The Week in Housing: ‘tents not rents’, solar panel plans revealed and trial collapses for retirement village fire

More people sleeping rough and living in tents is a somewhat novel solution to the housing crisis. However, the Home Office’s current immigration policies have previously been described as making migrants, asylum seekers and refugees “destitute by design”.

This is at a time when the latest data released by a UK-wide frontline network of refugee and migrant organisations reported a 99% increase in adults experiencing homelessness.

Mr Amos had a simple ask from the government that would prevent Reform UK from exploiting the housing crisis in this way: “Funding for infrastructure and social housing.”

I know the Spending Review awaits. But if the economic case for getting to grips with the housing crisis isn’t enough, maybe the potential political consequences will be.

After the local elections, the government insisted that its reforms under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill could benefit the economy by up to £7.5bn over the next 10 years. Separately, it also described the bill as a “win-win for the economy and nature”.

The government’s housing department confirmed that plans for solar panels on all new build homes will include social housing. But house builders immediately pushed back on this idea and described this proposal under the Future Homes Standard as unrealistic.

Part of the government’s housing ambitions is a new generation of new towns. Inside Housing joined a field trip of housing graduates to find out what they might be like.

In an attempt to fix the housing crisis in London, which the mayor said is having a “profoundly damaging impact” on families and younger people, Sir Sadiq Khan will “actively explore” releasing parts of the capital’s green belt for development.

The crisis is leaving many councils facing bankruptcy as they struggle with rising temporary accommodation and homelessness costs. Solutions in the current economic and political climate are not easy to come by.

So it wasn’t surprising to see that a story on how one London council saved £5.8m through an 84% reduction in using hotels and B&Bs for temporary accommodation was one of our most-read this week.

Outside London and away from Westminster, the Scottish government has pledged to invest £4m in homelessness prevention pilots this year.

Inside Housing reported on a number of interesting legal and regulatory issues this week. This included the case against a housing association and three other defendants for a huge fire at a retirement village that was thrown out after just two days of trial.

It later emerged that this was because the prosecution’s fire officers’ expert evidence was inadmissible due to an absence of independence, impartiality and competence.

In Wales, a council left a tenant and her son in a mouldy home for more than four years, despite being rated compliant with the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Plus, the Housing Ombudsman said social landlords that struggle to deliver the requirements of Awaab’s Law may have problems with their approach rather than the regulation itself.

Hundreds of millions of pounds of funding deals were also announced. A large housing association based in the South of England secured a £200m loan from the Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme.

Northern housing association Karbon Homes announced £200m in new facilities with three major lenders.

At the same time, private equity giant Blackstone has agreed to sell more than 500 single-family private rented homes for £225m.

Finally, Inside Housing published our monthly round-up of top-level housing sector appointments, detailing the main moves in April 2025.

Have a great weekend.

Stephen Delahunty, news editor, Inside Housing

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

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