Have your say – contribute to renewed insight about housing-led regeneration in the North

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We’ve opened a Call for Evidence to gather vital insight into the need for housing-led regeneration in the North. At the Northern Housing Summit, our Chief Executive Tracy Harrison urged northern social housing providers and other stakeholders to help us build a case to Government that demonstrates how housing-led regeneration delivers lasting benefits for residents and communities.

The findings will be used to understand the scale of the need for housing-led regeneration and what can be done to address this need now, in light of new Government investment into building new homes, unlocking brownfield land, strengthening communities, and retrofitting existing homes. The evidence gathered will help create practical recommendations that can shape Government policy and support social housing providers, Mayors and local government to deliver more growth and stronger communities.

The Call for Evidence is part of Renew, an inquiry to explore housing-led regeneration’s role in delivering growth, tackling the housing crisis, and strengthening communities across the North. Renew is supported by Homes for the North and Muse.

Renew will be chaired by Lord Best OBE DL, an independent crossbench Member of the House of Lords with a special interest in housing issues.

Lord Best OBE DL said:

“I am really pleased to be chairing Renew not only because the issue of regeneration in our Northern regions is of huge significance, but also because I know the Northern Housing Consortium will do a really good job in assembling the evidence and making the case for change.

“The powerful voice of the NHC for the Northern regions is badly needed to make the case for housing-led regeneration, particularly for the housing stock that is now reaching the end of its useful life.

“I believe Renew could make a real difference.”

Renew is gaining momentum with the launch of the Call for Evidence following the first meeting of the Westminster Group. This group of parliamentarians will hear evidence and testimonials first hand, as well as offering insight and guidance. There is also a project advisory group made up of housing association chief executives, local and regional government regeneration specialists, policy experts and academics, who will help shape the inquiry and be ambassadors.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“We’re pleased the Government has prioritised tackling the housing crisis, with groundbreaking investment in social housing. The issues affecting communities are different in different places, and in many areas of the North housing-led regeneration should sit alongside new housing supply and support to improve existing homes. Renew will bring together northern social housing providers, the Government, politicians, residents and other stakeholders to make sure everyone has access to a safe and warm home in a place they’re proud of.

“Alongside delivering on current transformative change, we must build an evidence base looking at how we can go even further to drive growth and strengthen communities. I urge as many stakeholders as possible to respond to the Call for Evidence so we can develop the evidence base we need to secure further policy changes and funding to unlock housing-led regeneration. With a track record of delivery and a strong collective voice we can see even more positive change for Northern communities.”

Paul Fiddaman, Deputy Chair of Homes for the North, said:

“We welcome the Government’s commitment to tackle the housing crisis and boost the supply of affordable homes. The North of England faces a distinct set of housing challenges, and our research shows that regeneration can make a significant contribution to housing supply in the region. Regeneration is about more than just supply, however; it can help to build stronger communities and act as a catalyst for growth.

“Therefore, we were pleased to see the positive changes around additionality in the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which will help to create the conditions for Renew to have the most impact. Homes for the North is delighted to support this inquiry and contribute to this important conversation around how we can unlock the transformative potential of regeneration in the North.”

Phil Mayall, Managing Director at Muse, said:

“As the Government continues to push ahead with its housing ambitions, the launch of this inquiry and call for evidence is a vital step for ensuring that housing-led regeneration in the North of England is as impactful as possible.

“At Muse we are delighted to be partners on this. We recognise that only by working together can we combat the housing crisis and deliver real, meaningful, change to communities across the North.

“As part of this process we will draw on our decades of placemaking experience and offer meaningful insight into how we have worked in partnership to deliver transformative places across the northern region.”

The Renew Call for Evidence will:

  • 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.

Northern social housing providers, Mayoral Combined Authorities, local authorities, the Government, politicians, residents and other stakeholders who want to make sure everyone has access to a safe and warm home in a place they’re proud of are invited to respond.

