Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Sixth Report - The Finances and Sustainability of the Social Housing Sector
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
HC 60
Published 8 May 2024
Recommendations
3
Deferred
Para 37
Deliver sufficient grant funding and urgently release next Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund tranches.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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5
Deferred
Para 39
Publish longer-term funding plans for social housing retrofitting and private investment beyond 2025.
Recommendation
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 …
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Government Response 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 investigating new sources of private financing for this purpose.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Conclusions (1)
4
Conclusion
Deferred
Para 38
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 …
Government Response 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.