, the number of families living in temporary accommodation owned by the council or a housing association has quadrupled since 2011. This may be empty flats designated for demolition and regeneration, but the committee heard evidence of one council that was considering using blocks with “significant fire risks”.

In the private sector, use of nightly paid accommodation for families with children has doubled since 2022 and is 15 times higher than in 2010. In many cases, landlords have terminated longer-term leases and shifted families to nightly paid accommodation because returns are higher.

As temporary becomes even more temporary, councils are stuck in a “vicious circle” of costs that are escalating at the same time as subsidy rates are frozen at 90% of Local Housing Allowance rates from 2011.

“The government has acknowledged the issue of competition between different arms of government and is working to test new ways to procure accommodation”

Commissioning higher-quality accommodation could effectively leave councils bankrupt as subsidy rates do not come close to covering the market return on the property. That leaves them battling it out at the poor-quality end of the market, strengthening the hand of landlords and leaving them no incentive to improve standards.

To make matters even worse, councils are not just up against each other for properties. One charity told the HCLG Committee that in Newham, the council is not just competing against other London boroughs but also the Home Office and sometimes even its own children’s services department. So, the council “often loses out as others are prepared to pay more for lower standards in the borough”.

The committee also heard evidence of “devastating” unintended consequences if the government tries to raise the standard of temporary accommodation before other parts of the private rented market.

The government has acknowledged the issue of competition between different arms of government and is working to test new ways to procure accommodation. However, the report says: “We are disappointed that the National Plan to End Homelessness did not include a firmer stance on eliminating this unhelpful practice.”

The committee welcomes the £950m available through the Local Authority Housing Fund over the next four years to increase the supply of temporary accommodation via building, conversions and acquisitions. But it also heard concerns about “stop-gap, shorter-term solutions” such as converted offices and shipping containers.

In the final analysis, of course, the only solution to the temporary accommodation problem is more permanent homes. “Boosting the supply of affordable homes, especially social housing, is critical to alleviating the crisis in temporary accommodation,” the HCLG Committee argues.

Strangely, though, it does not repeat the call consistently made before the general election by its predecessor committees for 90,000 social rented homes a year to meet housing need.

Short-term fixes can only take us so far. Temporary must become permanent.

Jules Birch, columnist, Inside Housing

Tributes paid to lawyer Giles Peaker, who was ‘instrumental’ to fitness for habitation act

Stephen Delahunty — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:30:33 GMT

Tributes have been paid to Giles Peaker, a leading housing sector lawyer described as “instrumental” to the implementation of the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

Anthony Gold Solicitors released a statement yesterday confirming that Mr Peaker, who was a partner at the law firm, passed away last weekend.

He died following a short illness and is survived by his wife, Beth.

The law firm said: “Giles was a leading lawyer, renowned for his expertise in all aspects of housing law. He advised and represented leaseholders and tenants on build defects, fire safety issues, repossession, poor housing conditions and homelessness, dedicating his career to helping those most in need.

“As well as his client work, Giles worked tirelessly to improve the rights of individuals to good housing. He played a major part in drafting the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, which provided a significant step forward in ensuring tenants have a right to healthy and safe housing.

“Giles was also a regular commentator on housing law in the media and the founder and editor of Nearly Legal – a specialist and much-loved housing law website used by lawyers, judges, academics and members of the public alike.”

Legal 500 described Giles as “an outstanding lawyer – dazzlingly clever, persistent, highly effective and cares deeply about his area of law”.

Chambers and partners said he was “fantastic” and “hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic”.

However, Anthony Gold explained that what was more important to Mr Peaker “were the many glowing testimonials he received from his clients”.

“Giles’ colleagues knew him for his dry wit, immense knowledge and kindness, and as someone who was always willing to give his time to anyone who approached him with a problem,” the firm added.

Andrew Brookes, head of Anthony Gold’s housing department, said: “Giles was an inspirational colleague who I worked with for 20 years.

“His knowledge was legendary and his passion for housing law unmatched. His Nearly Legal blog was both widely used and loved for its clarity, wit and breadth.

“He was instrumental in drafting the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation Act). He will be sorely missed by all of us at Anthony Gold and in the wider housing law world.”

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: “I’m deeply saddened at the tragic loss of Giles Peaker. Giles was not only an exceptionally talented housing lawyer but a real force for good in the world who played an integral role in the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act. My heartfelt condolences to all who loved him.”

At the time of writing, more than 160 people had left kind words on the law firm’s LinkedIn post announcing Mr Peaker’s passing.

Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said: “This is truly shocking and terrible news. I’m so sorry for all of his friends, family and colleagues.

“Over many years he has been a titan of legal representation, campaigning and the deepest knowledge put to good use. Words can hardly express what a loss his passing is.”

Shadow housing secretary blames Renters’ Rights Act for eviction notice

Jess Mccabe — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:01:03 GMT

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly has been given notice to quit his private rented home because of the upcoming Renters’ Rights Act, he told a conference in London today.

Sir James said: “I have just personally received a notice from my landlord, who is selling the house that I rent.”

He made the remarks at the London Housing Summit, a conference organised by the Centre for London, in response to a previous speaker who expressed doubt about the ultimate impact of the legislation. The act will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and increase protections for private sector tenants.

The new rules come into effect on 1 May. Yesterday, the website SpareRoom released survey data showing that 11% of tenants in England have been evicted or received notice since the act received royal assent six months ago.

However, the legislation has been welcomed by tenant groups and organisations such as Shelter and broadly welcomed by the social housing sector.

At the time the act received royal assent, Suzannah Young, policy leader at the National Housing Federation, said: “The removal of no-fault evictions that cause untold upheaval and stress, forcing renters to uproot their lives and putting those on low incomes at risk of homelessness, is an important step to curbing the country’s rising homelessness crisis.”

But at today’s conference Sir James said: “I am completely sure of the effect it will have.” He then explained he had received a notice from his own landlord.

He added: “That experience is replicated thousands of times across the country as a tenure type. The private rented sector is basically being regulated out of existence by this government.”

In an interview with Inside Housing this January, Sir James criticised the act, calling it the “wrong direction of travel”.

Sir James is Conservative MP for Braintree. In 2022, the Guardian and Spectator reported he lived in Blackheath, south-east London.

At the conference today, he also told attendees he favoured regeneration and building on brownfield sites.

He said: “Low-quality, low-density housing should be knocked down and replaced with higher-density, higher-quality housing.”

He also commented on the need for high standards of building: “Beauty matters, particularly in the public realm, because that is the beauty seen by people who cannot afford to buy beauty themselves.

“If you’re wealthy, you can surround yourself with attractive things.

“But if you’re not wealthy, the attractive things that surround you are things provided in the public realm, and everybody, everybody has a right to live among beautiful things.”

Warrington Housing Association hires council boss as new CEO

Ellie Brown — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:25:45 GMT

Warrington Housing Association (WHA) has hired Chris Twomey as its new chief executive officer (CEO).

Mr Twomey will join the 1,500-home landlord in June after 18 months as the acting boss of West Lancashire Borough Council.

Under his leadership the council received a C1 rating on the English regulator’s consumer standards.

Mr Twomey chaired the council’s development company, Tawd Valley Developments, and was previously the council’s deputy chief executive. He has also worked for three other housing associations in the North West.

Mr Twomey said: “I am thrilled to be joining Warrington Housing Association.

“I look forward to working with the talented team at WHA, our partners and the board to build on the association’s strong foundations, ensuring we exceed our customers’ expectations and continue to provide sustainable, affordable homes for people across the borough.”

Mr Twomey takes on the role after the retirement of David Cummins following 35 years in the sector.

Michele Scattergood, chair of WHA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Chris as our new CEO.

“Following a rigorous selection process, it was clear that Chris’s extensive experience in strategic leadership and his strong commitment to community-focused housing makes him the ideal leader to drive Warrington Housing Association forward and build on the strong legacy that David Cummins leaves as he takes his well-earned retirement.

“The board is confident that Chris’s appointment ensures we will continue to meet the needs of our residents and deliver on our development ambitions.”

Households given breathing space to settle council tax debts under government reforms

Lara Bowman — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:28:21 GMT

Households will be given longer to settle unpaid council tax debts under regulatory reforms, the government has confirmed.

The changes replace the current system, under which missing one monthly payment can leave households liable for the full annual bill within a fortnight. Under the new rules, households will have 63 days to settle arrears.

Councils will also be required to work with households to agree sustainable repayment plans, and billing periods will be extended from 10 to 12 months, although households can opt to continue paying over 10 months if they choose.

The reforms come after a consultation launched in June last year, and also include a £100 cap on the amount councils can charge when seeking a liability order.

The government also has powers to set out the steps councils must take before removing a person’s right to pay in instalments and moving to formal enforcement, typically including reminder notices and time to respond.

The changes are the first since 1993 after the government described the system as “outdated and [leaving] people facing unnecessary stress and anxiety”. They follow a campaign led by Martin Lewis, the money saving expert, and the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute to reform council tax debt collection.

Steve Reed, the housing secretary, said: “Too many families are facing aggressive enforcement action, with people left terrified of bailiffs knocking on the door because one month’s council tax bill was missed.

“We will stop this and make the system fairer by supporting families who fall behind. I want to thank Martin Lewis and his charity for their tireless campaigning, shining a light on this crucial issue affecting millions of people.”

Mr Lewis said: “It’s so aggressive it makes banks blush. It’s the most vicious and damaging form of legal debt collection out there – causing counterproductive misery for millions.

“We’ve spent the last 18 months campaigning hard to change this hideous system, and having seen so much pain caused by it, I’m genuinely moved by this huge first step towards making things better.

“If people cannot pay, within just three more weeks, they are often taken to court, have ‘admin costs’ added, and soon see bailiffs sent in. No commercial firm would be allowed to do anything close – constituents are treated worse than customers.

“For councils too, it is worth remembering that this system is often catastrophic for people’s finances and well-being, leaving many needing more help and support, and ultimately the same council has to pick up the pieces.”

The government said “proportionate action” will still be taken against those who deliberately avoid paying, but the reforms are aimed at supporting people in genuine hardship.

