Select Committee · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The Regulation of Social Housing

Status: Closed Opened: 10 Nov 2021 Closed: 5 Mar 2024 21 recommendations 34 conclusions 1 report

The purpose of this inquiry is to examine the quality and regulation of social housing in England and the Government’s proposals in the social housing White Paper for improving the regulatory regime. Read the key findings and recommendations from our report published on 20 July 2022.

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - The Regulation of Social Housing HC 18 20 Jul 2022 55 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
14 Recommendation First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We call on social housing providers to take stigma and discrimination seriously, not to assume...

We call on social housing providers to take stigma and discrimination seriously, not to assume its staff are immune from such prejudices, and to ensure their boards better reflect their communities. We also encourage them to make every effort to encourage diversity among their senior management teams. As part of …

Government response. The government states it is considering how requirements on diversity among boards and senior management will be set in a future suite of consumer standards and how they might proactively regulate them, with a consultation planned for 2023.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
16 Recommendation First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We recommend that, as part of its review of the consumer standards, the Regulator of...

We recommend that, as part of its review of the consumer standards, the Regulator of Social Housing amend the tenant involvement and empowerment standard to require providers to support the establishment of genuinely independent tenants and residents associations, including by providing the necessary funding.

Government response. The government is considering how requirements will be set in a future suite of consumer standards, and how they might proactively regulate them; a consultation is planned for 2023, subject to enactment of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
41 Conclusion First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We did not find the explanation by the Regulator of why Clarion could be compliant...

We did not find the explanation by the Regulator of why Clarion could be compliant in the case of Eastfields to be convincing, especially given the comparison with Croydon Council and Regina Road. Croydon had been found guilty of systemic The Regulation of Social Housing 75 failure because it “simply …

Government response. The government acknowledges the Committee's views on the Regulator's interpretation of its statutory duties and will raise these points with the Regulator, which is independent of the Government and responsible for interpreting its statutory duties.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
52 Recommendation First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We recommend that the Government make it clearer to the regulator that its statutory duty...

We recommend that the Government make it clearer to the regulator that its statutory duty to minimise interference does not preclude it from using its enforcement powers. We call on the regulator to make more use of its enforcement powers, especially in the most serious cases.

Government response. The government will consider how and when they might use their powers as part of developing the proactive consumer regulation regime, and are required to issue statutory guidance on the use of their powers, to be updated and subject to …
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
53 Conclusion First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We are not convinced that requiring all social housing providers to register with the Regulator...

We are not convinced that requiring all social housing providers to register with the Regulator of Social Housing would necessarily prompt the Office for National Statistics to reclassify the sector as part of the public sector. It might well be the case, but without a definitive statement from the ONS, …

Government response. The government is engaging with the Office for National Statistics on the classification implications of the Bill's measures, and will keep the Committee updated on progress.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
54 Recommendation First Report - The Regulation of Social… Deferred

We recommend that the Government invite the Office for National Statistics to make a public...

We recommend that the Government invite the Office for National Statistics to make a public announcement on whether requiring all social housing providers to register with the Regulator of Social Housing would prompt a reclassification. If the conclusion is that it would not, we recommend that the Government amend the …

Government response. The government is engaging with the Office for National Statistics on the classification implications of the Bill's measures, and will keep the Committee updated on progress.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
16 May 2022 Eddie Hughes · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Nick Burkitt · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities View ↗
19 Apr 2022 Jonathan Walters · Regulator of Social Housing, Richard Blakeway · Office for Legal Complaints, Richard Blakeway · Housing Ombudsman Service View ↗
14 Mar 2022 Angela Price · Guinness, Daniel Hewitt · ITV News, Nicole Walters · Southwark Council View ↗
9 Mar 2022 Dr Amanze Ejiogu · Newcastle University Business School, Helen Garrett · Building Research Establishment, James Prestwich · Chartered Institute of Housing, Jenny Osbourne · TPAS, Tarun Bhakta · Shelter View ↗
7 Feb 2022 Chloe Fletcher · National Federation of ALMOs, Cllr David Renard · Local Government Association (LGA), Karen Brown · Northern Housing Consortium, Kate Henderson · National Housing Federation, Matthew Walker · PlaceShapers, Nick Murphy · Nottingham City Homes View ↗
17 Jan 2022 Ben Denton · Legal and General Affordable Homes, Clare Miller · Clarion Housing Group, Darren Hartley · TAROE Trust, Pat Turnbull · London Tenants Federation, Professor Ian Cole · South Yorkshire Housing Association, Suzanne Muna · Social Housing Action Campaign View ↗

Correspondence

11 letters
DateDirectionTitle
7 Feb 2023 To cttee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Faith and Communitie…
6 Dec 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State and the Regulator of Social Hou…
19 Oct 2022 To cttee Letter from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Housing and Communit…
19 Oct 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Housing…
12 Jul 2022 To cttee Letter from the Central Hill Estate Residents Association Committee to the Comm…
21 Jun 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing dated 13 June 2022 foll…
30 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Guinness Partnership to the Chair dated 23 March 2022 concernin…
30 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing dated 29 March 2022 con…
22 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from BRE to the Chair dated 10 March 2022 concerning the inquiry into th…
1 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from Cllr David Renard, Local Government Association, to the Chair dated…
22 Feb 2022 To cttee Letter from Broadacres Housing Association to the Chair dated 9 February 2022 c…