The Call to Evidence is open until 27th February. To find out further information or to submit a response visit www.renew.northern-consortium.org.uk.

Government Sets Out Roadmap for Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act

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Last week the Government published its implementation roadmap for the Renters’ Rights Act, setting out a detailed timeline for one of the most significant overhauls of the private rented sector (PRS) in decades. The roadmap confirms a phased approach, with the first major changes taking effect from May 2026.

From then, Section 21 “no-fault” evictions will be abolished and all new and existing private tenancies will convert to assured periodic tenancies. The Government will also introduce stronger protections around rent, limiting increases to once per year and requiring landlords to provide at least two months’ notice. Practices such as rental bidding will be banned, and landlords will no longer be allowed to ask for more than one month’s rent in advance. New anti-discrimination rules will make it unlawful for landlords or agents to refuse tenants because they have children or receive benefits, and landlords will be required to consider requests for pets within 28 days.

The abolition of Section 21 and wider tenancy reforms will not be implemented in the social rented sector until phase 2.

 

Local authority enforcement

The roadmap also places a strong emphasis on enforcement. In December 2025, local authorities will receive enhanced investigatory powers, including the ability to demand documents, carry out inspections, and access relevant third-party information. Tougher rent repayment orders are also being introduced, particularly for repeat offenders. To help deliver this, councils will receive £18.2 million in 2025/26 to build enforcement capacity, alongside national training and operational support.

The second phase of implementation will come later in 2026, when the Government intends to launch a mandatory PRS Database that will require all landlords to register their properties and provide key compliance information such as safety certificates and energy performance details. Alongside this, a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman will provide an alternative route for resolving disputes without the need for court action.

 

Housing quality in the PRS

Further reforms focused on quality and safety will follow in a third phase, with final dates to be settled following consultation. These include applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time and extending Awaab’s Law – with its strict timescales for addressing serious hazards like damp and mould – to private landlords.

The justice system is preparing for the transition with investment in a new digital, end-to-end possession system and further work to ready tribunals for an expected increase in rent and tenancy challenges. The Government will evaluate the reforms after implementation, using data from the English Housing Survey and feedback from key stakeholders.

For housing professionals across the North, these reforms mark a major shift in how the PRS will operate. Local authorities especially will face increased expectations around enforcement. The NHC will continue working with members to understand the implications of the Act and support effective implementation as further guidance is released.

You can read the full roadmap for the implementation of the Renters Rights Act here and key implementation milestones for councils and social landlords are below.

 

Date Milestone
27th October 2025 Royal Assent for the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
November 2025 Enforcement guidance for local councils goes live
27th December 2025 New local council enforcement measures and investigatory powers (provided by the Act) for local councils go live
1st May 2026 Implementation of first phase of measures of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025
From late 2026 PRS Database and associated guidance goes live for councils and landlords
2027 Reforms apply to the Social Rented Sector
2028 Mandatory sign-up for landlords to join the PRS ombudsman
TBC – subject to consultation Implementation of Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard for the PRS

 

 

Member Briefing for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme Prospectus 

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Last week the government released new details about how the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) will be delivered once it opens for applications in February 2026.  

The SAHP was originally announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review and will provide £39 billion worth of grant funding to build 300,000 new social and affordable homes over 10 years. Unlike the current Affordable Homes Programme, the new SAHP will prioritise the delivery of homes for social rent, with 60% of funding being directed towards this tenure.   

The prospectus published last week provides the full details of how the SAHP will be delivered, including major changes from the current programme. These include greater support for regeneration, with the grounds by which ‘additionality’ can be demonstrated significantly expanded, as well as the SAHP being able to fund a limited number of property acquisitions.  

The next SAHP will also be aligned to local priorities to a much greater extent than currently. Each Established Mayoral Strategic Authority (EMSA) will be able to set the strategic direction of the SAHP in their areas and establish programme priorities, including the types of property, tenure and individual sites that should be prioritised. In the North, the ESMAs who have established these priorities are the Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire combined authorities.   

