NHC appears before Commons Committee

The Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee is continuing its inquiry examining the quality and regulation of social housing in England.  Written evidence has been published, including the written evidence submitted by the NHC.

The LUHC’s inquiry is examining concerns about the quality of social housing, with a focus on the ability of the Regulator of Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman to identify and address problems. The inquiry is also focussing on the proposals in the Government’s Social Housing White Paper aimed at improving the regulatory regime.

The Committee has started its oral evidence sessions. The first session held on 17 January heard from representatives of tenants and individual housing associations who gave evidence on the quality of social housing and how widespread and serious are the concerns about housing quality.

The second evidence session held on 7 February met with local authority and housing association representatives and focused on questions around the condition of social housing, financial pressures on housing providers, and the roles of the Housing Ombudsman and Regulator of Social Housing.

The NHC were invited to give oral evidence to the second session which included questioning on the reasons for the poor quality of some social housing and also the proposals in the Government’s social housing White Paper aimed at improving the regulatory regime.  Witnesses were also questioned on the conditions revealed in media investigations, which showed examples of sub-standard accommodation across a number of councils and housing associations.

Further oral evidence sessions are expected to be held and news about further events can be found here.

If you need any information about the NHC’s evidence to the inquiry, please contact Karen Brown karen.brown@northern-consortium.org.uk