Government publishes new details on rent convergence, Decent Homes Standard, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

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This week the government announced a series of major housing policy announcements, ending significant uncertainty around future regulatory requirements and rental income. These announcements include confirmation about how rent convergence will be implemented throughout the 2026 – 2036 rent policy period and the government’s response to major consultations on a new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.

 

Rent convergence

On rent convergence, the government confirmed that convergence would be implemented  through a phased approach, but would landlords would not be able to implement convergence from April 2026. Instead, convergence will be permitted for the financial year beginning from April 2027 at £1 per week, before rising to £2 per week from 2028 and for the rest of the ten year rent period.

Convergence will also only be permitted to formula rent level, rather than the additional 5% (or 10% for supported housing) that providers are able to charge in some circumstances.

 

Decent Homes Standard

The government also published their response to the previous consultation on a new Decent Homes Standard, with some major changes to the proposals after sector feedback.

Following consultation, the government are not progressing with previous proposals to mandate floor coverings as part of the Decent Homes Standard, or extending the purview of the Standard to include elements of the wider public realm beyond the home.

The below table shows a summary of the requirements for each Criterion within the new Decent Homes Standard, which will apply to all rented homes, in both the private and social rented sectors, from 2035.

 

Criterion Requirements
Criterion A – A home must be free of the most dangerous hazards •        Properties must be free of ‘Category 1’ hazards as assessed under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
Criterion B – A home must be in a reasonable state of repair Homes will fail this criterion if:

•        One or more key building components is not in a reasonable state of repair, or

•        • Two or more other building components are not in a reasonable state of repair.
Criterion C – A home must provide core facilities and services Flats must provide at least 3 of the following:

•        A kitchen with adequate space and layout

•        An appropriately located bathroom and WC

•        Adequate external noise insulation

•        Adequate size and layout of common entrance areas for blocks of flats

 

Houses must provide at least 2 of the following:

•        A kitchen with adequate space and layout

•        An appropriately located bathroom and WC

•        Adequate external noise insulation

All homes must also be equipped with:

• Child-resistant window restrictors (overrideable by an adult) on all windows that present a fall risk for children.
Criterion D – A home must provide thermal comfort •        Homes must provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort, including meeting Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
Criterion E – A home should be free of damp and mould •        Homes will be non-decent if a landlord has not remedied damp and mould.

 

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

Finally, new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the social rented sector, which will form a core part of Criterion E of the Decent Homes Standard, were also published.

The government had originally proposed that properties would need to align with two of three metrics, covering a building’s fabric, heating system and smart readiness, by 2030. This has been reduced in scope following consultation, so properties will now need to be compliant with one of the three metrics by 2030, and with two metrics by 2039. Providers will be able to apply for a “time-limited spend exemption” of ten years if they have incurred £10,000 of spend on an individual property’s energy efficiency upgrades and it still cannot be made compliant with the Standards.

There will also be an extended transition arrangement introduced, whereby all properties that achieve EPC C on the current system by 2030, will be considered compliant with MEES until their energy performance certificate needs renewing.

You can read the full details of the outcome of the MEES consultation here.

This comes on the back of the government publishing the Warm Homes Plan, laying out £15 billion worth of public investment to improve the energy efficiency of 5 million homes between now and 2030. You can read more about the Warm Homes Plan here.

NHC members will receive a full detailed briefing on all of these announcements in the coming days. Welcoming the announcements, the Northern Housing Consortium’s Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison, said:

“Today’s package of announcements will give Northern social housing providers long term financial and regulatory certainty and is warmly welcomed by the NHC. It will help our members to deliver warm and safe homes across the North.

“The Government has listened to and responded to feedback from NHC members on the new Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards. The new standards take on board consultation findings, and, as a result, are more practical to implement and will improve the quality of homes across the North. 

“The NHC and other sector bodies called for the introduction of rent convergence to unlock greater investment in new and existing homes. The rate the Government has put forward balances the need to invest in homes while ensuring rents remain affordable to residents. This, alongside today’s announcement that low interest loans will be available to northern housing associations, and the transformational £39bn ten-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme, will enable our members to build many more homes in the North.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Government to support NHC members to deliver the homes Northern communities need.”

