The Week in Housing: rent convergence, low-cost loans and Decent Homes

We also now have a date for the start of the new Decent Homes Standard – 2035 – and confirmation that it will apply across social and private rented housing. This is the first update to the standard since 2006.

From 2030, social homes will also have to meet new minimum energy efficiency standards, which is similar to the Energy Performance Certificate Band C target the sector was already working to.

We also found out this week that more than 100 housing associations are in talks with Octopus Energy on ‘zero-bill home’ projects, signalling strong interest in different approaches to energy efficiency and net zero.

Other announcements included a new taskforce for social housing, the ability for councils to build up to 1,000 homes without setting up a Housing Revenue Account (the current threshold is 200), and a mechanism to change the tenure on Section 106 homes if no one is willing to buy them.

Wait for it – there’s more. The government is introducing £2.5bn in cheap loans to private registered providers, charging only 0.1% interest. Two-thirds of the funding is being ringfenced for London housing associations.

The New Homes Accelerator is entering a second phase honed in on helping smaller sites overcome obstacles, with a new offshoot to focus on sites in London. Both these pieces of news reflect concerns about construction levels in the capital.

The government says the first phase of the accelerator unblocked 125,000 homes and added 60,000 to the pipeline.

Ground rent will be capped at £250 a year from 2028, relieving some leaseholders while disappointing other campaigners, who wanted it to be limited to peppercorn rent with immediate effect.

Suffice it to say, there was a lot of policy news this week, and the team will be analysing what all this means in detail.

Meanwhile, the Regulator of Social Housing removed two officers from a housing co-op in Kent, in the first time it has used this power. The officers had failed to carry out duties required of them and “obstructed and failed to co-operate” with the regulator, it said.

Inside Housing published our annual Risk Register Survey, an analysis of the biggest strategic risks flagged in the financial reports of 100 large housing associations. It is a really detailed must-read, and we also have a shorter breakdown of the four key takeaways for those who want the Cliffs Notes.

SettleParadigm has acquired 3,500 homes from L&Q, a deal that lays claim to being the biggest stock transfer between housing associations of its kind.

Clarion’s income from sales of homes (including shared ownership) has nearly halved, leading to a dip in half-year turnover.

Richard Blakeway is stepping down as Housing Ombudsman after six years – and the service is open to applications to fill his shoes.

Ofgem officially became the regulator of heat networks this week, bringing many social landlords that run these systems under its remit. At any rate, this has not put off Brent Council, which is beginning a new £36m low-carbon heat network.

And finally, the long-anticipated Thamesmead project might start during this parliament, Peabody has said. It is now more than 10 years since the housing association took over the estate, which has long had ambitious regeneration plans. The 15,000-home project is under consideration for inclusion in the New Towns programme.

Have a great weekend.

Jess McCabe, deputy editor, Inside Housing

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