Social Housing Bill [Lords]

Debate between Rachel Blake and Matthew Pennycook

2nd reading
Thursday 10th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Pennycook]

Or have I caught him unprepared? I was going to give him a chance there.

To conclude, after years of marginalisation, this Government have emphatically and unashamedly asserted the necessity and value of social rented homes. They are a crucial national asset to be proud of, to invest in, to protect and to maintain. This Bill will protect precious social homes for future generations and incentivise the building of many more of them. It will give social housing providers the confidence they need to invest in new social and affordable homes, and it will support social tenants who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

[Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)]

There is part of the Bill that the Minister has not referred to: part 2 on a review of shared ownership. Shared ownership is a tenure that provides a great opportunity to get into home ownership for many people, yet far too many people find themselves indebted and in a difficult position because of the service charges imposed on them and the quality of shared ownership. I am particularly interested in the different models of shared ownership that come forward. I am interested to know what this review will cover and how its outcomes might be reflected in any future investment in genuinely affordable homes.

[Matthew Pennycook]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and her passionate advocacy on behalf of her constituents and others around the country on housing issues generally. On shared ownership, I know the pressures that shared owners face; I see them in my own constituency postbag on a daily basis. We have already taken positive steps to improve the shared ownership model such as introducing new expectations for landlords who bid for shared ownership grant funding to improve fairness and transparency. We are supporting shared owners affected by specific challenges, such as building safety issues. Clause 13, which hon. Members might be aware was added to the Bill in the other place, requires a review of the shared ownership model to be carried out within 12 months of the Bill passing. We do not believe a review is necessary as we are already actively considering specific issues that have been raised in debates, including data and long-term affordability for customers, and we will of course consider what more we can do to act on those issues within our wider programme to improve shared ownership.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Rachel Blake and Matthew Pennycook

Monday 13th April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Pennycook]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his well-judged question. Let me reassure him that the Government understand the distinct operational and financial models that underpin specialist retirement housing, and that we recognise the important role that integrated retirement community operators play in providing high-quality housing for older people. As he is hopefully aware, the way in which the retirement housing sector functions in a world in which commonhold is the default tenure, and whether some kind of exemption is required, are among the many questions we are seeking feedback on in our consultation on moving to commonhold and banning leasehold for new flats. I encourage him and any operators in his constituency to engage with that consultation.

[Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)]

I thank the Minister for his work on this issue. I am working to make sure that the managing agent Freshwater will meet me to talk about its service charges. Does he agree that it is important that managing agents meet representatives in order to tackle these high levels, and to ensure that they are prepared for this Government’s reforms? I also have a real concern about the impact of high service charges on the long-term sustainability of the leasehold model for people who are choosing to retire into leasehold properties.

[Matthew Pennycook]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. High and rising service charges are putting unprecedented financial pressure on leaseholders. They are also causing more and more issues with mortgages and remortgaging processes. On her point about managing agents: yes, managing agents absolutely should meet with residents who have concerns, either collectively or individually.