 

NHC Procurement announces Active Fire Framework

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NHC Procurement is proud to introduce their new Active Fire framework – a fully compliant, cost‑effective route to market for fire safety products and services. Designed to help detect, stop, and prevent fire across every type of building, this framework brings together trusted, accredited suppliers offering:

  • Fire detection and alarm systems
  • Emergency lighting
  • Fire safety equipment
  • Consultancy and specialist services

Built with flexibility and innovation at its core, the Active Fire framework gives our members access to high-quality solutions that support safer homes and communities.

To mark the launch, NHC Procurement are hosting a member-only webinar to walk you through everything you need to know.

  • 25th February 2026
  • 10:00 – 10:30
  • Microsoft Teams

To book your place or request more information, contact brittany.shaw@nhcprocurement.org.uk

MBE for our longest serving colleague

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Lynda Redshaw MBE

Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) Executive Assistant Lynda Redshaw was presented with an MBE for services to social housing in the North of England by her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at Windsor Castle.

Lynda, has worked at the NHC for 34 years, continuing beyond retirement age and demonstrating a courageous commitment to her role despite difficult personal circumstances. She has mentored colleagues throughout her career and has helped the NHC grow from a team of three to an organisation with over 40 staff. Lynda is a prolific fundraiser, generating over £60,000 for good causes while working at the NHC.

Lynda Redshaw MBE, Executive Assistant at the Northern Housing Consortium said:

“When I found out I’d been honoured in the Kings Birthday’s Honours List in June last year, I was completely shocked and surprised. Receiving my MBE at Windsor Castle was a very special day which will be a treasured memory for me and my family. It was an honour to meet the Princess Royal, and all the staff were fantastic, really putting me and the other honours recipients at ease.

“It is very gratifying to be honoured and recognised for the dedicated hard work I have done for the NHC over the last 34 years.  My family, friends and work colleagues are so proud of me, and to be honest I feel a little bit special and proud of myself too.”

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than Lynda. Everyone at the NHC is over the moon for her. She is a well-loved colleague and someone who has made a tremendous contribution to the NHC and the social housing sector in the North. This was reflected in the number of supportive letters her honours nomination received. She is a fountain of knowledge and has for many years been the backbone of the NHC.”

Lynda was instrumental in setting up the NHC’s Unlocking Success Bursary which offers £500 grants to people living in social housing to help them access training or employment opportunities, or to start their own business. For fifteen years she organised the Hitex Summit, which connected social housing providers and IT suppliers, helping the sector in the North go digital. She is well known amongst NHC members for her impeccable organisational skills and helpful attitude.

Lynda attended the ceremony with her two sons and granddaughter.

Lynda’s first job was at Lumley Castle working in the office and taking banquet bookings. She went on to the English Industrial Estates Partnership as a secretary (now Homes England) followed by working at Chester Le Street District Council where she was a shorthand typist and secretary for the Chief Technical Officer. She then took a short career break to look after her young children and joined the Northern Housing Consortium in 1991.

RENEW Call for Evidence

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As part of the Northern Housing Consortium’s inquiry into housing-led regeneration – RENEW – we are currently holding an open ‘Call for Evidence’ for stakeholders to contribute any information and insight into housing-led regeneration to inform our work.

This Call for Evidence is open until 27th February 2026 and we welcome contributions from representatives from housing providers, local authorities, combined authorities, developers, charities, think tanks, residents, academia and other stakeholders.

The Call for Evidence will help us:

  • Explore what we mean by housing-led regeneration, and how we capture the benefits of regeneration activity.
  • Establish the need for housing-led regeneration in the North and how best to communicate this need.
  • Understand what can be delivered within the Government’s current policy programme.
  • Identify levers, both national policy and as part of the devolution agenda, we believe will allow the North to go further.

We are especially interested in any insights and evidence that you can provide on the scale and quantity of areas identified in need of regeneration, including the number of identified sites and the number of homes within these areas. These issues are specifically investigated in questions 16 and 17 of the Call for Evidence questions.

The Call for Evidence is available here or you can send any relevant information or ask questions by emailing renew@northern-consortium.org.uk.

Government publishes the Warm Homes Plan

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Last week, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero published the Warm Homes Plan laying out the government’s plans to provide £15 billion worth of public investment into improving the energy efficiency of homes between now and 2030.

