NHC supports sector calls to unfreeze local housing allowance

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The NHC has signed a joint sector letter from the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) calling on the Government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA).

Last year our Northern Housing Monitor research found 3.6 million people in the North – 22% of the Northern population, and 33% of children – are pushed into poverty after paying their housing costs.

The LHA freeze is particularly problematic in the North with a higher-than-average number of people in the lowest income bracket living in the private rented sector (PRS). In the North, 28% of people in the lowest income bracket live in the PRS, compared to 22% on average in England.
Keeping LHA at the same level while rents rise means more people living in the PRS will be pushed into poverty and potentially face arrears and eviction.

We are backing the CIH’s asks of the government to:

• Restore LHA rates to at least the 30th percentile from 2026/27, with a commitment to maintain this level for the duration of this Parliament and increase the benefit cap accordingly. It is simply not fair that tenants reliant on the LHA face year-to-year uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford a roof over their heads. This would go a long way to helping to sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness.
• Undertake a full assessment of the likely social and economic impact of restoring LHA rates to the median rent. Understanding the wider benefits of a more adequate support system is essential to informed policymaking

You can read the full CIH letter here.

NHC Welcomes the Government’s New Pride in Place Programme

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Last week, the Government unveiled its new £5 billion Pride in Place Programme, building on the previously announced Plan for Neighbourhoods initiative. This expanded investment will support nearly 250 of the most deprived neighbourhoods across the UK.

The locally focussed programme will deliver up to £20 million over the next decade into each neighbourhood, targeting areas that are ‘doubly disadvantaged.’ These are areas which face the highest deprivation levels, alongside the weakest social infrastructure.

With a strong emphasis on local decision making, each neighbourhood will have a Neighbourhood Board, made up of residents, local leaders, and community organisations, tasked with developing 10-year regeneration plans.

The North is well represented in the programme. 29 northern neighbourhoods are already part of phase one and are due to submit their regeneration plans by the end of November. Positively, a further 63 neighbourhoods in the North of England have been included in phase two.

Each regeneration plan will focus on three core objectives:

  1. To build stronger communities – Fostering community cohesion and resilience, whilst ensuring neighbourhood safety and pride.
  2. To create thriving places – Producing vibrant neighbourhoods with high-quality local amenities and physical infrastructure.
  3. To empower people to take back control – Recognising the value of local knowledge and ensuring everyone has equitable opportunity.

The Northern Housing Consortium welcomes this approach to regeneration, which closely reflects the findings of our 2023 ‘Pride of Place’ report, aptly named. Our research captured the voices of residents across the North and identified key factors which contribute to pride in place:

  • Access to basic services
  • Sense of community and involvement in decision-making
  • State of the local environment

Our findings showed that while many people are already proud of where they live, they often feel powerless in decision-making as it relates to their local area. When access to basic services, such as transport or job opportunities, falls short, it directly impacts pride in place. The strong appetite for community involvement across the North makes the Government’s approach a welcome development.

Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium Tracy Harrison said:

“We welcome the Government’s Pride in Place programme. It reflects many of the findings of our own Pride in Place project which highlighted the importance of the state of the local environment, access to basic services and community involvement in decision making. We interviewed residents from across the North in rural, urban and coastal communities to find out what contributes to feelings of pride in their local area and the role our members could play in boosting it.

“The new Government programme will benefit northern communities, and this will be complemented by the £39bn investment in new social homes. Good quality safe homes offer a foundation for people’s lives. However, in many northern communities there are some homes that are no longer fit for modern living. We are running a parliamentary inquiry to explore how housing-led regeneration can tackle the housing crisis, deliver growth and strengthen communities within the current policy environment and in the future. Housing-led and neighbourhood regeneration should sit alongside each other to make sure no-one and nowhere is left behind.”

The North’s strong representation in the Pride of Place Programme reflects the region’s need and readiness to deliver regeneration at a local level. The Northern Housing Consortium will continue to support our members in delivering regeneration and ensuring northern communities are empowered to shape their futures.

NHC responds to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards consultation

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The Northern Housing Consortium has submitted its response to the Government’s consultation on the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Our response reflects the leadership shown by northern housing providers, with 62% of social housing homes in the North already meeting EPC C – delivering warmer homes, lower energy bills, and supporting the growth of the green supply chain.

We’ve made the case for a fabric performance metric to be the sole requirement by 2030. This is the only practical option that aligns with the reality of the existing supply chain and can be implemented within existing business plans. It would provide a solid foundation for future enhancements, such as heating system upgrades and smart readiness metrics, without risking unintended consequences like increased exemptions or reduced resident benefit.

Members were clear: we want to continue driving progress toward Net Zero. But to do so effectively, MEES must be designed with the realities of our sector in mind. It cannot be treated in isolation. Instead, it must be part of a joined-up approach alongside other proposed regulations such as the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law. We’ve emphasised the need to understand how these standards interact. And we’ve stressed it’s important to consider how providers can implement these standards simultaneously and efficiently, what the overall costs will be, balanced with rental income and grants, and the trade off with building new social housing, a key Government objective.

