Places for People update one year on from Better Social Housing Review

One year on since the publication of the Better Social Housing Review Places for People update on progress and issue call to Government.

Greg Reed, Places for People Group CEO, said: “Everyone deserves a good quality, warm and affordable place to call home. The Better Social Housing Review highlighted a number of serious issues around the quality of affordable homes across the country and as a sector we have listened and are taking action.  

“A key finding was that having an extensive knowledge of the condition of our Customers’ homes and the needs of our Customers is vital for us to ensure that the right quality and standards are met and maintained. At Places for People, we take this really seriously and have up-to-date condition surveys for almost 80 per cent of our affordable homes and are working hard with our Customers in the remaining properties to gain access to them too. This work will support us to be able to invest almost £180million in maintaining and improving affordable homes this financial year alone.

“We’re also always looking at what more we can do and learn. For example, we are now using technology to give us real-time insight on the performance of 500 – soon to rise to 1,500 – homes, which are more likely to be more difficult and expensive to heat or impacted by damp and mould issues, so we can take timely action.

“I’m also really pleased that the CIH and NHF will be providing a guide for the sector with a clear standard on how best to audit affordable homes and use the information positively. Places for People is proud to have supported this work which will be so important in achieving consistent, high standards for all.  

“The affordable housing sector has been laying the foundations to drive change, but we need longer-term clarity and certainty, and the revolving door of Housing Ministers and decades of underfunding is not helping. We have been waiting for some time to hear what will happen next on the Decent Homes Standard, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards and the rent settlement from 2025. We alone can only do so much without serious funding and a clear long-term strategy from Government to build the quality affordable homes people in our country need and deserve.”