The Plan included numerous announcements that are relevant to the housing sector in the North, including:

  • £5 billion worth of funding targeted at low-income households, with £4.4 billion worth of capital grants. This covers both of the existing Warm Homes Social Housing Fund and the Local Grant schemes, with delivery of these schemes continuing as planned.
  • The Social Housing Fund has received a top up for the financial year 2026/27 taking the funding in that year to approximately £750 million. From 2027/28, both the Social Housing Fund and Local Grant will be combined into a single funding pot of £1 billion a year for low-income households, and will look to take a more area-based, cross-tenure approach.
  • A new Warm Homes Fund which will provide finance primarily to businesses and industry, looking to reduce the costs of technologies such as air-source heat pumps
  • £2 billion consumer loans to increase take up of measures such as solar PV, battery storage and heat pumps
  • A new Warm Homes Agency to oversee and coordinate the delivery of the Plan
  • Confirmation that the Future Homes Standard will be published in Q1 2026

The Plan also confirmed that more information on specific funding allocations for the social housing sector and the role of mayors and combined authorities in future retrofit programmes will be coming in March 2026. The government has previously promised full devolution of retrofit funding to all Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities within this parliament.

We also eagerly await a government response to consultations on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards in the Social Rented Sector, and a revised Decent Homes Standard, both of which have significant implications for social landlords in the North and the delivery of the Warm Homes Plan.

In response to the publication of the Plan, Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium said:

“We welcome the publication of the Warm Homes Plan and the government’s landmark investment in improving the energy efficiency of social homes. This will enable our members to continue the great work they’re doing to address the North’s older, colder homes. 62 per cent of social housing in the North now meets EPC C and our members are committed to continuing this journey.

“Our Warm Homes, Green Jobs research previously highlighted how investment in energy efficiency can create good, green jobs across the North and this programme is of the right scale to significantly contribute to this. We also called for Mayoral Combined Authorities to take the lead on delivering energy efficiency in their areas to meet the needs of local communities. We are pleased the government has pledged to put ‘local mayors in the driving seat’ and look forward to hearing further details about how this will work in March.

“To make this plan a reality our members need a detailed breakdown of funding allocations, and confirmation of related legislation such as Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and the revised Decent Homes Standard so they can plan their programmes of work.”

You can read the full Warm Homes Plan here.

The NHC launches new Housing Partnerships Northern Conference: Driving Growth, Transforming Places

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We’re launching a new annual Housing Partnerships Northern Conference; Driving Growth, Transforming Places, set to take place on 2nd July at the Marriott Hotel in Leeds. It will bring together housing partnerships from across the North, Mayoral Combined Authorities and other key stakeholders. The event will explore how the sector can transform communities and deliver lasting impact through increased collaboration.

Across the North, housing partnerships are emerging as one of devolution’s biggest success stories. By bringing together local authorities, housing providers, and other stakeholders, these partnerships are increasing collaboration with combined authorities and other sectors such as education and health.

The conference will:

  • Share learning and best practices across regions
  • Explore opportunities to strengthen our collective voice
  • Look at how housing partnerships can support devolution and regional priorities, including aligning with mayoral priorities

This event is for housing partnership members, combined authority colleagues, and other regional stakeholders. A programme will be announced in due course, but tickets are available through MyNHC now.

What are housing partnerships?
Housing partnerships bring together the social housing sector – including housing associations and local authorities – to work in partnership with mayoral combined authorities, Homes England and other stakeholders to deliver growth, better places, and new homes. They enable social housing providers to collaborate with other sectors, such as health and education, to meet local priorities.

Why does devolution matter for housing?
Devolution gives regions the power to shape their own priorities, allocate resources effectively, and respond to local needs. For housing, this means more than just building homes; it is about driving growth, transforming places, and unlocking the North’s full potential.

Social and Affordable Homes Programme session a success with members

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We were recently joined by Homes England for an informative session on the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme. The discussion confirmed that Social Rent will remain a key priority and Homes England outlined the timelines for delivery, with bidding for the new programme opening in February 2026.

The session was Chaired by NHC Executive Director (Policy and External Affairs) Patrick Murray, and we were joined by Ian Workman, Chief Customer Officer, Homes England and Miranda Foster, Head of Affordable Housing Programmes, Homes England.

The event proved popular with members. Topics discussed included flexibility in the programme, such as opportunities for portfolio bidding, regeneration and different methods of demonstrating additionality; and how the programme intends to work with mayoral authorities to align with strategic priorities in those areas.