Ministers also said the name and definition of the ‘severely mentally impaired discount’ will be changed, subject to parliamentary time, to reduce stigma and improve access to support.

In partnership with disability charities and local authorities, a standardised application form will be introduced to streamline the process.

3 top takeaways from Inside Housing’s survey on social housing, allocations and immigration

Katharine Swindells — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:47:37 GMT

Inside Housing has surveyed hundreds of housing staff about how the spread of misinformation on immigration and allocations is impacting the social housing sector. Katharine Swindells breaks down the key findings

Over the past year, Inside Housing has heard increasing numbers of stories around how misinformation relating to social housing and immigration is affecting staff and residents. So we surveyed hundreds of sector staff across the UK to find out more.

The results from the data are striking, but even more so is that we received more than 1,000 written answers, which shed light on how misinformation is affecting the lives of staff: their jobs, their safety and well-being, and their organisation’s responses.

Read the full article for more about the survey results, and how senior sector figures responded.

Here are the top takeaways from the findings.

1. Misinformation that immigrants are being prioritised for new homes is rife nationwide

The survey found that two-thirds of staff say they have – in real life – encountered factually inaccurate information along the lines of “all social housing is going to immigrants”, and 72% have encountered it online.

Respondents say that they receive many comments on social media about how new homes will go to immigrants over local people. Resident-facing staff say they’ve heard it from residents when out on their patch, or from members of the public at development consultation events.

Government figures show that only one in 10 new social tenancies in England goes to a non-UK national, and the 2021 census found that only 7% of social housing tenants across England and Wales had a non-UK passport.

Many staff say their organisation is reluctant to engage in the issue, and this is particularly true for councils, who worry it will be a “vote-loser” as their electorate swings towards Reform.

One landlord in Merseyside shared its experience encountering misinformation, and how it tackled it. Read more about its approach here.

2. Many ethnic minority staff members are experiencing discrimination and negative sentiments from residents and colleagues related to their race, nationality and religion

Staff were candid about the way this misinformation is impacting them. Four in 10 minority ethnic staff had felt discrimination, prejudice or negative sentiment from residents/clients because of their ethnicity, race, immigrant background or religion in the past 12 months, rising to 55% among those not born in the UK.

Further, more than a third say they’ve experienced discrimination from colleagues at their organisation.

Almost two-thirds of minority ethnic staff say that they have felt fear because of their ethnicity, race, immigrant background or religion in the past year.

Read the full article for more detail on how these statistics vary for different ethnicities, and for those born outside of the UK, as well as personal stories from the staff impacted.

3. Some organisations are stepping up, but many staff want to see more

So how should organisations be responding? Many respondents shared positive examples of internal support, or of resident-facing work being done to tackle misinformation.

Read more about the work South Liverpool Homes has done to combat misinformation here.

Inside Housing Management Podcast: Tackling misinformation about immigration and housing

Inside Housing Management — Thu, 14 May 2026 15:33:05 GMT

The Inside Housing Management Podcast is your on-the-go show covering the biggest stories and issues affecting workers at the forefront of social housing. In this episode, we share the results of a survey about how the spread of misinformation on immigration and allocations is impacting the social housing sector, and talk to South Liverpool Homes about its approach to tackling the issue

In this episode of the Inside Housing Management Podcast, Anna Highfield, editor of Inside Housing Management, and Katharine Swindells, features editor at Inside Housing, discuss the results of an Inside Housing survey about how the spread of misinformation on immigration and allocations is impacting the social housing sector.

We interview Zanda Rektina, housing and communities officer at South Liverpool Homes (SLH), and Anna Bishop, SLH’s chief executive, about how the organisation has been tackling this issue.

We also discuss an apparent rise in the number of social housing providers cracking down on tenancy fraud, and the reasons behind this trend.

Listen here, or wherever you normally get your podcasts.

Listen to "Tackling misinformation about immigration and housing" on Spreaker.

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Migration and housing: what do the stats say?

John Perry — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 08:32:27 GMT

Disentangling the myths and challenging negative attitudes about migrants and housing isn’t easy, but let’s try, writes John Perry, policy advisor for the Chartered Institute of Housing

Nearly half of people questioned in a recent poll believed that most migrants to the UK are asylum seekers, when the real figure is just 5%. On arrival, ‘illegal’ migrants are believed to get ‘free council houses’.

Myths like these about migration are more common than facts. So, it’s not surprising that 62% of respondents to another poll think that migration worsens the housing crisis.

Disentangling the myths and challenging negative attitudes about migrants and housing isn’t easy, because these are complicated issues, but let’s try.

First, it’s important to remember that net migration (numbers entering the UK minus numbers leaving) is falling. It’s down to around 200,000 annually, is very likely to fall further and – as some experts predict – could reach zero.

Also, because births and deaths are in balance, UK population growth depends on migration. The UK Housing Review 2026 shows that forecasts of new household formation in England could soon fall below 150,000 annually in a ‘low migration’ scenario, well below the number of homes being added to the stock each year.

But there is no straightforward link between migration levels and housing demand.

For example, three-quarters of new arrivals are students, workers or their dependants, on short-term visas. Students may use university lodgings, farm and hospitality workers may have tied accommodation. Of migrants who have been in the UK for under five years, 75% are in the private rented sector where (in England) they face document checks before they can get a tenancy.

“Asylum seekers are singled out for attention but they are ineligible for social housing, receive only very basic support via Home Office contractors and are mostly barred from working”

Furthermore, up to four million migrants have ‘no recourse to public funds’. This means they can’t access housing benefit or social housing tenancies.

Asylum seekers are singled out for attention but they are ineligible for social housing, receive only very basic support via Home Office contractors and are mostly barred from working. Those in ordinary housing (usually multi-occupied properties) receive just £49.18 weekly for food and clothing; those in hotels and army barracks receive only £9.95. Some new arrivals – such as over 200,000 Ukrainians – are hosted by families with spare rooms.

If, after several months or even years, asylum seekers are given refugee status, they become eligible for social housing, but many are single and (in England) not likely to be in ‘priority need’. This and other factors have led to a five-fold increase in numbers of refugees experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in the last four years.

Each year, two-thirds of those leaving the UK are previous immigrants. But what about those who stay? At the moment, if they can afford the hefty fees, they can apply for settlement after five years – but the government plans to make them wait 10 years or even longer.

Once granted settlement, a migrant can get benefits and go onto a housing register. But many councils have residence or local connection requirements which mean that most will wait much longer than that before they get a housing offer.

The idea that immigrants are prioritised for social housing has been called a ‘zombie myth’ because it ‘refuses to die’. Government figures show that only one in 10 new social tenancies in England goes to a non-UK national. In the 2021 census, across England and Wales, only 7% of social housing tenants had a non-UK passport. Figures are higher in some parts of the country – notably London – simply because their populations include large proportions of foreign nationals.

There are two wider issues about migration that are very important for UK housing.

First, if net migration fell to zero, the effect on the economy would be huge. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research likened it to Brexit, saying that it would knock 3.7% off the national income by 2040. Separately, the Office for Budget Responsibility says government would need to borrow about £20bn more annually, because migrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits.

“The real answer to the crisis is to build more homes – and for that we need a buoyant economy, public investment and skilled workers. And to achieve those, we need a healthy level of migration”

Demand for housing depends not just on demographics but on economic conditions. A sluggish economy and high public borrowing are bad news for housing: fewer people will be able to rent or buy, developers will be reluctant to build and the government will have more difficulty funding new social housing.

Second, the building industry is short of around 300,000 workers, and toughened visa requirements in response to political pressure are making the problem worse. Fewer workers means fewer new homes, and less chance of meeting government targets to upgrade and decarbonise the existing stock. Similar points could be made about shortages of care workers.

The clamour for lower migration focuses on ‘small boats’. But because stopping the boats is near impossible, governments have resorted to easier ways of cutting immigration. The challenge is to explain that this won’t ease the housing crisis and might well make it worse.

The real answer to the crisis is to build more homes – and for that we need a buoyant economy, public investment and skilled workers. And to achieve those, we need a healthy level of migration.

John Perry, policy advisor, Chartered Institute of Housing

Exemptions welcomed under new supported housing licensing regime

Stephen Delahunty — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:13:35 GMT

A major landlord and trade body have welcomed exemptions from the government following its response to a consultation on the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.

Riverside, which manages 12,000 units of supported housing, and the National Housing Federation (NHF) have described the exemptions as “proportionate” and “vital”.

In February 2025, the government launched a consultation about how it should roll out measures in the act. Changes include new national standards and a locally led licensing regime for this type of housing in England.

However, in May, the NHF raised serious concerns about the government’s plans, while Riverside said the initial plans could have made its entire supported housing stock unviable.

In its response to the consultation, the government said it has listened to the feedback and has decided not to place new regulatory burdens on the landlords of commissioned managed agent services.

Older people’s services, Ofsted services and extra care will be exempt, and these schemes will still be able to access exempt supported accommodation rents.

The government is also exempting domestic abuse provision commissioned under Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

This duty requires local authorities to monitor and evaluate support commissioned in safe accommodation locally.

Alistair Smyth, director of policy and research at the NHF, said: “The strength of the sector-wide response is clearly reflected, and we strongly welcome the vital amendments the government has made to its proposals.

“We support the act’s aim of tackling poor practice where it exists and ensuring that all supported housing residents receive the high-quality standard of accommodation and services they deserve.

“We’re pleased that the government has taken on board our concerns about the potential impact on the sustainability of the broader sector and made significant changes – including an exemption from licensing for older persons’ housing – that are more proportionate and risk-based, reducing unnecessary burden and duplication.

“Supported housing plays an important role in helping people live safely and independently. These changes will help protect the supply of these vital homes at a time when funding pressures and rising costs mean many services are already at risk – despite rising demand.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the government to secure a more sustainable financial settlement for supported housing.”

The government has also confirmed that it will only require one licensee per licensing authority, as opposed to the initial proposal of one per service.

Where care is provided in a supported housing scheme the care provider must be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
Any service in supported housing that is not registered care must comply with the National Supported Housing Standards, unless otherwise exempt.

