From the Chief Executive… The return of inspection: Top tips
Inspection is back. I’ve been working with landlords, large and small, all over the country to get ready. These are the tips I’d pass on. Every contact matters. The RSH’s new standards cover just about every contact you have with tenants and shared owners. So, make sure the folk taking calls, writing e-mails and repairing […]
Housing in Practice: Time for action
In the latest of our series, Neil Merrick reports on how a housing association’s community action days combine tenant consultation and support with joint efforts to improve communal space. The residents’ story Three years ago, the green space opposite houses in Shinewell Gardens seemed neglected and unloved. A children’s play area had been dismantled […]
Creating solid housing foundations via a basic income
In the academic discipline of social policy, many are aware that housing is the ‘wobbly pillar’ of the Beveridge welfare state, write Dave Beck (pictured), Remco Peters, Gemma Bridge, Francis Poitier and Ben Pearson. This metaphor has been associated with housing since the 1980s, in conjunction with the rise of ‘landlordism’ and a residualisation of […]
The complexity of licensing for better standards in private renting
Important research on licensing schemes in the private rented sector highlights the complexities and difficulties for local authorities in enforcing minimum standards, writes Janis Bright. The study by Roz Spencer and Julie Rugg involved interviews with officers from five London boroughs that are running schemes. It points to the dangers of establishing a national registration […]
Building belonging: Transforming spaces into communities
Dr Eve Blezard, HQN “You don’t care. You only pretend to care” Cathy Ward, Cathy Come Home 1966 In the decades since the Cathy Come Home television play, the struggle within social housing for health, well-being and a sense of belonging remains. Despite legislative advances like the Social Housing (Regulation) Act of 2023, […]
Ombudsman Corner
By Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman The new regulatory landscape sends a clear message: landlords need to know who lives behind the door as well as maintaining the home. Often our casework shows the two things are indivisible: overlooking individual circumstances could present risks or hazards to the resident as well […]
How can social housing providers address the retrofit skills challenge?
By David Pierpoint CEO, The Retrofit Academy The UK government has started to accelerate the retrofit industry’s growth through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Home Upgrade Grant (HUG). Now that funding is in place, I can explore how social housing providers and their appointed contractors can address the skills gap […]
Lies, damned lies and public relations
By Neil Merrick Housing Journalist Faced with increased homelessness, government spin doctors had little real option but to create an alternative version of the truth. Instead of acknowledging that the number of families in temporary accommodation was rising, the department’s press team focussed on the fact fewer people were asking local authorities […]
The Building Safety Act 2022 – where are we and why is competency so important?
By David Barnes Acting head of policy and public affairs, Chartered Institute of Building As we approach the second anniversary of the Building Safety Act 2022 coming into force, we look at the Building Safety Regulator’s (BSR) key milestones for 2024 and beyond, as well as some of the key dates the […]
Consumer standards: What we learned from the pilot
By Stephen Blundell Operations Director, Leeds Federated Housing Association Last year, when our in-depth assessment (IDA) was due, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) asked us if we’d take part in its consumer inspection pilot. While not entirely sure what to expect, we seized the opportunity so we could gain first-hand experience […]
