The government has set out a wide range of measures designed to drive up standards in social housing by strengthening regulation of the sector, improving the Housing Ombudsman Service, and empowering residents to know and exercise their rights.
This month a package of measures was announced including:
- Publicising on social media where landlords have breached the Regulator’s consumer standards or where the Housing Ombudsman has made its most serious finding - severe maladministration - against them.
- The launch of a Resident Panel, inviting residents to have their say on how to improve the quality of social housing. The Panel will allow residents to scrutinise and influence measures to strengthen the Decent Homes Standard, training and qualification for staff, a new Access to Information Scheme and other planned reforms.
- Publishing draft clauses to legislation that will reform the regulation of social housing through tougher consumer powers, greater enforcement tools to tackle failing landlords and new responsibilities on social landlords.
- A new factsheet explaining the role of the Regulator of Social Housing and Housing Ombudsman Service.
- A single gov.uk page, setting out progress on implementing the measures in the Social Housing White Paper and further measures being introduced to improve quality of social housing.
Get involved
The government is looking for tenants to join the new panel and get involved in driving up social housing quality. Made up of roughly 250 residents from across England, the panel will meet with government ministers to directly feed into the sector reforms.
The government has said it will hold at least six meetings, which are expected to take place online roughly three times a year. Full meetings will be supported by smaller, focused discussions, which will follow up on points raised and agree targeted actions.
Any social housing resident can apply to be on the panel. To register your interest click here. The closing date is Friday 29 April, and the first virtual meeting for the panel is due to take place end of May.