A new condition will ask that the licence holder ensures that a needs assessment is completed when the resident moves in or, if that is not possible, within four weeks of the resident moving into the accommodation.

For those in charge of this type of housing, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are required for all staff working with residents.

In addition, the government is creating a new licensing condition, to ask that licence holders assure themselves that their service managers have the character, capacity, appropriate experience and skills to undertake the role.

Lee Buss-Blair, director of operations for Riverside Care and Support, said: “At a time when the supported housing sector faces significant and sustained funding challenges, the regulations as proposed in the initial consultation would have made many of those much-needed services unviable.

“We welcome the changes made by the government in response to our, and others’, feedback. The government’s decision not to place new regulatory burdens on the landlords of commissioned managed agent services has safeguarded the future of many thousands of units of supported housing and other much-needed homelessness services.

“We also welcome the government’s decision to exempt older people’s services, Ofsted services and extra care while not barring them access to exempt supported accommodation rents.

“Only requiring one licensee per licensing authority rather than one per service is also a common-sense decision that removes unacceptable levels of burden on more junior colleagues.

“We are very pleased the government has listened carefully to the concerns of providers of commissioned services and responded accordingly and we will continue to work closely with the government to make this legislation a reality.

“We are also very supportive of HM Treasury’s Value for Money review. At a time when £2.8bn is being spent nationally on poor-quality temporary accommodation, too many providers of supported housing and homelessness services are struggling financially and closing services.

“The Treasury’s review provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reset funding so that money is being spent better to help people access good-quality supported housing or homes which improve access to employment, education and opportunity rather than languishing in poor-quality [temporary accommodation].”

We must face the reality on how anti-immigrant sentiment is impacting staff and residents

Annalisa Langton — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:51:41 GMT

If we want people to be themselves without fear in our homes and workplaces, we must ensure there is no ambiguity around where we stand on being inclusive, writes Annalisa Langton, head of engagement and diversity at the Guinness Partnership

I’m not surprised by the findings of Inside Housing’s research into misinformation related to race, immigration and social housing. The results seem an obvious outcome given what has become “normal” over the last 12-18 months.

We see it in the media, in the inordinate amount of airtime being given to extremist views. Views that people were once embarrassed to be associated with, now espoused and even actively encouraged by the custodians of our national dialogue.

On so many levels these results make me sad, fatigued and disheartened. I can relate to the colleague who feels uncomfortable when faced with a door that has flags hanging outside that they need to knock on. What kind of welcome can they expect? What message is the resident sending?

These findings speak to so many of the challenges we are facing as a sector. We want to encourage people to consider housing as a career. We want to attract people to our sector to stay and grow and show the variety of career journeys in housing. How do we tell people: “Come work with us as a housing officer – one of your jobs may be clarifying for residents what is and isn’t real news”?

There is genuine fear among our colleagues and residents, and the survey tells us that people want membership bodies and individual landlords to do more to support them. I’d suggest ‘more’ includes taking a stand, communicating our anti-racist and inclusive stance with residents (not just colleagues), terminating tenancies for repeat offenders and reviewing our stakeholders.

By now I’m sure many housing providers have some questions around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in their tender process – that’s great. How many have reviewed who their suppliers support? Donations to extremist groups are coming from somewhere – are any of them coming from our suppliers and other partners?

Did any of the people we bank with withdraw their EDI commitments last year in response to the USA doing the same? As a sector, I have no doubt we have the necessary economic power to encourage our stakeholders to subscribe to our values, but I’m not convinced we use it.

“Raising awareness and educating people on the lived experiences of others should not only apply to our colleagues to support better service delivery, but also to our residents, to help build better communities in and around our homes”

Our estates and workplaces are a microcosm of the wider society we live in. We have people in and around us that subscribe to these abhorrent views – how we respond as a sector is what will make the difference to our people.

One of the ways to tackle this misinformation that keeps being promoted is sharing resident stories, but I am not a fan of this approach. Should they be forced to tell their life stories and lived experiences so those questioning their right to be in a social home feel they have earned it? I don’t believe people should have to relive personal horrors to satisfy the malicious cruelty of a minority of people.

Raising awareness and educating people on the lived experiences of others should not only apply to our colleagues to support better service delivery, but also to our residents, to help build better communities in and around our homes.

We had some challenges in one of our extra-care schemes late last year where some of our older residents were being less than friendly with our non-white colleagues, mispronouncing names and being particularly offensive on occasion.

We sourced a training provider who specialises in training older people about inclusion, racism and the impact it has (yes, they do exist). They spent some time with the residents, educating them about the importance of getting people’s names right, microaggressions and their impact. Four months later, we have not had any complaints from colleagues on the scheme.

“We want our homes and workplaces to be safe spaces where people feel they be themselves without fear”

I’m not naive enough to believe we have resolved racism and changed people’s views; however, I do believe by delivering the training we have shown our residents and colleagues our commitment to anti-racism, and taken the effort to ensure our residents understand why we are an anti-racist and inclusive organisation.

The plan this year is to deliver similar training across our other schemes proactively and host some combined colleague-and-resident EDI awareness events. This is the next stage of our inclusion journey: bringing the residents along with us.

The challenge for housing providers, as always, is around the conflicting priorities – we have finite resources, and focus has to be on meeting our increasing regulatory obligations. I would argue that a safe home where people do not feel at risk due to their immigration status, religion or ethnicity should be a key priority.

We want our homes and workplaces to be a safe space where people feel they be themselves without fear. One of the many ways we can do this is by ensuring there is no ambiguity in the sector around where we stand on being inclusive, so colleagues, residents and stakeholders all know what to expect from us and what we expect from them.

Thank you to everyone who completed the Inside Housing survey: by sharing your views, you have given us an opportunity to review and address areas we can do better.

Annalisa Langton, head of engagement and diversity, the Guinness Partnership

We decided to stop avoiding the tough conversations about social housing and immigration, and here’s what we learned

Anna Bishop — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:51:58 GMT

Anna Bishop, chief executive at South Liverpool Homes, explains the landlord’s campaign to tackle misinformation about ‘who gets our homes’ and how other housing providers can access their toolkit of resources

Across the country, housing associations are facing a growing challenge around misconceptions and myths about housing allocations, often fuelled by wider narratives around immigration. Inside Housing’s new investigation shows the impact this misinformation is having on providers, staff and residents.

For many organisations, the default response has been to avoid these conversations publicly, often out of fear of escalation, scrutiny or reputational risk. But silence isn’t neutral. In our experience at South Liverpool Homes, silence creates a vacuum, and misinformation soon rushes in to fill it.

Our campaign, Let’s Talk Facts – Who Gets Our Homes, addresses this challenge directly. Read more about the campaign on Inside Housing Management.

In recent years, we have seen a sharp increase in misinformed and often racist narratives on social media. Many focused on the belief that immigrants were being prioritised for homes. This viewpoint wasn’t just confined to social media: customer-facing colleagues were facing the same issues, and our contact centre was increasingly dealing with complaints that our allocations process was unfair.

These narratives are not only inaccurate, they can cause real harm. They fuel mistrust, increase tension and can spill over into racist or abusive language that makes people feel unwelcome or unsafe in their own communities. They also place additional strain on customer-facing colleagues, who are left dealing with anger or hostility that could have been avoided with clearer communication.

We were clear from the outset that Let’s Talk Facts – Who Gets Our Homes was not a one‑off communications exercise. The campaign helped reposition allocations from a defensive issue into an open, ongoing dialogue, establishing transparency as business as usual rather than something rolled out only when tensions rise.

We began with listening. Our insight showed that while racism and harmful language were present, they were not always the primary driver. The deeper issue was confusion and frustration.

Customers told us they didn’t understand how decisions are made, why waiting lists are so long or what ‘fair’ really looks like in practice. When people don’t have access to clear explanations, misinformation fills the gap, often fuelled by social media and hearsay.

Our surveys revealed the extent of that gap. Most customers said they had little or no understanding of allocations (76% of the 522 customers surveyed), fewer than four in 10 believed the process was fair and a significant minority believed immigration status or ethnicity influences who gets a home.

These narratives are inaccurate, but they are powerful. Left unchallenged, they erode trust, strain community relationships and place customer-facing colleagues in increasingly difficult positions.

Among colleagues, 68% reported frequent encounters with these misconceptions, often combined with hostility or distress from customers. More than three-quarters of colleagues told us that they are familiar with the allocations policy, but less than half were confident in explaining the process.

We knew we had to respond quickly and openly. We designed our campaign around honest conversations, with empathy at its core.

We explained how homes are allocated, acknowledged the reality that demand far outstrips supply and were open about why waiting times can be long. We clearly stated that homes are allocated based on need, not background, and that questions and comments are welcome, but racist or abusive language is not.

What became clear very quickly is that facts alone are not enough. How we communicate matters just as much as what we say. People needed to feel heard, even when the outcome was not what they hoped for. Balancing empathy with firmness helped de-escalate difficult conversations and, in some cases, saw community members begin to challenge misinformation themselves.

Some of the most impactful moments happened face to face. We hosted small, informal community sessions which created space for open, respectful conversations about allocations and the realities of the housing shortage.

They were not easy discussions, but they were honest ones. People valued being trusted with the facts, even when those facts were hard to hear, and they left better informed about a process they had previously viewed with suspicion.

The campaign reinforced that colleagues needed to be better equipped with the facts. Questions about who gets a home arise everywhere: in contact centres, during neighbourhood visits, at repair appointments and in conversations with councillors and MPs.

“Our aim is to help the sector speak with a clearer, more consistent voice and to support colleagues who are already having these difficult conversations every day”

Our colleague insights showed a clear gap between knowing the policy and feeling confident enough to explain it under pressure. To help colleagues respond calmly and consistently, we invested in practical internal support, creating clear FAQs, scripts, briefings, training and visible leadership backing.

Perhaps the most important learning of all is that none of this is unique to south Liverpool. The same anxieties, myths and tensions are appearing across the country, shaped by the housing crisis, political narratives and the dynamics of online spaces. These pressures are national, but they are experienced locally. And while no single organisation can solve that alone, the sector is stronger when it acts collectively.

