Join us every two weeks when we'll be taking a look at the UK housing headlines making the rounds. Breaking down the key information and giving you our thoughts!
RSH Chair highlights landlords’ role in achieving more and better social housing
In her keynote speech at the Social Housing Annual Conference, held on the 20th of November 2024, Bernadette Conroy, Chair of the Regulator of Social Housing, highlighted the pivotal role of social landlords in building new homes for tenants and improving existing ones. She acknowledged the financial challenges landlords face, taking note that smaller budgets result in a smaller margin for error, therefore it is essential for landlords to manage resources carefully. Despite these difficulties, Conroy emphasised that the sector remains attractive to private capital, with the majority of landlords continuously investing significantly into housing improvements. She also urged landlords to meet high expectations for tenant safety and to self-report issues as soon as possible, emphasising that the sector must stay focused on current and future tenant needs.
Lumensol Says: “Housing organisations continue to face a number of challenges, with significant increases in regulations and cost base, whilst experiencing shortages in people skills and resources. Whilst the sector wholeheartedly supports the drive to providing homes that are safe, warm and well maintained to tenants, the pressure on Housing Providers budgets to deliver all their obligations is becoming increasingly difficult to balance. Visibility of demand, need and condition is
key to achieving the delivery of services to where most needed, and to make best use of investment for managing existing or new assets. Ensuring that your organisation has connected IT systems, apps and reporting, that provide visibility to support your staff and residents, will enable them to make best use of their limited time and empower more effective decision making. The management and layered use of data, to provide accurate tenant and asset data is now business critical, and vital to any effective, co-ordinated investment strategy to help address the short, medium and longer term housing needs.”
Martin Baker - Director of Operations and Transformation Services
Collapse in London affordable housing starts fuels 39% national decrease
In 2023-2024, affordable housing starts in England decreased by 39% (71,771 to 43,439). This is the lowest it has been since 2016-2017, driven by an 88% fall in London. In the capital, housing starts plunged from 26,386 to only 3,156. The fall was especially severe for housing associations, which experienced their largest decline since 1978, when records began. Despite these drops, the number of affordable homes completed across the country has remained relatively stable, only a 2% decrease year-on-year. However, a significant reduction in affordable housing will amplify the housing crisis, which is likely to increase homelessness. The government has planned to address the crisis through planning reforms and increased funding. While London's mayor has emphasised continuous effort to building affordable homes.