Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Conclusion 18
Third Report - Exempt Accommodation
Published 27 Oct 2022
Paragraph 97
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Exempt Accommodation All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The former Minister was reluctant to consider changes to the planning system, arguing that some councils are having successes with the planning tools available Exempt Accommodation 49 to them, and that raising the overall quality will reduce the negative impacts on communities and in turn reduce the need to control the spread of exempt accommodation. However, our evidence pointed out that there is a limit to what local strategies for exempt accommodation can achieve without planning reforms. Councils need the ability to manage supply in line with locally assessed need. They need to be able to balance the provision of much needed family housing. They also need the ability to control the density of exempt accommodation because areas of high concentration can attract those with malicious intent to exploit vulnerable residents.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, Third Report - Exempt Accommodation (HC 21), paragraph 97, 27 October 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 June 2023 (deadline 27 December 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "strongly welcome[s]" the Committee's recommendations and is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which it believes, "subject to Royal Assent", will address many of the issues raised.
- On national standards and licensing, the government says it will "formally consult" with the sector to develop the licensing scheme and national standards for support "as soon as possible after Royal Assent".
- On mandatory registration of all providers with the Regulator of Social Housing, it gives its reasons, including the risk of reclassification of the sector as public, and considers the Bill's measures "better placed" to provide oversight.
- On rent caps, it says it "cannot effectively determine a standardised rent cap at this point", citing the complexity and range of housing models in the sector.
- On data, it says research on the size, cost and demand of the sector will be published "by the end of 2023".