That is why we have turned our learning into a practical, shareable toolkit for other housing associations. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but a set of adaptable tools covering key messages, tone of voice, colleague support, campaign delivery, community engagement and evaluation. Our aim is to help the sector speak with a clearer, more consistent voice and to support colleagues who are already having these difficult conversations every day.

For us, this work has reinforced a simple truth. Avoiding difficult conversations does not protect trust; tackling them openly, calmly and collectively does.

From a small housing association, looking at a national issue through a local lens, our hope is that this toolkit helps amplify a shared sector voice – one that is grounded in facts, guided by empathy and strong enough to address the challenges our communities are facing.

Anna Bishop, chief executive, South Liverpool Homes

The housing sector must confront misinformation on immigration now

Mushtaq Khan — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:54:29 GMT

Inside Housing’s new research shows that misinformation about migration is actively harming staff, residents and the housing sector, writes Mushtaq Khan, chief executive of the Housing Diversity Network

It’s shocking, but not surprising.

The findings from Inside Housing’s research into attitudes towards immigration and social housing remind me of the racist and Islamophobic riots of 2024. These riots didn’t happen in a vacuum.

They were the direct result of years of demonising and dehumanising migrants and asylum seekers through misinformation to deliberately stoke public anger. When prominent figures fan the flames of division, we shouldn’t be shocked when communities reach their breaking point.

Similarly, these findings expose a hard truth that can no longer be softened or sidestepped: misinformation about migration is actively harming staff, residents and the housing sector, and I would argue that our collective response has been far too timid.

False narratives such as ‘all social housing is going to migrants’ are not fringe opinions. It is a widespread public perception which is remarkably persistent and increasingly aggressive, both in online spaces and in real‑world interactions. When over two‑thirds of housing staff encounter this misinformation, it is clear that this is no longer a background issue. It is a frontline operational risk.

The consequences are most severe for Black staff and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. The scale of discrimination, fear and harassment described in the research is unacceptable in any workplace, let alone in a sector that prides itself on its social purpose.

Staff report abuse from residents, hostility from colleagues and fear simply for going about their daily work. These are not isolated incidents or unfortunate anomalies. They are the predictable outcome for a sector where leadership has consistently underestimated the risks associated with silence.

“This is not simply a comms challenge. It is a leadership test. Boards and executive teams must decide whether they are prepared to stand visibly behind their values even when doing feels challenging”

Too often, the sector has focused on business as usual rather than demonstrating leadership; (internal) statements of solidarity, well-being resources and reassurance have their place – but they are not enough.

When the sector is silent publicly, misinformation is allowed to grow. Silence is not neutral. It leaves staff exposed, undermines trust and sends an implicit message that challenging racism and falsehoods is optional rather than essential.

This is not simply a comms challenge. It is a leadership test. Boards and executive teams must decide whether they are prepared to stand visibly behind their values even when doing feels challenging.

Avoiding the issue does not reduce conflict; it pushes it downwards. The burden of confronting hostility is shifted onto customer-facing staff – disproportionately from ethnic minority backgrounds – who are left to absorb the abuse.

The research also highlights a deeper and more corrosive problem: erosion of trust within organisations.

When staff question whether their workplace is truly safe, or whether colleagues privately hold views shaped by misinformation and bigotry, the damage goes far beyond individual incidents. It affects morale, retention and credibility. An organisation cannot credibly claim to value inclusion while remaining publicly silent as misinformation harms its people and the neighbourhoods it works in.

So what must change? First, housing providers must treat misinformation about migration as a strategic risk to staff safety and organisational integrity, not a reputational inconvenience to be managed quietly. Clear, consistent and public messaging about how social housing is allocated, who it serves and why fairness matters must become standard practice, not a reactive afterthought.

“No one should feel they have to choose between personal safety and doing their job”

Second, staff must be properly supported and protected. We’ve been designing training that helps staff respond to these issues with confidence, hold their organisation’s values to account and avoid being drawn into unproductive arguments and putting themselves at risk.

This is accompanied by clear organisational positions, robust policies for dealing with abuse and visible leadership backing when staff challenge misinformation. No one should feel they have to choose between personal safety and doing their job.

Third, national bodies and sector leaders must use their collective voice far more boldly. Staff are right to expect organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Housing and the National Housing Federation to speak out when individual providers feel unable to do so alone. Leadership at a national level matters – and silence causes harm.

Finally, this moment demands honesty. The sector must ask itself whether it is truly willing to confront the forces driving misinformation, or whether it will continue to prioritise comfort over courage. Being values‑led is not about carefully worded internal emails; it is about visible action, public accountability and sustained commitment.

The housing sector has always claimed a social purpose. That claim now needs to be proven. Confronting misinformation is not optional. Standing with your staff team is not negotiable.

If we fail to act decisively, we signal that fear and falsehoods are tolerated – and that is a message no responsible housing organisation should accept.

Mushtaq Khan, chief executive, Housing Diversity Network

How we… are tackling misinformation about our housing allocations

Anna Bishop — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:54:37 GMT

Anna Bishop, chief executive at South Liverpool Homes, explains how the housing association is tackling misinformation about its housing allocations, after 63% of residents said they believed the process was unfair

Three major landlords to trial AI-powered app for residents

Ellie Brown — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:51:18 GMT

Residents of three housing associations in Oxfordshire will try out an AI-powered app as part of a government-funded pilot to improve tenant and landlord engagement.

At least 2,400 people living in Clarion, Sovereign Network Group (SNG) and Soha Housing properties will get access to Neya Local Connection over the next 12 months.

The platform, built by Neya and Neighbourly Lab, allows users to join or start local groups, organise events and ask neighbours for support.

It won Clarion’s William Sutton prize for connected communities last year and went live for the first time in Oxford last month.

The three landlords will roll the technology out more widely after receiving nearly £120,000 from the government’s Social Housing Innovation Fund this month.

They said the app is “designed to encourage informal, everyday interactions that can build confidence and trust while creating pathways into more formal engagement opportunities with landlords over time”.

Tenants of the three housing associations will make up a joint steering group, which will decide the priorities of the scheme and evaluate what works well.

The project will also focus on ensuring groups that are currently underrepresented in tenant engagement are encouraged to take part.

It will be reviewed halfway through and at the end of the year-long programme to assess the impacts both on how connected residents feel to their community and their trust in their housing provider.

Kate Still, chief customer officer at Clarion, said: “Our Five New Giants report identified connection and trust as defining opportunities for social housing and a chance to build communities where residents feel empowered, supported and genuinely at home.

“This pilot is a direct response to that challenge, using the power of innovation to create the conditions for neighbours to connect, relationships to form and communities to grow stronger.”

Richie Rumbelow, director of customer experience at SNG, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Clarion, Soha Housing, Neighbourly Labs and Neya on this innovative programme.

“Working together allows us to test new ways of strengthening trust, amplifying residents’ voices and supporting communities to connect in ways that feel meaningful to them.”

Emma Langstaff, head of resident experience and organisational learning at Soha Housing, added: “Our vision is to create vibrant, sustainable and resilient communities.

“This pilot, and the partnerships it brings, support this vision, supporting resident empowerment, connection and belonging across all of our neighbourhoods.”

Nineteen other pilots aimed at empowering social housing tenants will also take place over the next year using funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The government said each initiative will be tested to see which are most successful, so learnings can be spread more widely across the country.

Dozens of organisations call for rent controls and more council homes as part of national housing demonstration

Stephen Delahunty — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:17:45 GMT

Dozens of organisations will march across the capital tomorrow to call for rent controls and more investment in council housing.

The protest on Saturday is being led by renters and trade unions, plus campaign groups such as Grenfell United, Defend Council Housing and Generation Rent.

A statement on the organiser’s website reads: “We are the countless people trapped in unaffordable, overcrowded and unsafe housing.

“We are the private renters, social housing tenants, families in temporary accommodation, and sleeping rough.

“We are the workers, disabled people, young and old. We are people of colour, migrants, queer and trans people. We are all driven to breaking point by the same system, and we demand change.”

The main asks of the demonstration are rent controls to stop rents spiralling further, and government investment for more and better council homes.

Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, reiterated the government’s opposition to private rent controls in a parliamentary debate earlier this week, after the Green Party put capping rents at the centre of its local election campaign.

Mr Pennycook said: “The government do not support the introduction of rent controls, which we believe could make life more difficult for renters.”

Zoë Garbett, the Green candidate for mayor of Hackney, local councillor for Dalston and member of the London Assembly, said: “As chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, I’ve investigated how we make the Renters’ Rights Act deliver for London.

“We need to ensure that landlords know their responsibilities and that renters fully understand their rights to hold landlords to account.

“This Labour government is failing residents by refusing to devolve powers for rent controls. The mayor of London hasn’t done enough to push for this.

“The system isn’t working to build the homes we need; that is why we need to be bolder to make real progress by 2030.”

Sir Sadiq Khan has previously urged housing associations to bid for grant funding for London’s new Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) product.

Sir Sadiq plans to start at least 6,000 key worker homes by 2030, and has called on developers, housing associations, councils and investors to “get behind the plans by developing these homes”.

He encouraged housing associations to bid for the capital’s £11.7bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which includes the new KWLR product.

The Social Housing Action Campaign group said: “We are marching to demand genuinely affordable housing, rent controls and council homes.”

Disability Rights UK said: “Together we can demand affordable, accessible homes for all.”

Help to Buy had ‘limited impact’ on social mobility and mainly helped higher earners, research finds

Alex Daniel — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:17:15 GMT

The Help to Buy scheme had “limited impact” on social mobility and mostly helped higher-income households, a thinktank has said.

The scheme, launched by the coalition Conservative-Liberal Democrat government in 2013, was designed to make buying a home easier amid rising prices.

It included a taxpayer-backed loan to reduce the amount buyers needed to pay in a deposit, as well as a mortgage guarantee scheme that covered lenders’ potential losses.

But survey data and local property prices suggest most of the benefit went to higher earners who were buying homes where they were already less expensive, such as outside London and the South East, according to thinktank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

Bee Boileau, a researcher at the IFS, said the policies “can help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder, in theory, but can also push up house prices and require the government to assume the risk on loans that the private sector is not otherwise willing to make”.

