Over 100 of England’s council landlords call for the new government to save council homes
Today, at an event held in Westminster, an unprecedented cross-party coalition of over 100 council landlords including Norwich City Council, will jointly publish five solutions for the government to ‘secure the future of England’s council housing’. They warn that England’s council housing system is broken, and that urgent action is needed for the government to deliver its housing promises.
In July, 20 of the largest council landlords published an interim summary of their recommendations. Significant traction – including an urgent meeting with the deputy prime minister - has led to over 80 more councils backing their recommendations and signing the final report.
This more detailed report sets out a full roadmap to renew our country’s council housing over the next decade and critical policy changes for the realisation of the new government’s social housing ambitions.
It explains how an unsustainable financial model and erratic national policy changes have squeezed council’s housing budgets and sent costs soaring. New analysis from Savills shows they will face a £2.2bn ‘black hole’ by 2028.
They warn that unless more is done soon, most council landlords will struggle to maintain their existing homes adequately or meet the huge new demands to improve them, let alone build new homes for social rent. Across the country development projects are being cancelled and delayed, with huge implications for the local construction sector, jobs and housing market.
Rather than increasing supply, the reality is that some councils will have no option but to sell more of their existing stock to finance investment in an ever-shrinking portfolio of council homes.
The recommendations include urgent action to restore lost income and unlock local authority capacity to work with the new government to deliver its promises for new, affordable homes throughout the country.
The five solutions set out detailed and practical recommendations to the new government:
- A new fair and sustainable HRA model – including an urgent £644 million one-off rescue injection, and long-term, certain rent and debt agreements.
- Reforms to unsustainable Right to Buy policies
- Removing red tape on existing funding
- A new, long-term Green & Decent Homes Programme
- Urgent action to restart stalled building projects, avoiding the loss of construction sector capacity and a market downturn
They make up a plan for a ‘decade of renewal’, with local authorities and central government working together to get ‘Housing Revenue Accounts’ (HRAs) back on stable foundations, bring all homes up to modern and green standards, and deliver the next generation of council homes.
Councillor Beth Jones, Portfolio holder for housing at Norwich City Council said:
“Council homes are essential to addressing our nation’s housing crisis, but the current financial model has left us in a precarious position. We're struggling not only to maintain our existing homes but also to provide the new homes that our communities desperately need. However, there is a way forward.
Our proposed solutions will help stabilise our housing budgets, ensure all homes meet the required standards, and deliver the much-needed new housing.
The fact that over 100 councils stand united on this issue highlights the broad consensus and urgency for action."
Read the full report here
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