Housing Conditions in England

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 3 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee is holding an inquiry into the condition of homes in England. The Government has set out plans to deliver a decade of renewal in the provision of social and affordable homes , including a “transformational” and “lasting change in the safety and quality … Read more
52 Recommendations
40 Conclusions
3 Reports
7 Oral sessions
16 Letters
7 Events
Activity timeline 28 events
15 Jul
2026
Correspondence
8 Jul
2026
Correspondence
7 Jul
2026
Oral evidence
3 Jul
2026
Report published
24 Jun
2026
Report published
17 Jun
2026
Correspondence
17 Jun
2026
Correspondence
22 May
2026
Correspondence
19 May
2026
Correspondence
28 Apr
2026
Report published
22 Apr
2026
Report published
14 Apr
2026
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 7 sessions
7 Jul 2026
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Oral Evidence
Emma Payne · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Joanna Key · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Matthew Pennycook MP · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
14 Apr 2026
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Oral Evidence
Chloe Fletcher · Chartered Institute of Housing Jennie Daly · Taylor Wimpey Nigel Cates · The New Homes Ombudsman Service Richard Smith · National House Building Council Stephen Teagle · Vistry Group Steve Turner · Home Builders Federation
27 Jan 2026
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Oral Evidence
Christa Maciver · Justlife Foundation Councillor Grace Williams · London Councils Dr Laura Neilson · Shared Health Foundation Joe Lane · Office of the Children's Commissioner Joseph Donohue · Greater Manchester Combined Authority Matt Downie · Crisis Paul Kitson · Newham Council Stephen Philpott · Birmingham City Council
25 Nov 2025
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Oral Evidence
Ashlea Birch · Manchester City Council Fiona MacGregor · Regulator of Social Housing Ian Sanders · Hull City Council James Wilson · Great Yarmouth Borough Council Joe Roberts · Cornwall Council Jonathan Walters · Regulator of Social Housing
4 Nov 2025
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Oral Evidence
Anny Cullum · ACORN Ben Beadle · National Residential Landlords Association Deborah Garvie · Shelter Dr Jennifer Harris · TDS Charitable Foundation Kate Markey · Nationwide Foundation Nye Jones · Generation Rent Timothy Douglas · Propertymark
14 Oct 2025
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Oral Evidence
Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation Councillor Sarah King · Southwark Council Craig Moule · Sanctuary Ian McDermott · G15 Kwajo Tweneboa Nic Bliss · Stop Social Housing Stigma Richard Blakeway · Housing Ombudsman Service
9 Sep 2025
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Oral Evidence
Dr Henry Dawson · Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Helen Garrett · Building Research Establishment Michael Erhardt · Disability Rights UK Millie Brown · Centre for Better Ageing Professor Sir Michael Marmot · Institute for Health Equity
Recommendations & Conclusions
11 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Deferred
4th Report – Housing Conditions in…
Progress on social homes meeting Decent Homes Standard has stalled since pandemic.
Most social homes provide tenants with warm, safe and decent places to live. The prevalence of poor conditions across the sector is generally lower than in other tenures. However, progress at bringing all social homes up to a minimum standard … Read more
Government Response
The government will set out wider plans for housing in the Long-Term Housing Strategy, which they will publish shortly, bringing together many of the changes that they have already announced and providing long-term certainty on future regulatory requirements.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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6 Recommendation Deferred
4th Report – Housing Conditions in…
Urgently publish timeline for extending Awaab's Law to all hazards by March 2026.
The Government must urgently set and publish the timeline for extending Awaab’s Law to all remaining hazards, so that tenants and social landlords have clarity about when they can expect these new regulations to apply. This should be produced no … Read more
Government Response
The Government will work with sector bodies to agree a compact, overseen by a taskforce, but provides no specific timeline for extending Awaab's Law to all remaining hazards.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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13 Conclusion Deferred
4th Report – Housing Conditions in…
Long implementation timeline for Decent Homes Standard delays improvements for tenants
The Government’s long implementation date for the revised Decent Homes Standard eases the burden on providers, but fails to deliver improvements with the urgency that social tenants deserve. Too many tenants will remain in poor quality, unsafe homes for too … Read more
Government Response
The government will work with sector bodies to agree a compact overseen by a taskforce, which will focus on social and affordable housebuilding commitments and strengthened governance.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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14 Recommendation Deferred
4th Report – Housing Conditions in…
Introduce interim annual targets for upgrading social homes to revised Decent Homes Standard
The Government must put in place interim targets to demonstrate to tenants and the public that progress is being made. We recommend that the Government introduce interim targets stipulating the percentage of social homes that should be upgraded to the … Read more
Government Response
The Government will work with sector bodies to agree a compact, overseen by a taskforce, but provides no commitment to interim targets.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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2 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
We recommend that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government use the English Housing...
We recommend that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government use the English Housing Survey to routinely collect and publish national data on the quality of all types of temporary accommodation from 2027/28 onwards. (Recommendation, Paragraph 15) Hazards and … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed with the need to improve understanding of temporary accommodation quality and is investigating options to enhance data collection, building on existing surveys like the English Housing Survey. They committed to providing an update to the Committee in the autumn.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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7 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
We welcome the government’s intention to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.