A briefing, including the full details and priorities of the new funding programme, including the stated priorities of each Established Mayoral Strategic Authority is available here.

Meeting with Matthew Pennycook MP

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Chief Executive Tracy Harrison and Executive Director (Policy and External Affairs) Patrick Murray met with Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook. It was a productive meeting where the trio discussed the North’s readiness to deliver against the Government’s housebuilding targets.

Regeneration – a key priority for many areas of the North – was also high on the agenda, with discussion around the flexibilities needed enable social housing providers to address homes that don’t meet the needs of communities in their area. Tracy and Patrick briefed the minister on our plans for Renew our in inquiry looking at housing-led regeneration for Northern growth.

Devolution, and the role of vital Housing Partnerships within that, was also discussed.  Patrick and Tracy shared how the North is leading the way with Housing Partnerships and this is increasing collaboration both inside and outside the social housing sector, driving growth and addressing local priorities.

Roundtable with the Housing Secretary and Housing Minister 

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Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison attended an introductory roundtable discussion on building more social and affordable housing with the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed and Minister of State for Housing and Planning Matthew Pennycook. The session was held with a small group of senior representatives from councils, housing associations and sector bodies.  

Tracy said:

“I was pleased to meet the Housing Secretary and Housing Minister. It was a very productive discussion about how we can all work together to achieve shared objectives. We discussed the critical focus on the delivery of new homes, the opportunities around Brownfield and the impact that housing partnerships are having across the North.  

“I’m committed to supporting our members to work with the Government to tackle the housing crisis and boost economic growth, while continuing to offer good quality homes to existing residents. I pressed the importance of housing-led regeneration in the North, and the opportunity for it to support the Government’s ambitions.” 

Thank you to both the Ministers and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for hosting such a useful session.  

The Renters Rights Bill

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The Renters Rights Bill completed its passage through Parliament and received Royal Assent on 22nd October 2025, entering into law. The Act seeks to increase protections for those renting in the private rental sector and marks a comprehensive rebalancing of the rights and requirements for both private tenants and landlords.  

The Northern Housing Consortium has been a longstanding supporter of attempts to reform the private rental sector, improve housing quality within the tenure, and more closely align the renting experience between private and social renting tenures. We have, however, stressed the importance of ensuring that local authorities are appropriately resourced so that they can effectively monitor and enforce compliance with the Act’s requirements.  

Major features of the Act are listed below: 

  • Abolish Section 21 or “no-fault” evictions for private renters.  
  • Replace fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs) with rolling periodic tenancies.   
  • Limit in-tenancy rent increases: landlords may increase the rent only once a year, must give notice, and tenants will have rights to challenge above-market increases at Tribunal.  
  • Ban rental “bidding wars”: landlords/letting agents must publish an asking rent and cannot invite or accept offers above that listed rent.  
  • Prohibit discrimination in lettings against people in receipt of benefits or with children. 
  • Grant tenants a statutory right to request keeping a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot reject without reason.  
  • Introduce a “Decent Homes Standard” into the private rented sector for the first time. The government has also committed to extending Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, so that hazards such as mould, damp, structural issues must be remedied within defined timeframes, at a future point.  
  • Require landlords to make changes to advance-rent demands: for example, limiting how much rent can be asked in advance. This will amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 so that more than one month’s rent in advance cannot be charged before the tenancy begins.  
  • Strengthen enforcement: expand the use of rent repayment orders (RROs) to more offences, raise penalties and give local authorities stronger investigatory and enforcement powers.  
  • New regulatory infrastructure, including a new database of private rented sector landlords and introduce the ability for private tenants to appeal to an Ombudsman to handle disputes between tenants and landlords.  
  • Reform the grounds for possession (the valid reasons landlords can reclaim the property) so that landlords regain control when genuinely needed (e.g., for sale, moving in) yet with enhanced protections/notice periods for tenants.  

