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Select Committee · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The finances and sustainability of the social housing sector

Status: Closed Opened: 28 Mar 2023 Closed: 28 May 2024 21 recommendations 13 conclusions 1 report

This inquiry seeks to examine the finances and sustainability of the social housing sector in England. In recent years the financial pressures for social landlords have increased as they face the demands of building new homes, retrofitting existing stock to improve energy efficiency, remediating stock with cladding and other building safety issues, and tackling issues … Show more

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Sixth Report - The Finances and Sustainability of the Socia… HC 60 8 May 2024 34 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
3 Recommendation Sixth Report - The Finances and Sustain… Deferred

Deliver sufficient grant funding and urgently release next Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund tranches.

Making social housing more energy efficient is crucial for the country’s decarbonisation goals, but, of course, it is also a significant cost for social housing providers. Because energy efficiency improvements do not return savings to social housing providers or private investors, there is little, if any, scope for borrowing to … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses the regulator's standards concerning tenant engagement, fairness, and security of tenure during regeneration projects. It does not address the recommendation for increased grant funding for social housing decarbonisation or the urgent release of Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund tranches.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
4 Conclusion Sixth Report - The Finances and Sustain… Deferred

Review the potential role of private equity investment in social housing decarbonisation.

Noting that the role of private investment in decarbonisation has so far been limited, we encourage the Government to review what role private investment might play in meeting net zero, noting the advice from witnesses that this could involve the use of equity rather than debt and should result in … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response discusses the importance of providers explaining regeneration projects to tenants and ensuring their views are considered, referencing existing governance standards and tenant satisfaction measures. It does not address the recommendation to review the role of private investment in social housing decarbonisation.
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
5 Recommendation Sixth Report - The Finances and Sustain… Deferred

Publish longer-term funding plans for social housing retrofitting and private investment beyond 2025.

We also reaffirm the conclusion of our Local Government and Net Zero report that the Government should set out its longer-term funding plans beyond 2025, and to encourage and outline the share of funding for retrofitting it anticipates will come from The Finances and Sustainability of the Social Housing Sector … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of understanding and scrutinising the for-profit social housing sector, outlining actions like recruiting specialist staff and undertaking a 2024-25 review of its knowledge. It does not, however, commit to setting out longer-term funding plans for retrofitting beyond 2025 or …
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Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
22 Jan 2024 Bernadette Conroy · Regulator of Social Housing, Jonathan Walters · Regulator of Social Housing, Peter Denton · Homes England, Shahi Islam · Homes England, The Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities View ↗
11 Sep 2023 Dave Meseck · DMG Eco, Felix Ejgel · S&P Global Ratings, Gemma Bourne · Big Society Capital, Neil Brown · Inclusion Group, Simon Century · Legal and General, Steve Collins · Rentplus-UK View ↗
19 Jun 2023 Conrad Hall · Newham Council, Councillor Pippa Heylings · Local Government Association, Deborah Heenan · Populo, Jamie Kellett · abrdn, John Marr · UK Finance, Kathryn Jones · Dudley Council, Michael Scorer · Southwark Council, Piers Williamson · The Housing Finance Corporation View ↗
12 Jun 2023 Fiona Fletcher Smith · G15, James Prestwich · Chartered Institute of Housing, Kate Henderson · National Housing Federation, Kate Wareing · Soha Housing, Paul Fiddaman · Karbon Homes, Professor Tony Crook · University of Sheffield View ↗

Who gave evidence

25 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Bernadette Conroy · Chair Regulator of Social Housing 1
Conrad Hall · Corporate Director of Resources Newham Council 1
Councillor Pippa Heylings · Deputy Chair, Environment, Economy, Housing and T… Local Government Association 1
Dave Meseck · CEO DMG Eco 1
Deborah Heenan · Chief Executive Populo 1
Felix Ejgel · Senior Director, Sector Lead Sovereign & Internat… S&P Global Ratings 1
Fiona Fletcher Smith · Chair G15 1
Gemma Bourne · Managing Director, Head of Social and Affordable … Big Society Capital 1
James Prestwich · Director of Policy & External Affairs Chartered Institute of Housing 1
Jamie Kellett · Product Development Real Estate Private Markets abrdn 1
John Marr · Senior Policy Adviser UK Finance 1
Jonathan Walters · Deputy Chief Executive Regulator of Social Housing 1
Kate Henderson · CEO National Housing Federation 1
Kate Wareing · CEO Soha Housing 1
Kathryn Jones · Director for Housing & Communities Dudley Council 1
Michael Scorer · Strategic Director, Housing and Modernisation Southwark Council 1
Neil Brown · CEO Inclusion Group 1
Paul Fiddaman · Group Chief Executive Karbon Homes 1
Peter Denton · CEO Homes England 1
Piers Williamson · Chief Executive The Housing Finance Corporation 1
Professor Tony Crook · Professor Emeritus of Town and Regional Planning University of Sheffield 1
Shahi Islam · Affordable Housing Director Homes England 1
Simon Century · Managing Director-Housing Legal and General 1
Steve Collins · Chief Executive Rentplus-UK 1
The Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social… Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 1

Correspondence

7 letters
DateDirectionTitle
17 Jan 2024 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Housing Minister dated 15 January 2024 concerning …
17 Jan 2024 To cttee Letter from Minister Rowley to the Chair dated 16 January 2024 concerning givin…
13 Dec 2023 To cttee Letter from the Chair to the Housing Minister dated 5 December 2023 concerning …
8 Nov 2023 To cttee Letter from Rentplus concerning follow-up from the Committee’s session on 11 Se…
12 Sep 2023 To cttee Letter from Sage Homes to the Chair dated 24 July 2023 concerning finances of s…
12 Sep 2023 To cttee Letter from National Housing Federation, G15, Karbon Homes and Soha Housing to …
27 Jun 2023 To cttee Letter from Rentplus to the Chair dated 21 June 2023 concerning the Rent to Buy…