Homes England aims to have more information available in the new year and said there will be opportunities to engage with them on the programme and the bidding process.

The NHC has welcomed the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme Prospectus, with the scale of the investment and the focus on Social Rent. The Prospectus sets out that that 70 per cent of the programme will be delivered outside London (the highest ever level), that there will be flexibility around regeneration and how net additionality is measured, and that Strategic Mayoral Combined Authorities will play a bigger role. This is all welcome news for the North and our members. We did a member briefing on the programme prospectus that can be found here.

Homes England recently launched an Investment Roadmap setting out key milestones up to April 2026, alongside their five year strategic plan.

Fundraising lunch celebrates bursary award winners  

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The NHC hosted a fundraising lunch at Ramside in Durham to celebrate the 2025 Unlocking Success Bursary winners. The event attended by 150 people, including NHC members and supporters which raised funds for next year’s round of bursaries. 

The Unlocking Success Bursary offers £500 grants to people living in social housing to fund training or employment opportunities or to help them start their own business.  

This year the NHC awarded 25 bursaries. At the event bursary recipients Claire and Melissa shared their stories. Claire read out a poem she wrote about the bursary describing it as “the moment that changed everything”. Not only did the bursary help her upskill as a digital artist but it also boosted her confidence, knowing someone believed in her. We also heard from other bursary winners via video. 

Entertainment for the event was provided by Sunderland College – with students playing Christmas songs live. A group of students also performed spoken word piece ‘Mark this City’ which covers the themes of resilience and adaptability as part of The Underdog Project. Students also photographed and videoed the event. 

Congratulations to all the bursary winners and a big thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to this fantastic event.  

For more information on the Unlocking Success Bursary Scheme visit our website here.

Fair Funding Review – What Changed and What We Called For

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The Government has published its response to the Fair Funding Review 2.0, setting out major reforms to local authority funding from April 2026. These changes aim to create a fairer, evidence-based system that reflects local need and deprivation while simplifying the funding landscape. Below, we outline the key changes and how they compare to the priorities we set out in our submission to the associated consultation.

We are pleased to see that Government has made many of the changes we called for.

 

What We Called For – and How Government Responded

  • Deprivation to be at the heart of funding: We called for deprivation to be central to the new system. The Government has confirmed this, using updated Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data and weighting deprivation strongly in the Foundation Formula.
  • Recognition of homelessness pressures: We highlighted the surge in temporary accommodation costs. The Government has introduced a dedicated formula and consolidated homelessness funding streams.
  • Simplification and flexibility: We urged an end to competitive bidding and a move to consolidated grants. The Government will implement this, giving councils greater certainty of future funding levels.
  • Area Cost Adjustment (ACA) concerns: We warned that ACA changes could penalise deprived areas. The Government will apply funding floors and restrict the remoteness adjustment to adult social care only, minimising the negative effects we were concerned about.

 

What Has Changed?

The Government has modernised the funding formulas for the first time in decades, reducing the number of them from 15 to 9. These formulas also now use the 2025 English Indices of Multiple Deprivation, which include income after housing costs, and incorporate population projections to keep allocations current. A new Temporary Accommodation formula has been introduced to reflect rising homelessness costs nationally, and increasingly in the North.

The Area Cost Adjustment (ACA) – a modifier applied to initial funding allocations to account for the different costs of delivering services in different areas – continues to account for labour and property costs. However, the proposed remoteness adjustment will now apply only to Adult Social Care, not across all services. These measures have been replaced with journey times as a more accurate proxy for accessibility costs, ensuring that local authorities are shielded from disproportionate costs of delivery due to sparseness based on credible data. Transitional protections will also aim to cushion any negative impacts.

Continuing with the theme of simplification and consolidation, over 30 separate grants worth a total of £47 billion will be consolidated. Four new ringfenced grants — covering homelessness, public health, crisis and resilience, and children and youth services — will replace multiple smaller streams, while 17 grants will be rolled into the Revenue Support Grant, reducing administrative burdens and ending most competitive bidding.

A notional council tax level will be set at the national average (£2,060 in 2026–27, rising to £2,265 by 2028–29) to ensure full equalisation. Mandatory discounts and exemptions will be fully included in taxbase measures.

