The Week in Housing: temporary accommodation spend hits new high, ombudsman learnings and RSH update on small landlords

There were several regulatory interventions. The Housing Ombudsman shared severe maladministration casework from seven landlords and how they handled issues such as subsidence, adaptations and rent accounts.

The Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) latest quarterly survey of landlords’ financial health found that housing providers are spending heavily on existing stock but investment in new homes has fallen.

The RSH has also decided that small landlords will not have to submit data on tenant satisfaction measures after a pilot found it would create an “additional burden”.

Meanwhile, a council in Surrey was issued a consumer rating of C4 by the English regulator for “very serious failings”, including not having evidence it was working to deter and tackle hate incidents in the area.

One of the most-read stories of the week was Inside Housing’s reporting on how a consultancy for the Grenfell Tower refurbishment is countersuing the other companies involved in the £360m civil lawsuit brought forward by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

On the wider issue of building safety, Barratt Redrow’s building safety provision has topped £1bn during the last financial year due to issues found with reinforced concrete frame buildings.

Meanwhile, two blocks of flats in Croydon owned by housing association L&Q are to undergo “precautionary checks”, and one block owned by Croydon Council is also undergoing checks, after fire safety issues were uncovered in a tower on the same development.

An analysis of the £800m government scheme to decarbonise social homes revealed it has underperformed, with fewer than a third of targeted retrofits completed.

Ramping up development remains a challenge. Major house builders have warned that London’s housing delivery is in a “major crisis” and could collapse without intervention.

One major London council is attempting to tackle this delivery problem by launching a new brand with a target of hitting £1bn in market sales to fund its affordable delivery plans.

In order to understand this meltdown, Inside Housing spoke to developers and deputy London mayor Tom Copley to find out where the sector goes from here.

One of the government’s major plans on this issue is the delivery of several New Towns. However, the House of Lords Built Environment Committee has criticised the plan for New Towns and expanded settlements, describing it as lacking “a clear, engaging vision”.

This comes as housing minister Matthew Pennycook issued a warning to Stockport Council after the local authority missed a number of targets around the submission of its local plan.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People has launched a call for evidence. This is because funding and targets for the delivery of retirement communities is seen as lacking.

The call is part of the APPG’s Creating Intergenerational Communities inquiry, which aims to explore the advantages and challenges of new housing developments consciously seeking to bring people of all ages together.

The Thinkhouse Editorial Panel reviewed the latest housing research and asked: is the 1.5 million homes target ambitious enough, and what will it take to achieve?

After an exclusive chat with Inside Housing, Scottish housing secretary Màiri McAllan confirmed that her administration is aiming for 70% of the total planned 36,000 affordable homes to be social housing. It is a higher figure than the 60% set in England, albeit on a much smaller programme.

The latest report from the National Audit Office has revealed that residential care costs for children have doubled over five years, reaching £3.1bn in 2023-24. It puts this rise down to growing demand, limited placements – especially for children with complex needs – and a profit-driven market.

There were several big appointment stories. The boss of build-to-rent landlord Get Living will step down next year.

Yorkshire landlord Arches announced a new chief executive, as the incumbent is retiring after eight years in the top job.

A worrying report found that one in six Black and minority ethnic people working in the Welsh social housing sector experienced racism from their colleagues in 2025, according to a survey of around 650 staff members.

This research followed the launch of a report, backed by Florence Eshalomi, MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, exploring the underrepresentation of ethnic minority tenants in formal tenant engagement structures.

A positive initiative to drive up wages was launched by one of the UK’s largest housing associations, as it plans to introduce a new requirement that all companies in its 4,500-strong supply chain must pay the Real Living Wage.

Following a major reshuffle of the government’s housing department, Inside Housing profiled the new homelessness and building safety ministers.

Have a great weekend.

Stephen Delahunty, news editor, Inside Housing

Say hello: stephen.delahunty@oceanmedia.co.uk

Editor’s picks – five stories you may have missed:

Yorkshire housing partnership appoints Beyond Housing boss as vice-chair

Hertfordshire housing associations enter talks over 12,000-home merger

PRS REIT agrees sale of housing portfolio for £646m

Places for People secures further £19.9m from Homes England

Scottish council could scrap retrofit scheme after costs soar by over £30m in one year