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Landlords ‘still holding their breath’ for Future Homes Standard
Housing associations are still holding their breath for the Future Homes Standard, according to a senior Homes England official.
Ruth Ryan told the Housing Community Summit that landlords are waiting anxiously and want certainty around the green standards for new build homes, which are set to come into force in 2025.
There is still uncertainty from housing associations about “what it is or how to achieve it”, she said.
Ms Ryan, who is assistant director of affordable housing delivery at the government’s housing delivery agency, was addressing a panel in Liverpool on 9 September.
Asked by Inside Housing if housing associations are ready for the Future Homes Standard, she said there is “a lot of potentially still holding your breath” to “understand exactly” what it is.
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Although landlords have been given plenty of warning over the timing of the new regulations, Ms Ryan said they still do not “necessarily know what it is or how to achieve it”.
However, she said: “I get the impression the sector wants it and is ready in that sense. A lot of organisations are looking at procurement strategies.”
Trina Chakravarti, director of Building Better, told the panel that landlords have been asking for “clarity”, but “I’m hearing from some landlords that it doesn’t go far enough”.
Results from the government’s Future Homes Standard consultation are expected in late summer or early autumn, with the regulations starting to be implemented in 2025.
The measures will require all new homes to be fitted with a green heating system, such as an air-source heat pump, and may also mandate additional upgrades such as solar panels and a waste water heat recovery system.
In June, house builder Vistry Group warned that cutting solar panels from the standard could double energy bills in new build homes.
Also during on the panel session, Ms Ryan told delegates how housing associations were using Homes England funding to build “exemplar” energy-efficient pilot schemes, including some by White Horse Housing Association and Salix Homes which meet the demanding Passivhaus standard.
“These can be quite expensive projects,” she said. “If you attach the word ‘pilot’ to a project that can scare the hell out of some [housing association] board members.”
But she cautioned: “I wouldn’t champion everyone saying, ‘Can we have an extra £2,000 in grant for [Passivhaus] certification.’”
She also warned that “not every site is suitable for Passivhaus”, which requires homes to be highly energy efficient and often makes use of triple glazing and mechanical ventilation.
On building to higher green standards, however, Ms Ryan said that ultimately “we do need to do it as a sector”.
“There is no point talking about the issues of retrofit while building homes that are going to be in the same situation in 10-15 years,” she added.
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