We’ve also called for urgent clarity on all related legislation, particularly the new EPC assessment criteria. Certainty is essential for planning and delivering work programmes that meet both regulatory requirements and residents’ needs.

Importantly, we support the proposed 10-year, £10,000 spend exemption. This is essential for our members in the North where we have lower rents and property values. Time-limited concessions based on cost are essential to avoid loss of social housing or uneconomic investment in hard-to-treat properties that would breach value-for-money criteria from the Social Housing Regulator.

We will continue to work with government and stakeholders to ensure that MEES supports our shared goals, delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes for residents across the North.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“The social housing sector in the North is leading the way with energy efficiency, with 62 per cent of social housing homes meeting the current EPC C. Our members are committed to continuing this journey towards Net Zero.

“To support our members to efficiently implement the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and other new housing quality legislation including the new Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, the requirements must be co-ordinated to address any discrepancies. Confirmation of all directly related legislation and standards, such as the new EPC assessment criteria, is also needed as soon as possible to allow providers to plan their work programmes.

“In our consultation response, we argued that a fabric performance metric by 2030 is the only practical option that reflects the reality of the existing supply chain and can be implemented within current business plans. It will provide firm foundations to bring in additional heating system and smart readiness metrics later. Our engagement with social housing providers suggested the cost associated with these other metrics would increase the number of homes which are likely to be exempt, and supply chain issues could hamper roll out.

“We support the proposed 10-year £10,000 spend exemption for homes where it is not economically viable to bring them up to EPC C. Time-limited concessions based on cost are essential to avoid loss of social housing, before replacement homes can be provided, or uneconomic investment in hard-to-treat properties that breaches value-for-money criteria from the Social Housing Regulator. Lower rents and property values in the North mean this a particularly important issue for our members.”

Read the NHC’s response to the MEES consultation.

 

Reformed Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes

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Proposed reforms to the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) will apply to both social and privately rented homes in England. The recent MHCLG consultation invited views on potential changes to the DHS, its implementation, and timelines. The NHC responded to the decent homes consultation and you can read our response here.

We believe the proposed standard requires refinement in certain areas to reflect the distinct business models of the social and private rented sectors, and to ensure that efficiencies and value-for-money can be maximised. This will need clearer guidance and realistic cost assessments to ensure effective implementation.

The proposals are part of a package of wider housing quality reforms including Awaab’s Law, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) Review and the Renters’ Right Bill, which extends the DHS to the private rented sector for the first time.

We have welcomed the government’s commitment to update the Decent Homes Standard and extend it to the private rented sector but we think there is further work to do to adapt the proposals and to reflect the significant impact on the sector.

Our response comments on: 

  • The need to align the proposals with other legislation
  • To invest in local authority enforcement capacity to ensure the new standard benefits tenants in the private rented sector
  • Make sure the standard is compatible with both the private and social rented sectors with different operating models
  • Review the building component list and the age criteria proposals
  • Prior to full rollout work with housing providers to fully cost the impact of the proposals and test how it can be applied in the social housing sector.

We are calling on the Government to work closely with our members to understand the full impact of the proposed Decent Homes Standard, alongside other significant changes such as the revised Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and Awaab’s Law.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“We welcome the government’s commitment to update the Decent Homes Standard and extend it to the private rented sector – a move that will help ensure safer, healthier housing for 336,000 Northern households currently living in non-decent private rented homes. However, significant investment in local authority capacity to enable enforcement is needed if we want to see real change in the private rented sector.

“We have advocated for an updated set of standards. However, we are concerned that the proposed changes will come with a significant price tag for the social rented sector, that is not reflected by the Government’s assessment of costs.

“We are calling on the Government to work closely with our members to understand the true costs of the proposed Decent Homes Standard, alongside other significant changes such as the revised Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and Awaab’s Law. Only then can the trade off with other priorities, such as building more homes, be properly understood and considered.

“Consultation with members has highlighted that changes to key aspects of the standard, such as the expanded component list and removal of age criteria, will be challenging to implement for social housing providers. That’s why we’re encouraging the Government to work closely with our members to refine the detail of the standard to make sure it offers value-for-money and the best outcomes for tenants.”

NHC comment on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards consultation

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We’ve submitted our response the Government’s consultation on the proposed new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.  Thank you to all members who input into our response.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“The social housing sector in the North is leading the way with energy efficiency, with 62 per cent of social housing homes meeting the current EPC C. Our members are committed to continuing this journey towards Net Zero.

“To support our members to efficiently implement the new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, and other new housing quality legislation including the new Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, the requirements must be co-ordinated to address any discrepancies. Confirmation of all directly related legislation and standards, such as the new EPC assessment criteria, is also needed as soon as possible to allow providers to plan their work programmes.

“In our consultation response, we argued that a fabric performance metric by 2030 is the only practical option that reflects the reality of the existing supply chain and can be implemented within current business plans. It will provide firm foundations to bring in additional heating system and smart readiness metrics later. Our engagement with social housing providers suggested the cost associated with these other metrics would increase the number of homes which are likely to be exempt, and supply chain issues could hamper roll out.

