The NHC is a core participant in the Sounding Board for the Government’s review of the Decent Homes Standard. We have surveyed members on their views and are continuing to consult members through our regional networks. Here’s our latest update on the Review.

As you may be aware, the Review is in two parts – the first phase (which we’re in now) is considering the case for change to the current Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Subject to the outcome of this first part, there may then be a second phase looking at redefining decency, which would run from Autumn 2021 until Summer 2022. The Sounding Board has now met twice and reviewed two of the four criteria in the current standard.

Amending Criterion A- the statutory minimum standard

Our February update covered the first meeting of the Sounding Board, which looked at the Statutory Minimum standard.  At the April meeting of the Sounding Board, MHCLG officials updated the group on their findings around DHS Criterion (A) – the statutory minimum standard. Officials found clear support within the Sounding Board for amending Criterion A and presented two emerging options for change.

 Criterion (B) – reasonable state of repair

The second item of business at April’s meeting was to consider the case for change to the ‘reasonable state of repair’ criterion. The Sounding Board were asked a range of questions about the current list of building components used to define poor repair, and the way that the current standard considers the age of these components in combination.

The NHC made the point that the current list of components does not reflect modern or future expectations e.g. referring to gas boilers, rather than the range of heating systems we are likely to be installing in future.  We also said that we thought the list of ‘key’ components, while a sensible list for asset management purposes, made less sense to tenants given that components of importance to them, like kitchens and bathrooms, are excluded from the list of ‘key’ components. There was also discussion on the use of ‘age’ as a consideration when considering issues around decency and disrepair. While age does not equate automatically to disrepair, it is objective and measurable.

Feedback gathered in our original survey has been very useful so far.  The NHC has until mid-May to submit further written comments to MHCLG on Criterion B. If you have any further thoughts, please let us have them by Friday 7^th May.

Key questions the Ministry are asking for comment on in relation to Criterion (B) are:

 

1. Building components
Question 1a	Is the list of building components complete, or are their omissions or inconsistencies, taking account of new technologies and materials and present-day expectations on quality and decency?
Question 1b	Is it useful to differentiate between ‘key’ and ‘other’ building components? Please explain your answer
Question 1c	Does clustering of two or more non-serious issues rendering a home non-decent remain a useful and valid approach?
2. Aged elements
Question 2a	Is it right that ‘age’ is a consideration when considering issue around decency and disrepair? Please explain your answer
Question 2b	Is it valid and useful for the standard to provide and set out component life-times? If so, why?
Question 2c	Taking into account advances in new technology, do you think the component lifetimes need refreshing or updating?

The Sounding Board next meets in June, when we’ll be discussing current criterion (C) – Modern facilities and services. In advance of that meeting, the NHC are particularly interested in hearing from members who have enhanced Decent Homes Standards in their own stock, particularly where these have been informed by evidence of tenant expectations.

We hope this update is useful. The NHC continue to consult members through our regional networks. Members can also register with MHCLG to receive papers and updates related to the Review. Details of how to do this can be found on the MHCLG website.

NHC contact: Brian Robson, Executive Director (Policy & Public Affairs) – brian.robson@northern-consortium.org.uk

Last year, the North’s combined authorities were allocated £276m from the Brownfield Housing Fund. Building on that success, at the Budget in December 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced further funding for brownfield land release in areas not currently covered by Mayoral/Combined Authority arrangements.

The Brownfield Land Release Fund is being managed by One Public Estate (OPE), and has now opened for applications. The Fund comprises up to £75 million of capital grant, available to eligible English local authorities to support local authority brownfield land release for housing, with £25 million of this ring-fenced to support self and custom-build delivery. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 2nd June 2021.

You can find out more about the funding and contact details for further information on the Local Government Association’s website here.  The fund is aimed to release local authority-owned land by the end of March 2024, and OPE expect the funding to be attractive to sites typically accommodating up to 250 homes.

Funding can be used for abnormal costs including demolition, small-scale infrastructure, access challenges and environmental constraints.