The scheme enabled people to buy a new build home with a 5% deposit, using an equity loan worth 20% of the price of a house, rising to 40% in London.

It ran from 2013 until 2023 and cost the taxpayer more than £29bn. Advocates said it helped to stimulate housebuilding, with net housing supply almost doubling from 130,610 in 2012-13 to 248,590 in 2019-20.

However, critics argued that house builders used the higher budgets of purchasers to push house prices and profits up, leaving people in overpriced homes that are difficult to sell.

Over the 10 years of the scheme, the share price of large house builders – including Persimmon, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey – nearly tripled.

House builders have said that Help to Buy enabled 325,000 households to buy a home and that this is the first time in 60 years the government has not provided support for first-time buyers.

Ms Boileau added: “Our research indicates that the Help to Buy schemes introduced in 2013 had the largest impact – in terms of making more homes affordable – on higher-income households.”

The IFS said the mortgage guarantee scheme did not make housing much more affordable because most people were constrained by how much they earned, not the cost of a deposit.

Meanwhile, the equity loan scheme made more of a difference but its impact was “muted” because it applied only to new build homes.

The new IFS research found that the more a buyer earned, the more helpful the scheme was to them.

It “increased maximum affordable prices most among those who could already afford higher prices,” the thinktank said.

For people in higher-income groups, it only “accelerated their first home purchase by a few years” because they would normally be expected to be able to save for a minimum deposit already.

The report added: “The schemes seem neither to have entrenched inequalities in housing affordability based on parental background nor to have boosted social mobility.”

The IFS said it was carrying out its research amid calls for the reintroduction of the loan scheme, but its findings appeared to echo criticisms by the National Audit Office (NAO).

In 2019, the NAO said nearly two-thirds of people who used the scheme could have bought a home without it.

Last year, Jennie Daly, chief executive of Taylor Wimpey, said the government should introduce a Help to Buy-style loan scheme to help first-time buyers.

She said an equity loan that lets first-time buyers take out a loan-to-value mortgage of 75-85% with a lower interest rate would “really start to move the first-time buyer into the market and that will have material benefits for the market as a whole”.

In 2019, the Public Accounts Committee said the scheme had “boosted the bottom line” of house builders.

Lambeth Council to take legal action to High Court against TMO

Eliza Parr — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:23:45 GMT

Lambeth Council is preparing to take legal action in the High Court against a tenant management organisation (TMO) after identifying “serious governance, operational and financial concerns”.

The legal action will seek to compel Loughborough Estate Management Board (LEMB) to address these concerns.

Last month, the council wrote to LEMB urging it to take immediate action within 14 days in order to avoid legal action. The council then granted a seven-day extension until 7 April.

“As LEMB has failed to provide a full response to the serious failings raised by Lambeth Council... by 7 April, or indeed its own preferred deadline of 10 April, the council has had no choice but to prepare legal papers for filing in the High Court to ensure compliance,” the council said earlier this week.

In November, Lambeth Council referred LEMB to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) after highlighting “very weak financial stability and governance arrangements” and “potential misappropriation of funds”.

The council had identified concerns around spending on foreign travel and gifts, including thousands of pounds spent on travel to Turkey and Las Palmas.

LEMB, which was established in 1995 and manages over 1,200 homes on an estate in south London, did not accept the findings of the council’s audit report last year.

The council has asked LEMB to take forward several actions to address its concerns, including re-running a ballot which gives residents the chance to decide whether they want LEMB to continue managing the estate or whether management should return to the council.

A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “We have been patient and reasonable in seeking a response from LEMB, including granting an extension to the original deadline of 27 March.

“The matters raised, in many cases, span several months of requests from the council that have simply gone unanswered or have been unsatisfactorily responded to.

“The response received does not provide sufficient assurance that robust measures are in place to address the serious issues identified.

“As a result, we have taken the decision to apply to the High Court to compel compliance with the management agreement and to protect residents’ ability to have their rightful say on the future management of their estate.”

At the end of last year, Lambeth Council called on the government to urgently reform TMO legislation, which it said “binds the hands” of local authorities to act on resident concerns.

Since then, the government has confirmed it is carrying out a full review of the Right to Manage regulations that govern TMOs, and will aim to identify if any changes are needed.

This is part of a commitment arising from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, and it follows a call for evidence undertaken last year.

Inside Housing has contacted LEMB for comment.

Social housing AI platform appoints new chief executive ahead of launch

Ellie Brown — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:13:04 GMT

An artificial intelligence (AI) tool designed for social housing professionals will launch with a new boss after a year’s worth of input from large social landlords.

HousingAI is a paid-for knowledge platform that has been trained on English housing sector topics covering legislation, regulatory guidance and best practice.

Its example uses range from drawing up board briefings and content for residents, to producing explainers for staff and checking policies are compliant.

The firm has appointed Phil Shelton as chief executive ahead of its launch.

Mr Shelton, who previously headed up Shelton Development Services, said HousingAI has “huge potential” to reshape how housing professionals make everyday decisions.

The platform has been developed by the Healthy Homes Hub and shaped by feedback from large providers including Clarion, Aster, Hyde and Anchor over the past 12 months.

Amazon Web Services cloud infrastructure hosts the technology, and law firm Anthony Collins is on board as strategic legal advisor to review the AI’s knowledge base.

Jenny Danson, chief executive of the Healthy Homes Hub, said the organisation saw a “clear opportunity” to use AI to help make housing compliance, regulatory and policy knowledge more accessible.

She said: “The aim is simple – give people back time to focus on what matters most: residents. Having developed the platform alongside frontline professionals, it’s exciting to see HousingAI launch as a standalone product and begin its roll-out across the sector.”

According to its website, HousingAI charges users per number of homes managed and is aimed at councils and private registered providers.

It says it is not intended to be used with residents’ or staff’s personal data and has “guard rails” that look for and exclude this information from being processed, while any data provided by organisations is not used to train the AI’s base models.

Mr Shelton said: “The sector doesn’t have a shortage of policy or intent. The challenge is making sure the right knowledge reaches the right person at the point a decision is being made.

“That’s where most of the risk, cost and inconsistency sit today, and it’s exactly the problem HousingAI is designed to solve, which is why I’m thrilled to be joining the team.”

Inside Housing understands that HousingAI’s previous chief executive, Mike Ellis, left the company late last year to explore other interests, after six months in the role.

Large London landlords increase investment in community projects by one-fifth

Ellie Brown — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:11:30 GMT

Tens of thousands of Londoners gained access to food and cost of living support, through schemes funded by the G15 group of the capital’s biggest housing associations last year.

In total, housing associations upped their collective investment in community projects by a fifth in 2024-25, with £33m going towards programmes helping 345,000 people across the capital.

More than 28,000 people accessed food via 139 different projects, and over 19,000 were supported with money advice, according to a report by the G15 published this week.

Ian McDermott, chair of the G15 and chief executive of Peabody, said: “This report shows the difference our members are making every day, from supporting local people into work to strengthening financial resilience and well-being.

“We know that investing in communities is essential to building a resilient, fairer future for London and everyone who calls it their home.”

Of those who received money guidance, nearly half had their cases closed, and support with finances prevented almost 3,000 evictions.

Around 12,700 residents were supported through employment projects, with two in three finding a job or completing a training course, while 83,000 tenants accessed health and well-being support.

The landlords have nearly 250 community centres and facilities in London that are open to the public and were visited more than 300,000 times last year.

Sahil Khan, chair of the G15’s community investment group and director of community, strategy, partnerships and funding at Peabody, said: “Community investment belongs at the heart of social housing, removing barriers, opening up opportunities, and backing residents and communities to fulfil their potential.”

The G15 residents’ group, which represents tenants of the landlords, said it was “proud to champion the work showcased in this year’s report”.

“Residents value projects that are created with them and for them, and this year’s examples show just how powerful that collaboration can be,” the group said.

“At a time when many families are struggling to afford the basics, when older residents are living alone with little support, and when young people need safe places to develop and be heard, these initiatives provide lifelines that directly improve people’s everyday lives.

“We’ve seen first-hand how small interventions, such as a warm and welcoming community centre, a free skills workshop, a well-being session or a youth project, can build confidence, reduce loneliness and help residents feel connected.

“These are the moments that prevent issues from escalating: fewer people reaching crisis point, stronger relationships between neighbours, and safer, more resilient communities.”

Government publishes new data on hidden population of children in B&B temporary accommodation, following Inside Housing investigation

Katharine Swindells — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:18:16 GMT

The government has published new data that reveals a hidden population of children in B&B temporary accommodation, following an Inside Housing investigation.

New data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government shows there are nearly 6,000 children living in council-run accommodation with shared bathroom or kitchen facilities, in addition to the 6,400 already known to be living in B&B temporary accommodation.

As the accommodation is owned by councils, these households are not protected by the same homelessness legislation and are not recorded in the official data.

The new data publication was in response to a data request from the Children’s Commissioner, prompted by a 2024 Inside Housing investigation. That investigation found that, in December 2023, there were at least 1,100 households with children in B&B-style accommodation.

The new data shows that, as of June 2025, the number is in fact three times higher, with 3,380 households with children in this kind of accommodation.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner for England, wrote today in an Inside Housing comment piece that while she was pleased with the government’s commitment to end the usage of B&B accommodation over six weeks, council-run accommodation was a “concerning loophole”.

“No child should be living somewhere without a kitchen or bathroom for an extended period of time, regardless of who owns it,” Dame Rachel said.

The new data shows that 90% of the children in council-owned temporary accommodation with shared facilities in June 2025 had been there for more than six weeks – totalling more than 5,300 children.

This is compared to 65% of children in privately owned accommodation over the six-week legal limit. In the homelessness strategy, the government set a target to end this practice.

Dame Rachel added: “While there is a statutory time limit of six weeks for the use of privately owned B&B accommodation for families with children, this doesn’t extend to B&Bs that are owned by the housing authority – the council – itself.

“Until now, we didn’t know how many were living in other types of temporary accommodation with shared facilities, including housing authority-owned accommodation. That’s why I requested the data on this issue.

