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The Week in Housing: the ombudsman takes an in-depth look at RBH
From Scotland’s new first minister to a major report from the Housing Ombudsman into Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, it has been a big week for the housing sector. Martin Hilditch recaps
Good afternoon.
The sector’s approach to diversity was back in the spotlight this week, with the Housing Ombudsman’s report into Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) containing much learning for the landlord and plenty of food for thought for the wider sector.
In a comment piece for Inside Housing, housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the housing sector needs to address the “creeping normalisation” of poor behaviour.
The approach of various institutions and sectors to equality and diversity has been under the microscope over the past fortnight, with separate reports into the Metropolitan Police Service and the UK’s fire services published.
At Inside Housing, we’ve been taking a look at what organisations in the sector have done since many of them made pledges in 2021 to address race inequality following the Black Lives Matter protests.
Last week, Baroness Casey’s review of the Metropolitan Police made the point that “good intentions and words alone are not enough to make an organisation work well”. So we wanted to look at the extent to which housing’s leadership had followed through on its own words – and our final report details the response from 23 landlords that made specific statements at the time.
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In terms of leadership, the other big story of the week was the change of leadership in Scotland, with Humza Yousaf taking over as Scotland’s first minister. We took a look at the implications for the housing sector as he started in the new role.
It comes at a worrying moment as Scottish landlords see a concerning 27% slide in new home approvals, in new figures released this week.
In Northern Ireland, one of the sector’s longest-running stories looked to be coming to an end, after maintenance workers at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive accepted a pay offer after months of strike action.
There was also an acknowledgement that the combination of challenges facing social landlords is worthy of further scrutiny from the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee this week, as it launched an inquiry into the financial pressures facing social landlords.
This obviously includes fire safety. And we took an in-depth look at the current state of play with the building safety crisis in an article that breaks down the huge challenge facing leaseholders in unsafe buildings.
We also took a detailed look at the impact the government’s proposals to mandate two staircases in residential blocks that are taller than 30 metres could have on housing.
A new Anti-Social Behaviour Action plan prompted concern from homelessness charities this week.
Finally, it was goodbye from one of the sector’s best-known chief executives, as David Done steps down as chief executive of RHP today. He signed off with 10 lessons in leadership for housing’s next generation.
There’s certainly a lot for that next generation to think about. The range of this week’s news stories provide an insight into some of those top priorities.
Quote of the week
“I have always felt that being CEO of RHP is the best job in the world – something I still believe today. I am sure lots of other CEOs feel the same about their roles. Yes, there are days when it’s hard and things go wrong, but I always try to remind myself that I am doing something worthwhile.”
David Done, outgoing chief executive of RHP, in reflective mood on his last day in the job
Editor’s picks: five must-read stories
Black Lives Matter: what did housing associations do next?
SNP election: What will Humza Yousaf mean for housing?
Inquiry into financial sustainability of social housing sector begins
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