 

The full text of the Act can be found here.  

Regeneration inquiry moves forward with Lord Best OBE DL as Chair 

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The NHC’s inquiry on housing-led regeneration, supported by Homes for the North and Muse, is gathering pace with the Call for Evidence set to launch at the Northern Housing Summit, and meetings with advisory groups happening now.  

Lord Best OBE DL will chair the inquiry and its advisory group, who met for the first time this week. The advisory group is made up of a mix of housing association chief executives, local and regional government regeneration specialists, policy experts and academics.   

At the first meeting group members fed back on the overarching aims of the inquiry and discussed the Call for Evidence. Director of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University Ed Ferrari updated the group about the research he is doing which will set the scene for the project and analyse the evolving context of regeneration in the North. The work will set out the longstanding challenges and concerns the inquiry will grapple with, as well as the emerging importance of devolution, sustainability, and community cohesion and belonging.  

This followed an NHC member roundtable with senior officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government. The meeting was used to discuss and improve knowledge of the northern-specific challenge of regeneration as well as to explore how housing led regeneration can contribute to the national drive for growth and stronger communities.   Insight from the meeting will be used as part of the inquiry’s commitment to identifying how the Northern social housing sector can play a role in the Government’s policy programme in this Parliament. 

Next week, the inquiry Westminster Group will meet for the first time. Over the course of the inquiry they will have quarterly meetings to hear evidence and testimonials first hand, as well as offer insight and guidance.  

The Northen Housing Summit on 12th November will provide the stage for the launch of the inquiry Call for Evidence, which help capture the views of the social housing sector in the North. The Summit will also include a session “Beyond 1.5m homes: Once in a (re)generation?” where MHCLG’s Director for New Towns, Infrastructure and Housing Delivery Cathy Francis, Sheffield City Council Director of Housing Services James Clark, NHC Executive Director of Policy and External Relations Patrick Murray, Onward Chief Executive and Chair of Homes for North Bronwen Rapley, and Interim Chair of Homes England Pat Richie will discuss the balance between building new homes, and regenerating the North’s communities, and how the two agendas can reinforce each other. 

You can find more and book your place the Northern Housing Summit here.  

If you would like to find out more about the regeneration inquiry please contact Senior Engagement Manager (Devolution and Place Lead) Liam Gregson.  

  

Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law enters into force

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As of 27th October, Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law has now come into effect, marking an important step forward in improving health and safety standards across the social housing sector.

Phase 1 of the regulations place legal duties on landlords to investigate and address all emergency hazards and all damp and mould hazards that present a significant risk of harm to tenants within strict timeframes.

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published final guidance for landlords on 17th October, confirming specific requirements for housing providers in areas such as identifying and categorising hazards, rectifying and making safe identified problems, providing a written summary of any problem and required works to tenants, finding suitable alternative accommodation where appropriate and more. This guidance can be found here.

The requirements laid out in Awaab’s Law are currently set to be extended to the below list of hazards in 2026, where they represent a significant risk of harm:

  • Excess cold and heat
  • Falls associated with baths etc. on level surfaces, on stairs and between levels
  • Structural collapse and explosions
  • Fire and electrical hazards
  • Domestic and personal hygiene and food safety

Following this, regulations will be extended to all remaining hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), where they present a significant risk of harm, in 2027.

The government have committed to taking a “test and learn” approach to the implementation of Awaab’s Law and to implementing lessons learned between phases.

The Northern Housing Consortium will continue to engage with members and officials at MHCLG on the implementation of Phase 1 of Awaab’s Law and further clarification of requirements for Phases 2 and 3.

Claire’s story: How the Unlocking Success Bursary Is Powering Her Artistic Career

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Claire, a passionate artist and digital illustrator, shares how the Unlocking Success Bursary has helped her invest in vital training, tools, and accessibility equipment to grow her creative practice and build a sustainable career in the arts.

