Social Housing regulator reveals 20 per cent increase in social housing repair investment
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published its latest global acounts which reveal a record £7.7 billion investment in social housing repairs, marking a 20 per cent increase from 2022.
Providers are investing heavily in existing homes to address issues like damp, mould, and building safety, and enhance energy efficiency.
The NHS states that damp and mould in the home causes tenants to be more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
Additionally, they’re meeting the demand for new social homes, with an 11 per cent increase in new supply investment and a seven per cent rise in the number of new homes built in 2023 compared to 2022, totalling 53,000.
According to the UK Government, there are four million households in the social rented sector, with a higher proportion in housing association homes compared to local authority homes.
Housing association tenants make up around ten per cent of households, 2.5 million households, and local authority tenants make up six per cent of households, 1.6 million households.
Will Perry, Director of Strategy at RSH, said: “Social housing providers are grappling with a range of major external economic pressures. At the same time, they are spending record amounts on improving their tenants’ homes and fixing problems like damp and mould.
“Boards must remain clear-sighted about financial risks, and deploy appropriate mitigations, while building more and better social homes for people who need them.”
Although spending on repairs has increased, there is no mention of the need to adapt stock for disabled tenants – something we hope to see more of with the introduction of the new Consumer Standards in 2024.
Disabled adults across the UK are struggling with inaccessible homes, according to research commissioned by disability charity Leonard Cheshire.
Somerset Council has delivered nearly 90 wheelchair-accessible homes in the Taunton, Wellington and West Somerset area in the past three years, and has promised that there is more in the pipeline.