“As the target in the homelessness strategy – to end the use of B&Bs for families for over six weeks – now stands, there is a real risk that children will just be moved from one form of shared accommodation to another.

“The experience of the child will be no different, the risks to their well-being no smaller – but on paper the target will have been met.”

The Children’s Commissioner is calling for the government to amend the definition of B&B accommodation as set out in The Homelessness Order 2003 to include accommodation owned or managed by housing authorities, social landlords and charities, and amend to the target in its homelessness strategy to end the use of all forms of shared accommodation for longer than six weeks – not just privately owned B&Bs

The commissioner also says the government must collect and publish data on an ongoing basis illustrating how many children are living in shared accommodation, regardless of ownership type, and disaggregating data on children in hostels from those in refuges.

An MHCLG spokesperson said: “B&Bs are no place for children, and too many families are stuck in cramped, unstable conditions that harm children’s health and development.

"That’s why we’re ending the use of B&Bs for families beyond six weeks by the end of this parliament, backed by £30 million through the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme.

"We’re also taking wider action to tackle poor‑quality temporary accommodation and will work closely with the Children’s Commissioner to deliver real change for children.”

Children’s commissioner: new data exposes the true scale of children growing up in B&Bs

Dame Rachel de Souza — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:23:48 GMT

As the government works to tackle children stuck long-term in B&Bs, it must make sure those in council-owned temporary accommodation are not forgotten, writes Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner for England

Tens of thousands of children are spending long chunks of their childhoods in unsuitable shared accommodation – sharing bathrooms with strangers, often in unpleasant conditions and cramped together in one small space without privacy.

Since my research into the experiences of children living in poverty last summer, I have been pushing for an end to the illegal use of B&B accommodation, where families with children are living in B&Bs for more than six weeks.

Though it sounds acceptable, even pleasant, the reality for families living in them is very far from that. Sharing toilets, bathrooms and kitchens with strangers – strangers who themselves may be very vulnerable - poses a significant, often unacceptable, risk to children. It means no space for a toddler to explore, or a teenager to have any privacy.

“No child should be living somewhere without a kitchen or bathroom for an extended period of time, regardless of who owns it”

The government’s regular homelessness data publications show that for some children, lengthy stays in unsuitable B&B accommodation are very far away from being an emergency option – 520 families in England had been living in a B&B for over a year on 30th June 2025, with 30 of those families there for over five years.

Five years of a child’s life is a developmentally significant period – and a huge chunk of their precious childhood.

Children have told me about how the lack of basic facilities, including cooking facilities and adequate space, affects them day to day. “Sometimes when we go to my auntie’s house, she gives us food to take because she cooks out of home... that’s the only time I eat normal food and not take-out,” said a 13-year-old boy.

One eight-year-old, when asked what he would change about his housing, said simply: “There should be enough rooms for everyone, so not sleeping in the same room.”

That’s why I’m pleased the government has committed to ending this practice, setting a target in the recent homelessness strategy to end the illegal use of B&Bs.

But there is a concerning loophole in this target, because while there is a statutory time limit of six weeks for the use of privately owned B&B accommodation for families with children, this doesn’t extend to B&Bs that are owned by the housing authority – the council – itself.

We know that in June 2025 there were 3,350 households with children living in privately owned B&B style accommodation, and 2,150 had been there for over six weeks; until now, we didn’t know how many were living in other types of temporary accommodation with shared facilities, including local authority-owned accommodation.

“Another 5,930 children were living in places where they have to share kitchens and bathrooms, who were previously hidden in the data”

That’s why I requested the data on this issue. I can reveal for the first time that at least an additional 3,380 households with children were living in accommodation with shared facilities, in local authority-owned or managed hostels, in June 2025. That’s another 5,930 children living in places where they have to share kitchens and bathrooms, who were previously hidden in the data.

That means that at least 12,330 children were living in accommodation with shared facilities, and 9,510 of them had been there for more than six weeks.

While 65% of children in privately owned B&B temporary accommodation had been there for longer than the six-week limit, this is even higher (90%) for children in local authority-owned hostels where the limit does not currently apply.

I’m pleased that MHCLG has now published this data – and now I want to see a commitment to do so every year.

What needs to change

As the target in the homelessness strategy – to end the use of B&Bs for families for over six weeks – now stands, there is a real risk that children will just be moved from one form of shared accommodation to another. The experience of the child will be no different, the risks to their well-being no smaller – but on paper the target will have been met.

It is essential therefore that the government commits to:

Amending the definition of B&B accommodation as set out in the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 to include accommodation owned or managed by housing authorities, social landlords and charities;
Changing the target in its homelessness strategy to end the use of all forms of shared accommodation for longer than six weeks – not just privately owned B&Bs;
Collecting and publishing the data on an ongoing basis illustrating how many children are living in shared accommodation, and for what period of time regardless of ownership type. This includes disaggregating data on children in hostels from those in refuges

Children talk to me with remarkable candour about things most people would consider basic, but which for them are out of their reach: privacy in the bathroom and being able to wash, being able to have their friends over, a place to do their homework.

No child should be living somewhere without a kitchen or bathroom for an extended period of time, regardless of who owns it. These are basic commodities that most children take for granted, providing autonomy, better health and vital protection from harm. Without these basics, children have told me, they often feel a sense of shame of knowing they have less – and from missing out on everyday childhood experiences.

Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner for England

Update: at 3.20pm, 17.04.26

This story was corrected as it previously stated “37,530 children lived in ‘accommodation within council’s own stock’. MHCLG is not able to separate out within this category, self-contained housing from housing with shared facilities, so the total number of children in shared accommodation is unknown – but could be much higher.”

Since publication MHCLG corrected their previous position and stated that the accommodation is only self-contained units. The children’s commissioner for England has recommended that the definition of this type of accommodation be clarified within guidance to local authorities to ensure consistency of reporting.

How we… recovered 36 council homes and saved £2.8m

Mary Larbie and Malcolm Davies — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:58:43 GMT

Croydon Council has cracked down on tenancy fraud in the past year, recovering more than 30 homes and saving millions of pounds in the process. Mary Larbie, Croydon’s director of housing management, and Malcolm Davies, its head of insurance, anti-fraud and risk, explain how they did it

Former housing minister joins SNG amid senior board changes

Stephen Delahunty — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:49:37 GMT

Sovereign Network Group (SNG) has appointed a former housing minister to its board amid a number of non-executive changes.

Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman, Eddie Hughes and Yvonne Arrowsmith will all join the London landlord’s board from 1 May 2026.

SNG said: “Together, they bring a wide range of skills and experience across governance, housing, regulation and central and local government.”

Mr Hughes is a former minister for housing and rough sleeping and was a Conservative MP from 2017 to 2024.

He introduced the Social Housing Regulation Bill and has worked closely with housing providers and government throughout his career, both in ministerial office and in senior sector roles.

Mr Hughes now runs a housing consultancy advising organisations across the sector, and is described as someone with “significant experience of housing policy, regulation and governance”.

Dr Moncrieffe-Newman is a senior people and governance leader, bringing extensive experience from highly regulated sectors and organisations including the NHS, the BBC, higher education and local government.

She is currently chief people officer at City St George’s, University of London, and is committed to championing people, culture and equality in the workplace.

Alongside her role as a board member, Dr Moncrieffe-Newman has been appointed chair of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee – a role she will take on at the end of July when the committee’s current chair, Angela Williams, stands down at the end of her permitted board tenure.

Ms Arrowsmith brings more than 30 years’ experience in executive housing leadership, with deep expertise in governance, regulation and customer strategies.

The 85,000-home housing association said she is “widely recognised for leading organisations through complex operating environments and improvement programmes, including interim chief executive roles at Saffron Housing Trust and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing”.

Paul Massara, chair of SNG, said: “I am delighted to welcome Marcelle, Eddie and Yvonne to the SNG board.

“They bring deep expertise across governance, housing, regulation and central and local government and I am confident they will make a strong contribution to SNG’s continued success as we deliver one of the sector’s largest pipelines of new homes.

“As we prepare to launch our new corporate plan later this year, their insight and leadership will help ensure SNG is well placed to deliver our ambitions for customers and create thriving communities over generations.”

Relationship breakdown driving homelessness crisis, research warns

Alex Daniel — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:49:05 GMT

More than 85,000 homelessness applications across England and Wales were linked to relationship breakdown in the past five years, according to research by a family law firm.

The data by Rayden Solicitors counted applications where relationship breakdown was recorded as the primary cause of homelessness, drawn from Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from 91 local authorities.

It showed that 2023 saw the largest single-year increase, with applications rising 10% on the previous year across the local authorities that responded.

Francesca Albanese, director of policy at homelessness charity Crisis, said: “When a major life event like a relationship breakdown pushes someone towards losing their home, it goes to show just how precarious and unaffordable our housing system has become.

“It’s a symptom of the deeper, structural causes of homelessness and the reality that we simply don’t have enough affordable homes, with only 2.5% of privately rented properties in England genuinely affordable for people receiving housing benefit.”

A record 4,793 people were sleeping rough in England on a single night last autumn, according to official data.

Meanwhile, 132,760 households were living in temporary accommodation in England last September, up 7% year-on-year and also the highest since records began.

Data on homelessness is gathered using different methodology across different UK regions.

The FOI data found the North West recorded the highest number of applications over the five-year period at 17,504, followed by Wales with 15,780 and the South West with 9,390. London recorded 8,795 applications.

The East of England saw the largest increase over the period, with applications rising 185% from 260 to 742, followed by the South East, up 59%.

Rayden Solicitors gathered the data by sending FOI requests to 197 councils across England and Wales.

Of those, 91 responded with usable data, while the firm acknowledged variation in how different councils record the causes of homelessness.

Kayleigh Biswas-Gregory, a senior associate at Rayden, said: “While this data captures relationship breakdown more broadly, it highlights a wider housing risk that many couples face when relationships end.

“It is a common misconception that unmarried couples have the same financial rights against each other on the breakdown of the relationship as married or civil partnered couples do.

“These figures show how relationship breakdown can have a direct impact on housing stability.”

Ms Albanese added: “We need a major shift towards preventing homelessness in the first place, including uprating housing benefit and building the social homes we so desperately need.

