King’s Speech 2026: social housing sector’s response

Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, welcomed the government’s “ambitious legislative programme”, pointing to “important measures across social housing, leasehold reform and building safety”.

He continued: “Commitments on Right to Buy reform, stronger tenancy protections for domestic abuse survivors, capping ground rents, making commonhold a viable alternative and speeding up the remediation of unsafe cladding all signal a clear intent to improve residents’ security, safety and control over their homes.

“We look forward to seeing the detail and working with government and partners to ensure these reforms deliver meaningful, practical and lasting improvements for current and future residents.”

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: “At a time when 4.2 million people are in need of social housing in England, we strongly support the government’s aim to protect the country’s social housing and welcome confirmation that Right to Buy will not be extended to housing associations.”

She added: “The outcome from the various measures the government is taking should mean that the Right to Buy is a much more sustainable scheme than it has been since 2012.

“We also welcome the government’s commitment to strengthen protections for victims of domestic abuse and look forward to seeing the detail.

“Housing associations are committed to making their buildings safe as quickly as possible. We strongly welcome measures to hold those responsible for dangerous defects to account – something we have consistently called for and which will help accelerate safety work across the sector.

“We support reform of the leasehold system and the principles of commonhold. Getting the legislation and its implementation right will be critical to ensuring it is deliverable and provides meaningful benefits for residents.

“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with government to deliver a decade of renewal for social housing and to build the homes our country needs.”

Tracy Harrison, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium, said the Social Housing Renewal Bill gives providers “the clarity and confidence to better protect and build more social housing” by enacting Right to Buy reforms. “It also gives greater safety and security for tenants who are victims of domestic abuse.”

Ms Harrison continued: “This legislation today, along with the recent housing announcements, will help social landlords to do more to meet the needs of communities.

“Stronger devolution is supporting collaboration through housing partnerships, with the North leading the way. But building new homes needs to sit alongside housing-led regeneration and neighbourhood renewal through a joined-up, place-based approach with the powers and tools to make sure no one and nowhere is left behind.”

Maria Hallows, partner and head of social housing at Menzies, said the Remediation Bill will be “welcomed by tenants who have spent years feeling unsafe in their homes”.

However, she noted how much time has already passed since the Grenfell tragedy in 2017. “Nearly nine years on, ‘fixing it faster’ is the right ambition. A proposed deadline for remediation and genuine support for tenants during this process would give far more confidence that words will translate into action,” she added.

“Barriers to progress have never been solely about money, but funding remains a serious obstacle. Social landlords face competing pressures on scarce resources, including meeting decarbonisation targets and other building safety demands such as damp and mould. 

“Giving them access to the same remediation funding as private landlords would help significantly, as long as the application process does not simply replace one barrier with another.”

John Guest, head of social housing sector at RSM UK, said: “The proposals set out in the King’s Speech to protect existing social housing stock, reform Right to Buy and provide greater regulatory certainty are positive steps in creating the stability housing providers need to invest for the long term. 

“Speeding up remediation of unsafe cladding is also a critical and welcome measure. The real test will be whether these reforms unlock the pace and scale of delivery required to meet housing need and support a sustainable future for the sector.”

Andrew Bulmer, chief executive of The Property Institute, said the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill is “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the way we own and manage flats in England and Wales”.

He added: “While we welcome the bill in principle, we are keen to ensure there are measures that move towards mandatory qualifications for property managers as a minimum, and while we understand the government will want to respond to the consultation exercise and select committee, we hope it will declare its intentions soon, so that the sector has some certainty. 

“It is vital that empowered commonholders and leaseholders are supported by competent, qualified professional property managers.”

Melanie Leech, interim chief executive of Real Estate:UK, welcomed some measures in the King’s Speech, but said the government “has not set out the bold vision for economic and social renewal that is needed and that will unlock investment”.

“Indeed, investors may be further discouraged by the focus on measures such as leasehold reform and retentions within the construction sector,” she added.

Ms Leech warned that the real estate industry is facing “numerous significant headwinds and construction is at a standstill across most of the country”.

She said: “In these circumstances, while the UK remains a preferred destination for both domestic and global capital, investors are unwilling to commit new funds without greater economic and political stability including clear signals from the government that they will take the necessary steps to bridge the viability gap, reduce the costs of development and deliver on the promise that the UK will ‘build, build, build.’ 

“Sadly, a combination of last week’s local election results changing the landscape and bringing uncertainty in many areas and the ongoing speculation about leadership, means that the reverse is true.”

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, welcomed the government’s continued focus on leasehold reform in the King’s Speech.

“We now need to see these reforms progress at pace, with clear timelines and delivery, to provide certainty and confidence for consumers and the wider housing sector,” he said.

He added: “We acknowledge the UK government’s ambition to make commonhold the default tenure for new flats and to strengthen leaseholder rights. However, reform must be carefully phased to avoid market disruption and ensure existing leaseholders, property agents and developers can transition effectively to any new system.”

Mr Douglas also welcomed plans to accelerate remediation works, stating that leaseholders and residents “have faced unacceptable delays and uncertainty for too long”.

“The UK government must ensure remediation funding, enforcement powers and clear legal responsibilities are implemented quickly so that affected residents are protected, and confidence can return to the housing market,” he added.

Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), said: “Local government is at its best when it is empowered, properly funded and recognised as an equal partner in delivering national reform. Strong local leadership and collaboration with communities are essential to turning national ambitions into meaningful change on the ground.

“The LGA therefore looks forward to working constructively with government, parliamentarians and key stakeholders to ensure legislation set out in today’s King’s Speech – including on SEND [Special educational needs and disabilities] reform, social housing, asylum, neighbourhood health and community safety – is workable and delivers real benefits for local communities.

“As legislation progresses through parliament, our priority will be to shape reforms that strengthen place-based leadership, encourage genuine collaboration across public services and enable councils to continue improving outcomes for residents.”