Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Poor housing conditions have adverse impacts on health; living in poor quality housing is an...
Recommendation
Poor housing conditions have adverse impacts on health; living in poor quality housing is an aggravating factor in experiencing coronavirus severely. Pre-existing housing inequalities may have exacerbated the impact of coronavirus on BAME people. We welcome the Social Housing White Paper 2020 that the Government published in November 2020. We recommend that the Government publish and implement a strategy to improve housing conditions in social housing and privately rented accommodation by the end of Summer 2021. (Paragraph 122) No recourse to public funds
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government recognises that there is a need to improve the standards for rented homes, which is why we brought in the Homes Fitness for Human Habitation Act 2018, and why we are reviewing both the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS— to conclude in Autumn 2022) and the Decent Homes Standard (DHS—announced in the Social Housing White paper). MHCLG expects to publish the first part of the review considering the case for change in Autumn 2021. The HHSRS and DHS reviews represent a major commitment we have made to all tenants, both social and private, to drive up standards. It is not appropriate to take work forward on another strategy which may lead to duplication and delay of vital pieces of work. In addition, the government will improve building fire safety in residential buildings through our Building Safety and Fire Safety Bills. The consultation on extending the mandatory provision of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in rented homes has recently closed and the government will be analysing the responses closely. We have made changes to require that new homes delivered through national permitted development rights, whether to buy or to rent, provide adequate natural light in all habitable rooms and, from 6 April 2021, all new homes delivered through such rights will also be required to meet the nationally described space standards. This is in addition to our £2 billion investment in the Green Homes Grant scheme, including upgrading off-grid homes occupied by low income and vulnerable households through the Home Upgrade Grant, which will help landlords with the costs of energy efficiency upgrades and improve standards and reduce bills for tenants. At the Chancellor’s summer economic update, the government announced a £50 million demonstrator project to start the decarbonisation of social housing over 2020/21. This will encourage innovation and help inform the design of the future Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The Demonstrator will support social landlords in demonstrating the benefits of innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale using the Whole House Retrofit approach. Funding has been awarded to projects across England and Scotland which will see around 2300 homes improved to at least Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C. The details of these projects will be announced in Spring 2021. At the Spending Review 2020, the Chancellor announced £60 million of further funding to upgrade the least efficient social housing. The Fund will bring a significant amount of the social housing stock that is currently below EPC band C up to that standard, delivering warm homes, reducing carbon emissions and bills, and tackling fuel poverty as well as supporting green jobs. No Recourse to Public Funds