“We can get there by bus from Killermont Street” – Roddy Frame.

The housing sector is a rule taker, not a rule maker. Why do I say that? Well, we’ve a new Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Was it written by our leading lights? No. It’s been handed down on tablets of stone from the ministry. And we’re scrabbling about at the margins arguing about start dates. Put simply, the longer we drag things out, the less it costs.

The minister wants us to stop letting homes with damp and mould, put a timer on the heating switch and lay a bit of carpet down. What year is it? Back in the mid-1980s we were doing better than this for temporary accommodation in Camden.

Forgive me, but I don’t think it’s a good sign that we’re getting instructions as basic as this from the MHCLG.

Do please read their impact assessment. You’ll get a real insight into what the MHCLG is thinking. It’s clear they’re acting for two reasons. Firstly, they say right at the start that there must be no repeat of Grenfell or the death of Awaab Ishak. So, we’ve really got to step up. On top of that, for Labour, housing is at the heart of everything. It can push the economy, education and health up or down. A key part of the case for the new DHS is that it will save the NHS money. I’d wager that this will be a big part of any future assessments of our effectiveness.

“Surely, better rented homes would make it somewhat easier for people to choose to have children. I couldn’t find this in the impact assessment. Maybe one for the future”

One thing did surprise me, though. I read loads of scholarly articles decrying our low birth rate and the damage it does to the economy. Surely, better rented homes would make it somewhat easier for people to choose to have children. I couldn’t find this in the impact assessment. Maybe one for the future.

The minster wants the same DHS in the social and private sectors. Good idea. And it comes back to the same point. I was at the chiropractor this morning. Basically, nothing works on me without a metal punch or the insertion of a sharp needle. So, like the rest of the North London boomers, that’s where I go. Anyway, the chiropractor and her partner live in a private flat with mould. It’s the best deal they can get on two professional pay packets. Hence, they’re putting off having children until they are in their forever home. Best of luck with that.

Who’s going to police standards in the private sector? Step forward our councils. Where are they going to find the capacity to do that? Councils are really under the cosh. This leads to some bonkers situations. One borough is excellent at bringing private landlords to heel. The only problem is that they’re amongst the worst at managing their own council homes, according to the RSH. Time to take the log out of their own eyes, I’m afraid.

On the whole, though, the messages from Whitehall are a lot more upbeat than in the past. Thank goodness. Yes, there are grounds for optimism.

But there are real problems that we must solve.

“The minister wants us to stop letting homes with damp and mould, put a timer on the heating switch and lay a bit of carpet down. What year is it? Back in the mid-1980s we were doing better than this for temporary accommodation in Camden”

My old pal Ashley Green was the chief of Gloucester City Homes till he retired. No one did more for that city over the decades than him – he started by sorting out the poll tax. For a long time, he was working on a regeneration of the Podsmead estate. Back in the day he walked me round it, so I know how much it meant to him. Well, the council voted down this £45m scheme. How can we get anything done if this is the attitude? Obviously, I don’t know all the ins and outs. Maybe the opponents had some fair points. But for goodness’ sake, why not get a deal done? You see this sort of scenario play out in many places. The public finances are deteriorating – we don’t have the luxury of time. There might not be a second bite of the cherry.

Next, the magnificent Barbara Brownlee wrote an article for Inside Housing saying it was tough to recruit to housing. Now, let this sink in. Barbara is the CEO of Soho Housing Association. That’s right. Soho – only the most exciting area of the most exciting city on the planet. And they’re struggling. Crikey! Best thing I ever did was get on that £5 overnight Stagecoach bus from Glasgow to Camden.

I was gloomy. But only until I met all the young candidates for our Housing’s Next Generation contest. Each and every one of them has a great story to tell. You’ll need to come to our annual conference to hear them. They were born ready.

Alistair McIntosh, Chief Executive, HQN