“By tackling these root causes, we can make sure people aren’t exposed to the trauma and indignity of homelessness but instead receive the support they need to rebuild their lives.”

Scottish Housing Regulator recruits 18 new volunteer tenant advisors after ‘huge response’

Ellie Brown — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:48:31 GMT

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has recruited 18 new volunteer tenant advisors from across the country after seeing a “huge response” to the opportunity.

The SHR was originally seeking 16 residents to take on the role, which sees tenants test landlord services as ‘mystery shoppers’, review the regulator’s documents and website and take part in group discussions.

New appointees must be either a tenant or Gypsy and Traveller site resident of a Scottish social landlord, and the SHR encouraged applications from young people, individuals with care experience and other underrepresented groups in Scottish public life.

The advisors are independent of the SHR, though they do receive a small allowance and expenses incurred in carrying out their work, and were recruited with support from the Tenants Information Service.

They will be in post for three years, though this could be extended – the previous group of 12 advisors was hired in May 2022.

Helen Shaw, director of regulation at the SHR, said: “This diverse group of tenants from across Scotland brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

“We had a huge response to the recruitment exercise, and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to apply.

“I’d also like to thank all of our previous tenant advisors who have worked with us over the years.

“We know our new tenant advisors will build on the important work they undertook to help keep tenants at the heart of our regulation of social landlords in Scotland.”

The SHR will visit nine landlords over the next year to understand how they have assured themselves about compliance with the regulations, particularly tenant and resident safety duties.

The regulator itself was scrutinised in detail by the Scottish parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee in 2024, which led to a detailed set of recommendations to the SHR and responses from the organisation.

MSPs in the cross-party group have called for another thorough review of the regulator when the next government is formed, though the director of a group representing smaller landlords questioned the rationale for this.

Council handed C4 grade after regulator finds failings under HHSRS

Ellie Brown — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 08:25:12 GMT

A council in South Essex has become the seventh local authority to receive the lowest consumer standards grade from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

In a regulatory judgement published today, Basildon Borough Council received a C4 grade, meaning inspectors found “very serious failings”.

It is the council’s first rating under the new consumer standards regime and followed a planned inspection this month, which involved meetings with officials, tenants and councillors, and a document review.

Basildon Council could not assure the English regulator that its 10,750 homes are free of the most dangerous Category 1 hazards because of a lack of evidence that it had assessed homes using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

The local authority also could not show it had completed 4,600 improvement actions required by fire risk assessments or that it has a plan to complete these “in a timely manner”, though Basildon said none of the actions are high risk and it has mitigations in place.

On health and safety, the RSH had further criticisms. It stated: “Overall, we found that data assurance is poor, reporting on compliance performance is insufficient and we do not have assurance that remedial actions arising from health and safety inspections are accurately recorded or actioned in a timely way.”

It judged Basildon Council to have serious failings in the repairs service for tenants due to problems with inaccurate information and a lack of oversight of its contractor.

The RSH said the council must make fundamental changes to improve how it meets this standard as it had not yet shown it could do this, though the regulator acknowledged the council has started to tackle the issues.

The regulator also found serious weaknesses in how the local authority understands the diverse needs of its tenants and gives them meaningful opportunities to influence its work. It said Basildon Council did not meet the tenant satisfaction measure requirements in its returns over the past two years.

Inspectors criticised the council for not self-referring to the RSH despite being aware that it was not meeting the consumer standards for more than a year following an external review.

The RSH said Basildon Council has been engaging constructively, but it still needs to fully understand its failings and the root causes of these so it can put together an improvement plan.

The regulator said its engagement will be “intensive” and while it is not planning to use enforcement powers yet, the RSH will keep this “under review” while the council seeks to fix the problems.

Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at RSH, said: “We are working intensively with Basildon Council to make sure it understands the risks to tenants and takes prompt action to put things right – prioritising the highest risk issues.

“This case reinforces the importance of landlords self-referring to us when they find problems – either themselves or through external reviews. This is a fundamental requirement of our consumer standards. By flagging issues to us at an early stage, landlords can solve them more quickly and, in doing so, protect tenants and improve services.”

In a statement, Basildon Council said it fully accepts the regulator’s findings and the need to make “urgent and sustained” improvements.

The council said it is taking a risk-based approach, which will see health and safety and fire safety actions tackled first, and is currently drawing up an improvement plan.

It has also appointed a new housing leadership team, which it says has experience in turning around failing services at pace, and has hired more staff to manage compliance, support tenants and tackle anti-social behaviour.

Gary Jones, chief executive of the council, said: “We recognise that we have let our tenants down, and for that we are deeply sorry.

“We have taken full accountability are acting urgently to deliver the improvements required to our services.”

He added: “It gives me confidence that the regulator hasn’t decided to take enforcement action and has given us the opportunity to work at speed to put things right.

“I understand the scale of challenge required and took the necessary steps, starting with implementing a new leadership team last year.

“I am confident that we will deliver better outcomes for our residents and returning our services to a compliant rating.”

Deborah Fenton, executive director of housing, said: “While the news is disappointing it’s not unexpected and while we have a difficult journey ahead, I feel confident that we can work at speed to bring the service back to a compliant standard.”

Two landlords awarded top consumer grade in latest batch of regulatory judgements

Stephen Delahunty — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:57:31 GMT

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has awarded two landlords with the highest consumer grade in its latest round of judgements.

Liverpool-based Torus has been upgraded from a C2 to a C1 after delivering an improvement plan after an earlier inspection in May 2025.

As a result of this work, the RSH has concluded that the 40,000-home association has strengthened its oversight of health and safety compliance and provided assurance that it is delivering an effective repairs service.

Torus’ governance and financial viability grades of G1 and V1 remain unchanged.

The association told Inside Housing that it had worked to “strengthen oversight, assurance and performance in customer facing services with a clear focus on achieving the highest standard as quickly as possible”.

Its improvement plan was also supported by “robust governance and financial resilience which reinforces the 40,000-home landlord’s ability to continue investing in homes, services and communities”.

Steve Coffey, group chief executive of Torus, said: “We are really proud to have received confirmation from the regulator that our consumer standards rating has been upgraded to C1.

“This reflects the exceptional efforts of colleagues and board members across the organisation who have worked tirelessly to strengthen oversight, assurance and service quality for our customers.

“Achieving C1, G1, V1 demonstrates our continued commitment to strong governance, financial resilience and delivering high-quality services for the communities we serve.”

Norwich City Council was also given a C1 grading after an inspection found the landlord has “an accurate and up-to-date understanding of tenants’ homes, takes proactive steps to comply with health and safety legislation”.

The council’s repairs service was described as “effective” in a way that “offers a wide range of engagement opportunities for tenants – using the feedback to influence service delivery”.

In this latest round of judgements, YMCA Thames Gateway Group was added to the English regulator’s gradings under review list while it investigates potential serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and the consumer standards.

Worthing Homes was downgraded from G1 to G2 for governance following an inspection. The housing association meets RSH’s governance and financial viability requirements overall, but it needs to improve aspects of its governance to support continued compliance.

This includes the reliability, accuracy and completeness of the information it holds. However, work is already underway to strengthen these areas. The association also received C2 and V2 grades.

One Vision Housing was also downgraded from G1 to G2. The landlord needs to improve some aspects of its governance, including board reporting to support improved oversight of safety and quality outcomes for tenants, as well as aspects of its stress-testing. It received C1 and V1 grades.

Incommunities was given G1, V2 and C2 grades following an inspection. This is because there are some weaknesses in delivering the consumer standards, which it is working to improve.

If the government wants its homelessness strategy to succeed, it must make sure the workforce is supported

Kate Alaway — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:51:31 GMT

Our new research maps the homelessness sector workforce, and what it needs from the government, writes Kate Alaway, head of workforce development at Homeless Link

With record numbers of people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping alongside an increasing complexity of support needs, a knowledgeable and appropriately skilled and sized workforce is imperative to successfully turning the tide on homelessness. The homelessness workforce is quite simply, as I’ve said before, the bedrock on which the entire support system is based.

However, until now, the data available on people working in homelessness has been limited. The lack of a robust baseline understanding of the sector workforce, from its scale and profile to its experiences, is certainly a disadvantage when looking to make strategic development decisions.

In recognition of this, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government commissioned Homeless Link to undertake a comprehensive workforce-mapping exercise, to provide the evidence for a National Workforce Programme within the government’s homelessness strategy. We were proud to launch this inaugural research report at a recent House of Lords reception, convening sector leaders, people with lived experience, MPs, peers and ministers.

The findings point to three key courses of action that leaders within the sector can take, and one fundamental role for government to ensure that we are building and nurturing a workforce capable of meeting the sizeable challenges ahead as the homelessness strategy is set in motion.

Firstly, the results highlight the commitment of the existing workforce, with over half (54%) of those surveyed having worked in homelessness for more than six years and 35% having at least 10 years’ sector experience. Moreover, workers are values-driven, with 80% of staff joining the workforce to make a positive difference in the lives of others and 75% citing the ability to have a meaningful impact as the primary benefit of working in the sector.

“The findings show that substantial portion of people working in the sector (52%) have ambitions to progress, but that the same percentage identify a lack of progression opportunities within their organisation as a major barrier to this”

This tells us that if organisations look after their people and recognise and reward the hard work that they do under challenging circumstances, they will likely benefit from their long-term commitment. They will retain knowledge and expertise, reduce the constant cycle and disruption of recruitment and ensure consistent support is provided to people experiencing homelessness.

This will involve addressing the challenges of working in the sector that are understandably prompting some people to seek roles elsewhere, including burnout and high workloads, primarily through ensuring teams are appropriately resourced and providing well-being initiatives and support for staff.

Building on this, the findings also show that a substantial portion of people working in the sector (52%) have ambitions to progress, but that the same percentage identify a lack of progression opportunities within their organisation as a major barrier to this, with many also highlighting a lack of clarity as to what a further career could look like.

Homeless Link, sector leaders and other stakeholders need to find a way to create the progression opportunities people deserve, and to bring that clarity by laying out logical career pathways, and the support to follow them through training and leadership development programmes. The Homelessness Skills Framework is one example of how we can achieve this.