Commenting, NHC Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said, “We know that our members often face viability challenges bringing tricky brownfield sites forward for development. The Brownfield Land Release Fund, coming after the £276m of brownfield funding for the North last year, is another very welcome development. The NHC will continue to engage with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government on these issues.”

NHC contact: Brian Robson, Executive Director (Policy and Public Affairs): brian.robson@northern-consortium.org.uk

 

An influential Conservative-led House of Commons Select Committee has recommended urgent action to improve energy efficiency of homes, citing written and oral evidence provided by the NHC. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has this week recommended rolling out the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Homes Upgrade Grants ‘without delay’ with funding front-loaded.

The NHC submitted written evidence to the Committee last July, and our Senior Policy Advisor Karen Brown appeared before the Committee to provide oral evidence in November.  Our key messages to the Committee were that home energy efficiency could play an important role in the North’s economic recovery from Covid-19, and that bringing forward the £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund would enable councils and housing associations to retrofit homes at scale and speed.

Commenting on the publication of the report, Committee Chair Rt. Hon Philip Dunne MP (Conservative) said:

 “Making 19 million homes ready for net zero Britain by 2050 is an enormous challenge that the Government appears to have not yet grasped. In the next 29 years, the Government must improve energy efficiency upgrades and roll out low carbon heating measures: a material start must be made now.

 “Government investment to improve energy efficiency has been woefully inadequate. The £9 billion that the Government pledged at the election was welcome, but 16 months on, there appears to be no plan nor meaningful delivery.”

 The cross-party Committee references evidence from the NHC eight times in its final report. It notes that ‘the Northern Housing Consortium said expenditure of the promised £3.8bn [Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund] should be brought forwards so that councils and housing associations can retrofit homes at scale and speed.’.

The report goes on to say:

“We welcome the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund and support its aims to retrofit social housing at scale. However, to date only a fraction of the funding has been made available for demonstrator projects that may well not deliver the efficiencies that larger schemes could achieve.

 The Government should bring forward the allocation of the £3.8bn of funding pledged before the 2019 general election. This would deliver cost savings at scale. This funding should be frontloaded to reap the benefits of cumulative emissions savings towards net zero. The Government should also allow housing associations to lead bids, so as to ensure that the available funding is used quickly and effectively.”

This is the second report from the Enivronmental Audit Committee in 2021 to cite the NHC’s evidence, following our written submission to the same Committee’s Inquiry on Greening the post-Covid Recovery.  Commenting, NHC Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“I really welcome the Committee’s recommendations, particularly that they have added their voice to calls for the £3.8bn social housing decarbonisation fund to be brought forward and front-loaded – this chimes with the messages the NHC is delivering to Government on behalf of the North’s housing sector. This is another great example of how the NHC is making the voice of housing in the North heard in Westminster and Whitehall.”

 Government is obliged to respond to Select Committee Reports and Recommendations within 60 days of their publication.

For more information on our work with this Select Committee, contact Karen Brown – karen.brown@northern-consortium.org.uk

 

As part of our efforts to influence housing decarbonisation plans, NHC Chair Paul Fiddaman and CEO Tracy Harrison met with Climate Change Minister Lord Callanan earlier this month.  A former MEP and local councillor in Tyne and Wear, Lord Callanan is now a minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

The meeting was arranged to discuss the green home upgrade plans the NHC has worked with IPPR North to develop. The NHC emphasised the opportunity that exists for the North’s housing sector to deliver on two of Government’s top priorities: levelling-up and net zero, with potential for 77,000 jobs across the North by 2035. Lord Callanan was joined by senior officials leading the development of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.  The meeting also covered skills and the resources the social housing sector can bring to bear with the right support from Government.

Commenting, NHC Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said, “The Minister clearly understood our case and we were pleased to further build on our dialogue with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It is clear that much will rest on the multi-year Spending Review expected later this year. We will continue to make the case for a front-loaded social housing decarbonisation fund that would enable the North to deliver at scale and pace.”

To discuss the Northern Powerhomes report, or our engagement on levelling-up and net zero, please contact Brian Robson (Executive Director – Policy & Public Affairs) brian.robson@northern-consortium.org.uk