Fifteen years of housing damage – where do we go from here?

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF), a 2019 manifesto commitment, is also a highlight helping tackle fuel poverty, unlock supply chains and giving housing associations the confidence to deliver more retrofit projects. While we need long-term funding and policy certainty to get to net zero by 2050, the SHDF has been a welcome statement of intent.

Overall, however, the chinks of light have been overshadowed by the cumulative impact of cuts and contradictory reforms that have severely impacted our sector’s ability to deliver on our social purpose. The government’s repeated failure to stick to the rent settlement means that housing associations face an annual shortfall in funding of £3bn.

The government’s refusal to fund building safety works for social housing residents has left housing associations bearing enormous costs. The constraints of the AHP resulted in 77% fewer social rented homes being delivered last year than in 2010. Funding for regeneration had been cut completely until the very recent and welcome change to the AHP.

“The chinks of light have been overshadowed by the cumulative impact of cuts and contradictory reforms that have severely impacted our sector’s ability to deliver on our social purpose”

Despite these challenges, I am immensely proud of our sector’s resilience, adaptability and commitment to providing quality homes and services to those on the lowest incomes. We’ve managed to build over half a million affordable homes during this period.

We’ve led the way in making homes safe in the wake of the building safety crisis and retrofitting them to be more energy efficient, reducing bills for residents. Moreover, we’ve increased spending on repairs by 20% each year for the past two years. But with sector interest cover at an all-time low, the current approach is not sustainable.

The scale of the housing emergency remains critical, and our politicians must grasp the urgent need for meaningful change. The toll of recent political approaches has been felt acutely by those at every level of the housing crisis. We have 4.2 million people in need of social housing in England. Three in five older private renters struggle to afford basic living costs.

One in five children live in overcrowded homes. More homeless children are living in temporary accommodation than ever before. The list goes on. As Michael Gove warned as he stood down last week, housing and planning will be among the toughest issues faced by the next parliament.

Yet, it is not too late to address this crisis. We are eager to work in close partnership with the next government to deliver a clear vision and ambitious outcomes for people in housing need.

Over the past year, the National Housing Federation and the wider sector has made a compelling case for a nationally co-ordinated and fully funded long-term housing plan. The next government must take swift action to bring certainty to the sector. 

“Let’s ensure that the next chapter in housing policy is marked by vision, coherence and long-term thinking”

As a first step, the government should implement a social housing renewal plan at pace. This plan would restore confidence, trust and rebuild our capacity to deliver. It would include a 10-year, index-linked rent settlement with a fair and consistent approach to convergence. It should set the course for a new 10-year AHP with the flexibility to fund regeneration.

We need to review the current regulatory framework to ensure it puts outcomes for residents at its heart. Social housing tenants should have equal access to the building safety fund. Most importantly, the plan should set out the partnership and support needed for us to deliver effectively.

The next government has an opportunity to reverse the impact of 15 years of poor housing policy and resolve the housing crisis once and for all. This requires establishing a mature and honest partnership with the housing association sector, where our role is clear and we have the support necessary to deliver for those in housing need.

Let’s ensure that the next chapter in housing policy is marked by vision, coherence and long-term thinking. We owe it to the millions in need of social housing, the struggling renters, the overcrowded families and the homeless children. It’s time for bold action and a unified approach to secure a brighter future for social housing in our country.