18 July 2024
In the King’s Speech yesterday, King Charles highlighted government’s commitment to delivering on mandatory housing targets and planning reform as part of its Planning and Infrastructure Bill, to accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing.
The Renters’ Rights Bill will also offer greater rights and protections to people renting their homes in the private sector, an extension of existing social housing safety rules outlined in Awaab’s Law. However, social housing providers have raised concerns about the level of affordable housing development and funding to address social housing shortages.
John Guest, national head of social housing at RSM UK, said: 'While the new government’s commitment to mandatory housing targets, planning reform and infrastructure investment is a positive step, accelerating delivery of new homes, it is not yet clear how this will impact social housing associations and the communities they support. Social housing is having to contend with continuing to invest in existing stock, including decarbonisation, whilst developing new homes. Following a period of high inflation, these challenges have worsened, and organisations have had to balance competing priorities.
'Registered Providers of Social Housing (RPs) are under pressure to improve the quality of housing while keeping rents affordable and placing the tenant at the heart of the organisation. The private rented sector has not been subject to the same regulatory regime so the implementation of a new Renters’ Rights Bill is encouraging to see government strengthen tenant’s rights to challenge rent increases and landlord discrimination. Whilst the steps being proposed are positive, it still isn’t clear how government will completely address social housing shortages and RPs also need further clarity on available funding to ensure they can provide better quality and safe affordable homes.'
He added: 'However, we’ve recently seen the social housing development driven by Lloyds Banking Group, which could encourage government to consider new and innovative ways to repurpose existing stock. In addition, as inflation and interest rates start to ease, this should allow social housing associations to plan their development journeys with more certainty, which alongside the new Renters’ Rights Bill, should ensure better quality housing and welfare support for tenants.'