Integral to this work, as the research highlights, is for organisations to address the challenges the sector experiences with equitable progression. While 22% of frontline workers identified as Black or Black British, the same is true for only 7% of senior leaders. In comparison 64% of frontline workers and 84% of senior leaders identified as white.

We cannot allow this to continue. Chief executives and sector leaders must consider our role in enabling leadership opportunities for all people working in the sector to understand why a disconnect between ambition and reality exists, with the aim of redressing this imbalance and challenging any barriers and biases resulting in inequity.

“We cannot rely on or, dare I say, take advantage of the values-driven nature of our staff. If we value them, we should pay them more”

The government has set out its commitment to giving the workforce the support they need in the new homelessness strategy, but it’s now important that there is full accountability. However, if the findings point to one outstanding area where government action is needed, it is in ensuring that homelessness services are funded sufficiently. This is critical for ensuring they are properly resourced, preventing people from struggling with impossible workloads and burnout, and may potentially enable them to improve staff pay.

Current pay is poor, with 23% of staff citing this as a challenge of working in the sector, and 37% of those not intending to stay in the sector in the long term stating that improved pay would be their main reason for leaving. We cannot rely on or, dare I say, take advantage of the values-driven nature of our staff. If we value them, we should pay them more. Better pay would also reduce staff vacancies and reliance on more expensive agency staff and improve the support provided to people experiencing homelessness.

Finally, with many similarities to the wider health and social care sector uncovered, it may be that some useful blueprints and opportunities for shared learning exist in considering how to resolve some of our challenges in homelessness.

So with excellent momentum around developing the workforce and a shared understanding of what change is needed, I am incredibly optimistic that we can secure our bedrock, a firm step towards achieving the National Plan to End Homelessness.

Kate Alaway, head of workforce development, Homeless Link

BSR searches for chair of resident panel as two appointments made to advisory committee

Ellie Brown — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:31:46 GMT

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is looking to appoint a person with lived experience of higher-risk building (HRB) regulation to be the independent chair of its resident panel.

The regulator also today revealed two senior appointments to the Building Advisory Committee (BAC), including Dr Barbara Lane, an expert witness in the Grenfell Inquiry, as its first chair.

Both announcements come just over three years after both the panel and committee were set up along with the BSR under the Building Safety Act 2022.

The resident panel is made up of people living in HRBs across a range of tenures and feeds into the BSR’s work, including areas where it is required to be consulted by law.

The BSR said the panel is already an “integral part” of how it works, and recruiting an independent chair shows the regulator’s “wider commitment to placing residents at the centre of building safety”.

It said applicants for the role must live in a HRB, though it also welcomes interest from private landlords who let homes in these types of blocks, and will consider applications from people who do not fully meet the essential criteria but would be “willing to develop in role”.

The position is voluntary and runs for at least two years. The chair is required to lead virtual meetings of the panel four times per year, though the overall time commitment is estimated to be eight days annually.

The BSR’s recruitment page said: “This is an exciting opportunity for someone with an interest in voluntary work in their resident community or in creating a safer built environment to get involved and make a significant and long-lasting positive impact on the standards of building safety.

“This is also an opportunity for a successful candidate to develop their own skills and expertise.”

Applications are open until 10 May and more information can be found here.

The BAC has also been operating for around three years and is a separate advisory panel to the BSR.

Dr Lane, a fellow of Arup and chartered senior engineering executive, will be joined on the committee by Dr Hywel Davies, who chaired the predecessor body to the BAC and will serve as deputy chair.

In its announcement, the BSR said the leadership roles mark the start of an “important transition for the committee”, and said the BAC’s strategic direction is being looked at to make sure it works with the BSR to have maximum impact.

Dr Lane said: “Taking on this independent role is part of my ongoing commitment to create a safe and equitable built environment, one that works for everyone.

“I believe the committee can be a powerful force for good across the sector, building on the harsh lessons learnt from the Grenfell fire.

“My aim is to try and remedy shortcomings exposed in our building standards to protect and improve the lives of millions throughout the country.”

Dr Davies said: “I am pleased to be appointed deputy chair, supporting Dr Lane in her new role.

“The committee has a critical role to play, supporting BSR in its work to improve the building safety regime, identify risks to building users and provide consistent and timely standards and guidance that can meet the complex challenges we face today.”

Landlords urged to overhaul leadership and culture when handling complaints

Alex Daniel — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:16:39 GMT

Social landlords are being urged to overhaul the way they handle complaints, amid findings that improvements in leadership and culture are needed.

The research, by consultancy Campbell Tickell, called on landlords to fix fragmented IT systems, give frontline staff more authority to resolve complaints without escalation, and share learning across whole organisations rather than within individual teams.

It also found a lack of awareness among senior leaders about the reality of complaints-handling.

The consultancy’s findings follow a national tenant survey by campaign group Stop Social Housing Stigma at the end of last year, which found that 70% of tenants felt stigmatised, with over half blaming their landlord.

Of those, 54% said they felt stigmatised because of their landlord, while 68% felt the government had done little or nothing to tackle the problem.

In its research, Campbell Tickell found that while empathy and a desire to do the right thing were consistent strengths across the organisations it studied, these were often undermined by fragmented IT systems, staff working without clear processes, and learning from complaints not always being embedded across organisations.

Francesca Macey, the Campbell Tickell consultant who led the research, told a webinar presenting the findings: “Right now, the sector is running on goodwill rather than a good infrastructure, and that’s the definition, we say, of a hero culture, which is very admirable, but ultimately is going to be unsustainable.”

The report measured seven aspects of complaints culture using a tool developed by the consultancy, called CultureScan, drawing on more than 1,000 responses from staff, board members and resident panels.

The five organisations that took part were Barnsbury Housing Association, Community Gateway Association, Gentoo, Sovereign Network Group (SNG) and West Lancashire Borough Council.

Richie Rumbelow, customer experience director at SNG, said: “The complaints culture scan will help shape how the housing sector continues to strengthen its approach to handling and resolving customer issues.

“For SNG, the findings highlight known opportunities to improve our complaints management systems, while also offering a fresh reminder of the importance of recognising and celebrating our improvements internally.”

Saleha Gani, head of service improvement at Community Gateway, said: “The CultureScan highlighted key sector-wide themes, particularly the importance of leadership and organisational behaviours in shaping how complaints are handled.

“It reinforced that while processes may be in place, culture, how empowered colleagues feel, how learning is embedded and how consistently tenants are heard remains a key factor in delivering a positive complaints experience.”

According to the tool, empathy emerged as the strongest predictor of tenant satisfaction, scoring 0.86 out of a possible 1.0. Organisations with higher empathy scores also received fewer formal complaints.

The research also found a lack of awareness among bosses about the reality of complaints-handling, with senior leaders holding a more positive view than the colleagues and tenants dealing with complaints day-to-day.

Ms Macey added: “Governing bodies and colleagues are seeing very different realities. This gap can create misalignment, fragmented culture, and also weaken trust in the sense between residents and an organisation.”

Campbell Tickell acknowledged that all five organisations had already agreed to improve their complaints-handling before taking part in the research, meaning the findings may not reflect the broader sector.

However, sector-wide data has previously shown that complaints-handling is the lowest-scoring of the 12 measures used to assess tenant satisfaction nationally, at just 36%, according to the Regulator of Social Housing.

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, who also addressed the webinar on the report, said complaints are “a daily reflection of the way in which teams work with each other, and the way in which teams work with residents, and how processes and practices work”.

He continued: “They can give you a sense of, are your values being lived? Is your behaviour framework being followed? Are you seeing behaviours that you wouldn’t expect? Are your processes empowering of people?

“Complaints are a goldmine for providing that kind of insight, but it’s important to make sure that senior leaders are able to engage in that intelligence, and boards are able to debate it.”

Mr Blakeway added that board members should be “getting outside the boardroom, getting on the ground, going to visit properties, and also making sure they’re not going to just visit the properties that have recently been redecorated”.

Jane Maguire, housing regulatory and quality manager at West Lancashire Borough Council, said the research gave “a clear and honest understanding of our organisational culture, recognising where we are performing well while also providing valuable insight into where we need to reflect, adapt and make meaningful improvements”.

Northern Ireland launches flood payment scheme for households

Alex Daniel — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:33:59 GMT

Social housing tenants in Northern Ireland will be able to get up to £1,000 in government cash until early next month if their homes are flooded.

Gordon Lyons, the communities minister, activated the Scheme of Emergency Financial Assistance (SEFA) for flooding earlier this month. The scheme will run until 3 May.

A Department of Communities (DfC) spokesperson said SEFA “is designed to aid individual householders who have suffered severe inconvenience as a result of internal flooding to their properties”.

They added: “Householders who are deemed eligible under the criteria laid out in the below guidance will receive a £1,000 payment as an offer of practical assistance to those who have suffered severe inconvenience, to ensure homes are made habitable as quickly as possible.

“It is not a compensation payment. Landlords are not eligible for the scheme.”

An Inside Housing analysis of the environmental, social and governance reports of the UK’s 50 biggest housing association builders, published in February, found that just one in 10 made specific reference to flood risk alerts. Experts warned that providers need to go further to prepare homes and residents for future flooding.

Already this year, thousands of homes were affected and more than 300 schools were closed in Northern Ireland during Storm Chandra in late January.

Northern Ireland Electricity said that about 10,000 customers were left without power at the height of the storm, which caused widespread flooding and road closures.

About 45,000 properties in Northern Ireland were deemed at risk of flooding by the Department of Infrastructure in a 2023 report, which also suggested that number could rise to 60,000 over the next 50 years.

The DfC also activated SEFA between 22 January and 21 February, before the flooding over the winter.

“Householders who feel they may be entitled to the payment should contact their local council as soon as possible and [it] will arrange for an urgent inspection of the property,” the DfC spokesperson said.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC) reported last year that there were 6.3 million homes in England at risk of flooding because the country is unprepared for the effects of climate change.

A CCC report to parliament found that the figure is set to rise to around eight million by 2050, which is 25% of all properties.

Parliament was also told how the UK is not prepared for other effects of climate change, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall and wildfire-conducive conditions.