Mayor calls for emergency Government investment to improve London’s social housing

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today issued a warning about the consequences of the Government failing to provide emergency investment to bring homes up to higher standards, and penalise failing social housing landlords.

The call to make all social housing warm and safe follows the tragic case of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died following exposure to mould in his social housing flat in Rochdale. The Mayor is “fearful” we could see such terrible cases in London if the Government does not act.

City Hall analysis shows that around 43 per cent of London’s social housing, approximately 343,000 homes, needed improvements to meet the current Decent Homes Standard and reach energy efficiency compliance (Band C EPC).

While “significant headway” was made between 2004 and 2014 to improve homes under the Decent Homes Standard, progress has stalled since Government funding was entirely withdrawn in 2016 and the target of 100 per cent compliance with the Decent Homes Standard has never been met.

The Mayor believes that without a long-term investment strategy to address the social housing crisis, the Government will even fail to meet its own target of halving the number of non-decent homes by 2030, prolonging the time that tenants are forced to live in dangerous conditions which could potentially lead to more awful deaths like Awaab’s.

City Hall analysis shows that investment to remove serious health and safety hazards from London’s homes pays for itself after 10 years, as reducing illness and disability caused by poor housing creates savings in NHS expenditure.

The Mayor is calling for the Government to match the regulatory measures in the Social Housing Regulation Bill, which is currently before Parliament, by introducing reforms that will rapidly improve standards in the sector.

This includes investing alongside social landlords to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes and providing greater clarity on the regulatory standards which housing providers must meet. Doing so will accelerate upgrades for Londoners, saving tenants on average 20 per cent on their energy bills.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, commented: “The heart-breaking case of Awaab Ishak shows the real-life consequences of unacceptably substandard housing. I am determined that we must not see more tragic cases like this, which is why I’m calling on the Government to take responsibility.

“Proper investment by the Government to improve the standard of social housing will be vital to ensuring we can continue to build a better, fairer and safer London for everyone.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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