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The Week in Housing: the genie that won’t go back in the bottle
A weekly round-up of the most important headlines for housing professionals
Good afternoon,
Two weeks ago in this diary I wrote about the building safety crisis entering a new chapter as Robert Jenrick declared that mortgage lenders should no longer ask for external wall system (EWS) 1 forms on blocks shorter than 18 metres. At the time, our deputy editor Peter Apps warned that ministers’ plan to end the EWS chaos may not succeed.
There are signs it could be unravelling already. Late last week, we reported on the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which devised the EWS system, saying that low and medium-rise blocks with assessment fails would still need remediation. In response, the government this week said EWS1 forms on such blocks should now be reviewed in light of the announcement a fortnight ago.
Inside Housing news editor Jack Simpson – who has followed the EWS1 saga as closely as anyone – took to Twitter to point to two immediate problems here. One: a characteristic of the crisis has been a lack of properly qualified people to carry out the checks, so getting these reviews done could take months or more. And two: in the context of widespread concerns about liability, how quickly will assessors jump at the chance to rip up forms that have found buildings to be unsafe?
This particular genie, it seems, will not be easy to put back in the bottle.
There are already issues with assessors getting insurance to carry out EWS checks in the first place, as well as nervousness over liability. Can’t see a rush of people keen to sign off buildings previously deemed unsafe as safe now. If they get it wrong, liability will be huge.
— Jack Simpson (@JSimpsonjourno) August 4, 2021
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Elsewhere, it was a relatively quiet news week typical of this time of year. On Monday, we reported that the chief financial officer at for-profit provider Sage Housing earned more last year than any housing association chief executive. Sage is also seeking to enter more partnerships with councils and housing associations, partly due to “uncertainty” around Section 106.
Inside Housing also told the story this week of shared owners at Embassy Gardens – a development that gained national attention recently thanks to its ‘Sky Pool’ – who are unable to access even basic amenities. It’s a yarn that presents some probing questions for the sector about the services available for affordable housing residents in mixed-tenure estates.
On Thursday, the National Housing Federation published worrying research about Universal Credit. Four in five social housing residents who claim the benefit told a survey that they have struggled to pay for at least one essential item such as heating, council tax or clothes. Remember that the Universal Credit standard allowance is due to drop by £20 a week from 1 October.
In an intriguing turn of events, the Church of England is mulling setting up its own housing association as part of its foray into tackling the housing crisis.
And finally, major social housing contractor Mears has expressed outrage over being included on the government’s ‘name and shame’ list of companies that have failed to meet minimum staff pay requirements. A care provider, Methodist Homes, said it has considered legal action over its inclusion.
Nathaniel Barker, deputy news editor
Editor’s picks: five must-read stories
- Government urges review of completed EWS1 checks for buildings under 18 metres
- Affordable housing residents at ‘Sky Pool’ development locked out of basic facilities
- Four in five social housing tenants on Universal Credit struggle to pay for essentials
- For-profit’s CFO paid more than any housing association CEO
- Church of England mulls setting up own housing association
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