Full Article – Issues in social housing that Labour must tackle | Social housing | The Guardian
The housing ombudsman’s latest report recorded a significant increase in social housing repairs and maintenance complaints since 2020 (Housing ombudsman for England warns of ‘simmering anger’ over living conditions, 29 May). We as a sector support the ombudsman’s campaign to raise awareness among tenants of routes to redress in cases where issues with their homes have not been resolved. It is also important to look at these figures in context.
The increase represents one complaint upheld by the ombudsman for every 1,000 social homes. With many more residents now aware of the ombudsman’s service following an ad campaign, care must be taken when drawing any conclusions from the data.
Looking at action and investment in the sector, we know that the quality of social housing is improving. Housing associations have prioritised investment in their existing homes, increasing spending on repairs and maintenance by 55% since 2020, investing a record £8.8bn last year, with plans to spend a further £50bn over the next five years. Today 90% of housing association homes meet the decent homes standard, more than any other tenure, but there is work still to do and the sector is committed to ensuring that every single home is of high quality.
However, cuts to social housing over many years have exacerbated quality issues, and only an increase in funding can address this long-term, as the ombudsman recognises. Some homes are in urgent need of regeneration, funding for which was cut in its entirety in 2010.
In addition, overcrowding – at its highest level in 30 years – is a significant contributor to damp and mould. Financial pressures mean that by prioritising investment in existing homes, the sector is less able to build new homes, which is essential for tackling overcrowding. The upcoming spending review is a critical moment for the government to provide financial support for existing and new social housing.