Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to improve the quality of local housing stock.

Everyone deserves to live in a decent, warm, and comfortable home.

The government recently consulted on both the content and implementation of a new, modernised Decent Homes Standard. The consultation outcome can be found on gov.uk here and the impact assessment on gov.uk here.

We also consulted on new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for both the social rented and private rented sectors. The social rented sector consultation outcome can be found on gov.uk here and the private rented sector consultation outcome here.

The first phase of Awaab’s Law came into force for the social rented sector on 27 October. Awaab’s Law is vital legislation that will empower social tenants to hold their landlords to account using the full force of the law if they fail to investigate and fix hazards within their homes within set timescales. It will also allow tenants to access the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord does not adhere to strict timelines for action.

The government has also committed itself to bring forward new regulations this summer to bring the conclusions of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) review into force. The HHSRS is the cornerstone of housing standards, and the forthcoming regulations will make it more efficient and accessible for experts to use, and easier to understand for landlords and tenants.

We are also acting to ensure private tenants have safe, warm, and decent homes including strengthening local authority enforcement in respect of unremedied hazards and applying Awaab’s Law Act to the PRS through the relevant provisions in the Renters’ Rights Act.

The government is also supporting improvements to existing homes through the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, which has allocated £1.29 billion over 2025-28 to support social landlords to make energy efficiency improvements to their homes.

Over £1 billion of building safety funding will also be available between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to accelerate remediation of social housing. These targeted funds are in addition to the 10-year social housing rent settlement that will improve providers’ financial capacity to invest in new and existing homes.

The government is also supporting estate regeneration schemes to transform neighbourhoods and deliver well designed housing and a better quality of life for tenants. The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will also support regeneration schemes that provide a net increase in affordable homes.