Briefings and responses

We will want to work with the Government and the Regulator to ensure that there is a proportionate, risk-based approach to inspection, as well as urgent clarity on how this will be delivered and funded.

Councils are determined that all tenants should have the security of a safe and well-maintained home, with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed.

Councils are determined that all tenants should have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed.

Councils are determined that all tenants should have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed. The majority of social housing landlords are responsible and provide high quality homes for people to live in.

We welcome proposals that will strengthen the role of the Social Housing Regulator to increase the rights of tenants and enable tenants to better hold their landlord to account on consumer issues.

Local government works across a broad range of services that are important to social mobility. These include education, welfare, housing, family services and public health to name just a few. Councils are therefore uniquely placed to proactively contribute to improving social mobility of its residents.

Councils and their partners worked tirelessly at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, under the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ directive, to support people sleeping rough or in high risk, dormitory-style accommodation into more appropriate accommodation. Many councils have continued these efforts well beyond the first national lockdown period.

The LGA broadly welcomes the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill, which would make provision about the regulation of supported exempt accommodation; make provision about local authority oversight of, and enforcement powers relating to, the provision of supported exempt accommodation; and for connected purposes.

While we welcome the measures in the Bill, we have significant concerns about the capacity of councils’ housing teams to undertake all of the new responsibilities that are proposed. It will be vital for Government to fully fund the measures for them to be effective.

As we highlighted to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, councils have been concerned for some time now that a minority of exempt accommodation providers operating across the country fall short in providing good quality, personalised support for people in vulnerable circumstances.