Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted
Publish an assessment of new regulatory requirements' cumulative impact on social home supply
Recommendation
The Government must publish an assessment of the cumulative impact the new regulatory requirements are likely to have on the supply of social homes over the next decade. This assessment should consider how the cumulative costs of the new regulatory requirements are likely to impact the sector’s ability to invest in new supply and the extent to which providers may choose to dispose of social homes that they deem too expensive to bring up to new standards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65) Supporting social landlords to improve housing conditions
Government Response Summary
The government claims the Decent Homes Standard Final Impact Assessment and social housing MEES Impact Assessment already set out potential impacts on the supply of new social housing.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
27. In order to deliver a ‘Decade of Renewal for social and affordable housing’, we are focused on delivering transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of homes, alongside the biggest increase in supply in a generation. Within this, we are committed to rebuilding the financial capacity of housing associations and councils. We have set a long-term rent policy for social housing, announced over £1 billion of building safety funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to accelerate remediation of social housing, announced £2.5bn of low-interest loans for private registered providers and the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund has allocated £1.29 billion over 2025–28 to support social landlords make energy efficiency improvements to their homes. 28. The Decent Homes Standard Final Impact Assessment, published on 28 January, and social housing MEES Impact Assessment, published on 1 April, set out potential impacts on the supply of new social housing. Reforms are expected to deliver meaningful improvements for tenants but will also place significant new obligations on landlords. That is why social landlords will be required to meet the new DHS by 2035 at the latest, an implementation timeline that gives them the time and the certainty they need to boost housing supply as well as drive up the quality of the homes they manage. Though we recognise that reforms are substantial, they are designed to be complementary, for example work done to meet MEES and the new DHS will reduce damp and mould in homes and therefore the need for emergency repairs to take place under Awaab’s Law. 29. Government is of course aware that there will be some unavoidable cases where landlords either cannot or should not comply with the standard, for example where it is prohibitively hard or impossible. We have set out, in the response to the Decent Homes Standard consultation, how these circumstances will be addressed and will provide further guidance in due course. This proportionate approach will help mitigate the risk of disposal.