We welcome the government’s intention to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation. The power to take legal action against their provider for failing to resolve serious hazards in a timely manner will substantially strengthen the protections that exist for people … Read more
Government Response
The government stated that Awaab's Law already applies to social rented temporary accommodation and they will soon consult on extending its scope to private rented temporary accommodation and those occupied under licence. They will consider the recommendation for a phased rollout as part of their response to this consultation.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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8 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
The government should begin to rollout Awaab’s Law urgently to ensure the regulations are fully...
The government should begin to rollout Awaab’s Law urgently to ensure the regulations are fully applied to temporary accommodation by the end of 2028/29. By then, legal timescales must be in place covering all applicable significant and emergency hazards covered … Read more
Government Response
The government states Awaab’s Law already applies to social housing tenancies used as temporary accommodation. For other temporary accommodation types, they will soon consult on extending the law's scope and will consider this recommendation as part of their consultation response.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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18 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
It is not acceptable for households in temporary accommodation to be left living for months,...
It is not acceptable for households in temporary accommodation to be left living for months, if not longer, without access to the basic facilities they need for daily life. The ministry must introduce further measures to improve households’ access to … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to engaging with the sector and reviewing how to implement the Decent Homes Standard across temporary accommodation, but defers a decision on specific amendments or routes until further consideration.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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20 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
We recommend that the Secretary of State amend the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) Order 2003...
We recommend that the Secretary of State amend the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) Order 2003 to extend the six-week limit to accommodation that cannot comply with the new Decent Homes Standard. The six-week limit should apply from the date that … Read more
Government Response
The government will engage with the sector to understand how to implement the Decent Homes Standard across temporary accommodation and review compliance, but is not yet in a position to confirm amending the Suitability Order, though it will be considered.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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25 Conclusion Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
The rules that determine the amount of money councils can claim through the Housing Benefit...
The rules that determine the amount of money councils can claim through the Housing Benefit subsidy system is restricting their ability to source good-quality temporary accommodation for households. The Department for Work and Pension’s ongoing freeze of the subsidy rates … Read more
Government Response
The government states the DWP is keeping Housing Benefit subsidy levels under review and commits to considering the best way to sustainably fund good-quality temporary accommodation, linking it to a thematic review on homelessness.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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26 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Housing Conditions in…
We recommend that the Department for Work and Pensions unfreeze the subsidy rates by increasing...
We recommend that the Department for Work and Pensions unfreeze the subsidy rates by increasing the rate councils are reimbursed to match the current Local Housing Allowance rate. We also recommend that the Government conduct a detailed review of the … Read more
Government Response
The government stated that the Department for Work and Pensions is keeping Housing Benefit subsidy levels under review, with future decisions dependent on government missions and fiscal context, rather than committing to unfreezing rates to match LHA. They are also committed to considering sustainable funding and will engage with stakeholders through the Thematic Value for Money Review to identify appropriate ways forward for subsidy rules.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Government Response AI assessment · 59 of 52 classified
Accepted 21
Accepted in Part 7
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 11
Not Addressed 4
Rejected 3
Total 52 recs + 40 conclusions
Correspondence 16 letters
15 Jul 2026 To committee Letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Democracy to the Chair dated 13 July 2026 concerning the quality of new-build homes
Parliament page
8 Jul 2026 To committee Letter from Age UK to the Chair dated 16 June 2026 concerning accessibility standards in new homes
Parliament page
17 Jun 2026 To committee Letter from the National Residential Landlords Association to the Chair dated 19 November 2025 concerning further points on Housing Conditions in England
Parliament page
17 Jun 2026 To committee Letter from the Nationwide Foundation to the Chair dated 11 November 2025 concerning standards in the Private Rented Sector
Parliament page
22 May 2026 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 20 May 2026 concerning new build homes
Parliament page
19 May 2026 To committee Letter from the Home Builders Federation to the Chair dated 1 May 2026 concerning development costs and accessibility
Parliament page
26 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from the Regulator of Social Housing to the Chair dated 23 February 2026 following up oral evidence on Housing Conditions in England
Parliament page
14 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Chair dated 7 January 2026 concerning housing conditions in England
Parliament page
14 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Chair dated 9 January 2026 concerning accessibility standards in new homes
Parliament page
3 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from TDS Charitable Foundation to the Chair dated 24 November 2025 concerning housing conditions and renters rights
Parliament page
27 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 26 November 2025 following up correspondence on accessibility standards in new homes
Parliament page
20 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 20 November 2025 concerning Housing Conditions in England
Parliament page
12 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the National Housing Federation to the Chair dated 4 November 2025 following up oral evidence given before the Committee on 14 October
Parliament page
12 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning to the Chair dated 7 November concerning accessibility standards in new homes
Parliament page
12 Nov 2025 To committee Letter from Sanctuary Housing to the Chair dated 4 November following up oral evidence given before the Committee on 14 October
Parliament page
15 Oct 2025 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning dated 15 October 2025 concerning accessibility standards in new homes
Parliament page