Funding changes will be phased in over three years, with funding floors guaranteeing 100% income protection for most authorities and 95% for those significantly above new allocations. The Recovery Grant Guarantee will maintain support for the most deprived areas. This will be achieved through a staged rollout of the new formulas, combined with guaranteed minimum allocations and targeted top-ups for deprived areas to prevent sudden funding losses.

For more details on the Government’s response visit: Fair Funding Review 2.0 government response

 

 

 

 

Building Stronger Communities – the role of NHC members 

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Lee Bloomfield, Chief Executive, Manningham Housing Association

 I recently had the privilege of addressing the NHC Northern Housing Summit on the role housing associations can play in advancing the Pride in Place agenda. 

 Launched by the Prime Minister in September, the £5 billion programme will allocate £2 million to 169 areas every year for a decade, “giving long-overlooked communities the certainty and control they need to plan for the future.”  A further 95 areas are receiving £1.5 million to upgrade public spaces.   

 The Government announcement added: “This is about choosing a future where communities are empowered to come together, rather than be divided, and where renewal is chosen over decline.”  

 It is not a new concept.  Indeed, I would humbly suggest that Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been delivering the ethos of Pride of Place since 2021 when we secured almost £250,000 from MHCLG to deliver our Building Bridges Bradford project. The grant was added to the £200,000 we had already earmarked, making it a £450,000 scheme.  

 The initiative sought to bolster community resilience, enhance societal awareness across diverse cultural/faith/ethnic communities, and challenge racism, prejudices and community division through a range of social action activities.  It was delivered across Bradford but specifically targeted at 32 wards ranked in the top 3% most deprived in the country.  Two of these – Ravenscliffe and Holme Wood – are now recipients of Pride in Place funds 

 Over the period of Building Bridges Bradford, the team engaged 2240 beneficiaries, with more than half receiving direct support by attending multiple wellbeing sessions and over 65% reporting personal improvement to their mental health. 

 Other tangible outcomes included 40 service users receiving support to enter employment, 39 black and Asian women benefitting from online business coaching with six setting up a business, several hundred people reporting improved physical health, and 275 service users – including those from marginalised groups (LGBTQ, refugees and disabilities) – taking part in community conversations and good neighbours day sessions, with over 56% reporting improved community relations, a better understanding of hate/race crime and healthy cultural friendships with fellow participants. 

 Given the success of the project and the desire of our Board to ensure continuity of some of these initiatives, since 2022 we have allocated 2% of our annual turnover to community investment.  

With 1,500 homes, MHA is the sole BME association in Bradford district which, according to the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, is ranked 11th out of 296 local authorities with 37% of neighbourhoods classed as highly deprived. In England as a whole, this figure is 10%.  With more 15% of housing stock in Bradford and Keighley owned by housing associations, the role we play is therefore critical if schemes such as Pride in Place are to succeed.    

Communities thrive when there are strong connections between people from all walks of life.  These connections are the foundation on which community cohesion, resilience, integration, safety, trust and belonging are built.  

 But such bonds are not formed by accident or wishful thinking.  They must be nurtured and, yes, properly funded, even in the current climate of scarce financial resources.    

 Social cohesion is about building a society where people feel they belong and are accepted; there is trust between individuals, groups, and institutions; there is equality of opportunity; people participate in civic and community life; and differences are respected and celebrated rather than regarded as causes for division. 

 There are clearly societal challenges to achieving these ends.  Discrimination and unequal opportunities remain all too common, not helped by regional divides which successive Governments have failed to tackle. Almost ten years on from the Brexit referendum, polarisation in politics and identity shows few signs of diminishing.  And online misinformation and social media abuse continues to be rife.      

 But, by seeking to overcome these hurdles and aspiring to achieve the vital elements of social cohesion, the rewards for local communities can be great. 

 Research shows that high social cohesion is linked to numerous positive aspects of everyday life such as lower crime rates, better mental health and wellbeing, and higher public trust in how we are governed.   It also boosts economic performance in communities, creating jobs and opportunities to improve lives.  

 Pride in Place is about building stronger communities, and it is not just down to local councils to deliver the programme.  Working alongside them and other key partners, I believe housing associations are ideally equipped to help deliver the programme’s objectives.  

 We must invest in the spaces and structures that bring people together and restore a sense of pride in the places we live.  Pride in Place can become a significant step in the right direction.