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Government confirms new national resident panel as plans to ‘reform’ sector published
Ministers have confirmed plans to set up a new resident panel as part of a number of measures being introduced today to improve tenant engagement and the regulation of social housing.
The panel will be made up of roughly 250 tenants across England who will scrutinise measures to strengthen the Decent Homes Standard, training and qualification for staff, a new Access to Information Scheme and other planned reforms.
Any social housing tenant will be able to apply to be on the panel, with applications closing at the end of next month.
Writing in Inside Housing, minister for homelessness and rough sleeping Eddie Hughes said the panel will “have a hotline into government” and will shape ministers’ efforts “to reform the sector”.
Inside Housing revealed on Friday that the government was planning to create such a panel as part of a series of changes being introduced today, almost a year-and-a-half after the Social Housing White Paper was published.
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Other measures being introduced today include a plan to use social media to publicise when a landlord has breached the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) Consumer Standards, or when the Housing Ombudsman makes a finding of severe maladministration against them.
The government is today publishing the draft clauses to legislation that will bring in a wider range of reforms first outlined in the Social Housing White Paper in late 2020.
This will include a broadening of the RSH’s remit to allow it to regulate landlords’ performance when it comes to repairs and tenant satisfaction, on top of their performance on financial and governance issues.
Ministers have confirmed that a new factsheet will be published explaining to tenants the role of the RSH and Housing Ombudsman service.
A single government webpage will also be published setting out ministers’ progress on implementing the measures in the Social Housing White Paper, as well as further changes being introduced to improve the quality of social housing.
Mr Hughes added: “Everyone in this country deserves to live in a safe and decent home. It is unacceptable that anyone should have mould covering their walls, risk slipping on a wet floor or have water dripping from the ceiling.”
He said the package of reforms being introduced by the government will “halve the number of non-decent homes by 2030”.