“I am an artist and digital illustrator, passionate about expanding my creative practice and building a sustainable career in the arts. This grant will enable me to invest in further training in stencilling, branding, and illustration—skills that are essential for attracting new opportunities and growing my professional portfolio.

The funding will also allow me to purchase vital materials and equipment, including industry-standard software, which will support my continued learning and enable me to apply the techniques gained through the course. Additionally, as a disabled artist, I require a specialist chair to work comfortably and safely for extended periods which I can buy with the bursary.

Without this grant, I would not have been able to afford the course or the necessary supplies to support my development. Your support will make a meaningful difference in helping me progress as an artist and contribute more confidently to the creative sector.”

For more information visit the bursary website: https://bursary.northern-consortium.org.uk

NHC Autumn Budget Representation sets out key priorities for the North 

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The Northern Housing Consortium submitted a representation to HM Treasury in the run up to the Government’s Autumn Budget, set to take place on 26th November 2025. It focused on how the Government can help the North to deliver its housing ambitions, including 1.5 million new homes and improving the standard and quality of rented housing, including through housing-led regeneration.  

Our key points are: 

  • Rent Convergence – following the government’s commitment to a ten-year rent settlement (CPI+1%), we have reinforced our call for the reintroduction of rent convergence. Our priority is a £2 per week convergence mechanism, maintained throughout the full ten-year policy period. 
  • Housing-led regeneration – one of our major policy priorities to support the North’s housing sector is housing-led regeneration. We are calling for a dedicated, devolved fund for place-based housing regeneration, targeting areas with poor-quality or ageing stock. This will empower Mayoral Combined Authorities and enable the social housing sector to contribute to the government’s goal of delivering 1.5 million homes and driving economic growth. 
  • Decent Homes Standard and regulatory reform – we welcome the government’s commitment to improving housing quality, including modernising the Decent Homes Standard and new energy efficiency requirements. However, the proposed changes introduce costly elements that risk creating inefficiencies and a fragmented approach, diverting funds from improving homes to managing disrepair claims. We have urged the government to revise the proposals to ensure they are practical, cost-effective, and focused on delivering genuinely decent homes. 
  • Fair Funding – the NHC supports simplifying and consolidating grant funding for local authorities and reducing reliance on competitive bidding. We hope the Fair Funding Review will establish a sustainable financial framework for local government, and we stressed the need for increased funding for areas with higher deprivation, many of which are in the North. 
  • Supported Housing – we have urged government for greater investment to expand supported housing supply with a secure, five-year central funding stream, devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities. 
  • Local Housing Allowance (LHA) – we have urged the government to restore LHA rates to at least the 30th percentile from 2026/27 to reflect actual rental costs. The NHC is a signatory to the joint sector letter calling for this change. 

Commenting on the representation the NHC’s Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:  

“The NHC supports the government’s ground-breaking investment in social housing, including the £39 billion commitment to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme and the ten-year rent settlement. In our budget representation, we have highlighted ways the Government can make sure the social housing sector in the North is able to deliver more new homes while also continuing to ensure existing residents can live in a warm, safe and affordable home. 

“We welcomed the recent consultation on rent convergence and are urging the Government to reintroduce rent convergence from 1st April 2026 at £2 per week for the full ten-year rent policy period. This will strengthen sector finances and enable greater investment in new and existing homes.  

“Recent proposals to update the decent homes and energy efficiency standards are welcome. However, we are urging the Government to re-assess and modify the proposed standards through a better understanding of the realities in practice and trade-off with new supply.  It is vital to make sure the reforms support providers to invest in homes efficiently, while maximising benefits to tenants. 

“We have also highlighted the need to invest in place-based housing regeneration, alongside investment in new homes, to improve areas with poor-quality, ageing homes. Our regeneration inquiry will explore how the social housing sector can benefit communities through regeneration.” 

Read our Budget representation here.