“We support the proposed 10-year £10,000 spend exemption for homes where it is not economically viable to bring them up to EPC C. Time-limited concessions based on cost are essential to avoid loss of social housing, before replacement homes can be provided, or uneconomic investment in hard-to-treat properties that breaches value-for-money criteria from the Social Housing Regulator. Lower rents and property values in the North mean this a particularly important issue for our members.”

You can read the full consultation response here.

NHC comment on Decent Homes Standard consultation

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Following engagement with members we’ve submitted our response the Government’s consultation on the proposed new Decent Homes Standard.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“We welcome the government’s commitment to update the Decent Homes Standard and extend it to the private rented sector – a move that will help ensure safer, healthier housing for 336,000 Northern households currently living in non-decent private rented homes. However, significant investment in local authority capacity to enable enforcement is needed if we want to see real change in the private rented sector.

“We have advocated for an updated set of standards. However, we are concerned that the proposed changes will come with a significant price tag for the social rented sector, that is not reflected by the Government’s assessment of costs.

“We are calling on the Government to work closely with our members to understand the true costs of the proposed Decent Homes Standard, alongside other significant changes such as the revised Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and Awaab’s Law. Only then can the trade off with other priorities, such as building more homes, be properly understood and considered.

“Consultation with members has highlighted that changes to key aspects of the standard, such as the expanded component list and removal of age criteria, will be challenging to implement for social housing providers. That’s why we’re encouraging the Government to work closely with our members to refine the detail of the standard to make sure it offers value-for-money and the best outcomes for tenants.”

You can read the full consultation response here.

NHC welcomes the new Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed.  

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Steve Reed MP has been appointed as the new Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as part of the Government’s recent reshuffle.  

Northern Housing Consortium Executive Director of Policy & External Relations Patrick Murray said: 

“We welcome Steve Reed as the new Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Like many in the sector we have enjoyed working with a ministerial team that has placed social housing at the heart of their strategy to drive economic growth and tackle the housing crisis. The Government delivered a once in a generation settlement at the Spending Review, including the new £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme. Our members look forward to continuing to work with Government to deliver much needed new social housing and to improve places across the North.  

“The housing crisis plays out differently in different areas of the country. For example, alongside the need for new homes, supporting regeneration is a real priority across many parts of the North. We support the Government’s devolution agenda to help ensure communities across the country benefit from new investment and that different housing issues across different areas are addressed. We hope the new ministerial team will continue to maintain a strong focus on devolution and its role in supporting communities across the North.” 

NHC submits response to rent convergence consultation

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This week, the NHC submitted our response to the government’s consultation on how to implement rent convergence as part of the next social housing rent policy.

In our response we said that we believe convergence should be reintroduced from 1st April 2026, permitted at a level of £2 per week and for at least 10 years in duration, aligned with the wider ten year rent policy of CPI+1%.

For landlords in the North of England, convergence at £2 per week for 10 years would increase total rental income by £1.73 billion. This benefit would be split almost evenly between local authority landlords and housing associations (52% vs 48% respectively).

A policy of £2 per week also ensures that the vast majority of the benefit of convergence can be achieved within the next few years. This means that additional income can be used within this parliament to deliver on several of the government’s housing ambitions, including building 1.5 million new homes and delivering new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for social homes.

Patrick Murray, Executive Director of Policy and External Relations, said:

Rent convergence is an important lever that will unlock greater investment in new and existing homes across the North. A £2 per week policy would not only deliver greater financial capacity for landlords in the North—it would do so faster, enabling meaningful reinvestment in this parliament. Crucially, a policy of £2 per week over ten years strikes the right balance between enabling greater investment by landlords and ensuring that rents remain affordable for residents. 

 You can read our full submission here.

Call for applications for MHCLGs Social Housing Resident’s Panel

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MHCLG have announced the opportunity for social housing tenants to join the Social Housing Resident’s Panel. The Panel’s purpose is to ensure that social housing residents have a direct vehicle to engage with government ministers and officials, to make sure that tenants voices, views and experiences inform social housing policy and delivery.

Within this opportunity residents on the panel will have the chance to provide feedback on government housing policies and proposals, share their lived experience and insights on housing issues and participate in discussions and research activities with government ministers and officials.

In terms of eligibility, the panel consists of social housing residents, including those who live in homes for social rent, affordable rent, and low-cost home ownership. New panel members will be selected to join existing panel members, to ensure the Panel is representative of different regions, ages, ethnicities and backgrounds

Interested residents can apply to join the panel by visiting the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/et8Z2Q3JKc

The closing date for applications is Sunday 7th September, 23:00

We’d like to encourage members to promote this with their tenants to ensure that Northern tenant’s voices are represented on the panel. It is especially important at such a crucial time for the sector, with both DHS and MEES reform, as well as the major ambitions of the government on building new social and affordable homes, that there are strong tenant voices to help support both agendas.