Sector vows to ‘do better’ following select committee report

Mr Smart said: “It is clear that there are pressures on the sector, not least the cost of building safety remediation and moving to net zero carbon, but the cases of poor quality and service highlighted have been unacceptable and must be put right.”

He said the CIH will “work with partners to build on the committee’s findings and recommendations, drawing on our work on professionalisation and the forthcoming recommendations of the independent review panel into housing quality which we launched with the National Housing Federation (NHF) last month”.

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, agreed that “any examples of poor-quality social homes are unacceptable”, but added that the NHF is “pleased to see that the report acknowledges that the vast majority of social homes are high quality”.

She said that the LUHC Committee report offers a balanced reflection on the breadth of the challenges around the quality of social homes, adding that housing associations are “committed to acting swiftly to tackle these issues”. 

Matthew Walker, chair of PlaceShapers, agreed that the report had performed “a delicate balancing act”. 

“Most social housing in England is decent, it says – exactly what residents told us ahead of my evidence to the committee.

“But, if it’s not, there should be no hiding place for any landlord that fails in their primary responsibility of providing a safe, decent home,” he said.

Brian Robson, executive director of policy and public affairs at the Northern Housing Consortium, said the report makes for “difficult reading”.

“But I urge everyone with an interest in social housing to read it. It’s an important reminder of what needs to change,” he said. 

Other recommendations in the report include increased tenant representation and higher levels of compensation for tenants who have been victims of maladministration.

The Social Housing Action Campaign (SHAC) said that the recommendations, while narrow in scope, should have some impact if implemented, but that the changes could go further to increase tenants’ rights. 

Suzanne Muna, secretary of SHAC, said: “On the plus side, the committee’s call for fully funded regeneration to replace older stock and an increase in the supply of homes for social rent is welcome but would need to be enclosed in powerful safeguards.” 

Ms Muna said that the series of proposals to strengthen the hand of tenants and residents make for interesting reading. 

She added: “Even if they did, however, introduce these measures, SHAC counters that there needs to be far more emphasis on democratic accountability to really help a genuine voice and sustainable, healthy, collective power. 

“For real power, we need elected representatives on the boards of housing associations. They must outnumber non-elected board members and be backed by a system whereby representatives can be held to account by their constituents.”