Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish a response to his Department's consultation A Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Announcements will be set out in the usual way.
I look forward to meeting with the Hon Member imminently and working to deliver a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the rise in homelessness.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
We are providing over £1 billion to local authorities through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including a £109 million top-up this year. This funding can be used to offer financial support for people to find a new home or to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation where needed. In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced additional UK-wide funding of £120 million to help councils address Ukraine and homelessness pressures in 2024/25.
The Government is also increasing the Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of market rents from April. This will mean 1.6 million low-income households will be around £800 a year better off on average in 2024-25 and will make it more affordable for families on benefits to rent properties in the private rented sector.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current rental market; and what steps they are taking to support tenants facing financial challenges.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
The proportion of private rented sector households has remained relatively stable for nearly a decade.
We continue to support households with the cost of living, providing support worth £104 billion over 2022-25, or £3,700 per household on average. From April 2024, we are investing £1.2 billion to restore Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. Individuals who need further help to make their rent payments may be eligible for a range of financial support through the welfare system.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Climate Change Committee’s publication entitled CCC assessment of recent announcements and developments on Net Zero, published on 12 October 2023, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of its findings that the (a) cancellation of regulations on the private-rented sector and (b) delayed phase out of fossil fuel cars would increase costs for households.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
At a time when the pressure on the cost of living is already high, my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has chosen to chart the fairest credible path to reach net zero, while taking into account that some measures under previous plans would have imposed significant up front costs on families. For example, delaying the Electric Vehicle phase out date will allow consumers to choose the vehicle that best suits their budget, whether that means opting for an Electric Vehicle now or waiting to take advantage of falling prices over the coming decade.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the issue of damp and mould in homes with children in (1) the social rented sector, and (2) the private rented sector.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Damp and mould can have a serious impact on children’s health and it is unacceptable for anyone to have to live in such conditions.
All rented homes must be free of serious ‘category 1’ hazards, including damp and mould, as defined by the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. In the social rented sector homes must also meet the Decent Homes Standard. We have recently tabled amendments to the Renters (Reform) Bill to extend the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time. We are exploring the merits of a standalone damp and mould standard within the Decent Homes Standard that all landlord must meet, to ensure that landlords are clear on their obligations to tenants.
Following the tragic and avoidable death of Awaab Ishak, the Government has also introduced Awaab’s Law in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. Awaab’s Law will require social landlords to comply with new requirements regarding timeframes for investigating and repairing hazards, including damp and mould.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of measures to help people without a guarantor access private rental tenancies.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters (Reform) Bill will deliver the Government’s commitment to a fairer private rented sector – improving the system for responsible tenants and good faith landlords.
The Government strongly encourages landlords and letting agents to assess the suitability of potential tenants on an individual basis. To ensure a sustainable tenancy for both parties, landlords and letting agents may require a guarantor for a tenancy.
The Department recognises that providing a guarantor can be difficult for some. We would encourage prospective tenants to discuss their individual circumstances with the letting agent or landlord about alternative forms of reference that might be acceptable. Local authorities may offer rent deposit, bond and guarantee schemes to help people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of introducing incentives for landlords in the private rented sector who (a) are and (b) are not eligible for the (i) Home Upgrade Grant and (ii) ECO scheme to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues, including how Government can support landlords to improve the energy efficiency of homes.
The Government is spending £6.6bn this Parliament and a further £6bn to 2028 on making buildings cleaner and warmer. Plus, an estimated £5bn is to be delivered through the Energy Company Obligation and the Great British Insulation Scheme up to March 2026.
The Government has launched a brand-new eligibility tool on our ‘Help for Households’ GOV.UK page that will help people find the support available to them via the Home Upgrade Grant and the Great British Insulation Scheme.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to support local authorities with housing vulnerable homeless families in (a) St Helens and (b) the North West.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We are providing over £1 billion through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years, including a £109 million top-up this year. This funding can be used to offer financial support for people to find a new home or to work with landlords to prevent evictions, or to provide temporary accommodation where needed. St Helens Borough Council received £474,880 for 2023/24 and has been allocated £375,204 for 2024/25. The North West received £28,066,133 for 2023/24 and has been allocated £21,479,278 for 2024/25. The full list of allocations for local authorities in England is available here.
In addition, in his Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced Government is increasing the Local Housing Allowance to the 30th percentile of market rents from April. This will mean 1.6 million low-income households will be around £800 a year better off on average in 2024-25 and will make it more affordable for families on benefits to rent properties in the private rented sector. Autumn Statement also announced additional UK-wide funding of £120 million to help councils address Ukraine and homelessness pressures in 2024/25. We will announce local authority level allocations of this new funding in due course.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of trends in rental costs on the ability of people eligible for the Local Housing Allowance to afford housing.
Answered by Mims Davies - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviews Local Housing Allowance annually and in doing so considers the impact of rental costs against the wider fiscal context.
In 2021/22 the Government spent almost £30 billion to support renters in both the private and social rented sector. This is forecast to rise to £31 billion in 2023/24.
As announced in the Autumn Statement, from April 2024 the Government will be investing £1.2 billion to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment will ensure 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit will gain on average, nearly £800 per year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25.
For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support. Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.
Overall, the Government is providing total support of over £104 billion from 2022/23 to 2024/25 to help households and individuals with cost of living pressures.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to combat racial discrimination in the rental market and ensure fair and equal access to housing for all.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
Everyone in the private rented sector is entitled to a safe and decent home. Landlords and agents are prohibited from discriminating against those with protected characteristics in the private rented sector under the Equality Act 2010, with exceptions for age, marriage and civil partnerships. The Equality Act prohibits direct and indirect discrimination alongside harassment and victimisation.