Social housing residents will be better protected and listened to, assures Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Eddie Hughes
The Social Housing White Paper will make sure that tenants are safe, live in good quality homes and are listened to. There will also be a review of social housing staff training and qualifications to ensure that residents’ complaints are taken seriously. Residents will be encouraged to discuss the future of social housing.
Driving standards
Ultimately the review wants to drive up standards. It aims to make sure that social housing staff are well equipped to really support tenants. This includes dealing effectively with complaints and ensuring that homes are of a high standard.
Training and qualifications
The Social Housing White Paper Professionalisation Review will look at the existing qualifications available for staff. Various parties such as landlords, residents and trade bodies will be able to offer suggestions on qualifications they deem relevant and useful. Additional training is likely to be needed.
Speaking up
The government is urging social housing residents to give their opinion on the review. Residents are also encouraged to speak about their experiences with social housing staff. This is especially important in light of the Grenfell tragedy when thousands of residents complained that their landlords were treating them without any respect or courtesy.
The latest English Housing Survey report shows that more than 59% of social housing residents who complained about their housing conditions were not satisfied with the response they were given. Generally speaking, the Housing Ombudsman has seen a 139% increase in complaints in the past year.
‘They are not listened to or treated with respect’
Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing Eddie Hughes MP said:
“Too many social housing residents have told me they feel like they are not listened to or treated with respect – raising complaints time and time again only for the problems not to be fixed.
“This needs to stop. This review announced today will drive up the standard of services received by residents, making sure their concerns are taken seriously and they have somewhere safe to live.
“The review is a key element of our Social Housing White Paper, which is bringing forward wide-ranging improvements for tenants.”
‘Home is the foundation on which we all build our lives’
Chartered Institute for Housing CEO Gavin Smart said:
“As the professional body for housing, CIH is delighted to be involved with DLUHC’s Professionalisation Review. Home is the foundation on which we all build our lives, our experience during the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced just how important home is.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the review to help make sure that housing professionals have the right tools to deliver good quality homes and services with people at the heart.”
Feedback
Resident feedback has been incorporated into the Social Housing White Paper: Charter for Social Housing Residents.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out what makes a good and decent home and is considering whether this needs to be updated.
The Charter wants tenants to know how to raise concerns, and to be confident that the landlord will rectify the problem quickly and fairly.
Soon the government will also bring forward new legislation to strengthen consumer regulation of the sector.
The working group will include representatives from the Chartered Institute for Housing, tenant engagement experts TPAS as well as North Star Housing Group and Sanctuary Housing.
Landlords, residents and other interested parties can contribute to the Social Housing White Paper Professionalisation Review by emailing: Professionalisation.Review@communities.gov.uk.
