APPG inquiry into council housing – evidence from The Housing Forum

The APPG for Council Housing’s inquiry launched July 2023, due to a widespread sense of agreement of council housing’s importance, but a perception of a lack of move to free up the necessary funding. The final report will come out Spring 2024 with launches in Parliament and around the country.

The Housing Forum convened a meeting for local authority members to discuss these issues and invited written contributions from across our membership. The Councils Network Advisory Group also meets regularly to discuss the main issues facing local authorities and the issues raised at these meetings have also been reflected in this consultation response.

We raised the following key points:

• Council housing has a vital role to play as part of the housing system. It is particularly helpful to local authorities in meeting their homeless duties.
• More investment is needed in the existing council housing stock to improve quality and decarbonisation, with long-term, flexible and predictable funding streams.
• Councils see both benefits and downsides to retained council housing stock. The main downside is the loss of housing stock via the Right to Buy.

To improve the supply and quality of council housing we call on government to:

• End the Right to Buy, or at the very least reduce its impact via lower discounts and removing it from newbuild properties
• Provide longer term rent settlements.
• Revisit the housing debt position.
• Develop a more strategic approach to funding streams.
• Give flexibility over spending from different funding streams.
• Support local authorities to develop S106 sites in areas where RPs are reluctant to engage.
• Allow councils to own and manage accommodation let on secure tenancies but at market rents without the need to establish housing companies.
• Relaxing borrowing conditions.

Homes England should:

• Ensure that nomination agreements agreed in funding agreements to RPs are clear and legally watertight.
• Increase grant rates for brownfield sites.

Councils should:

• Ensure that they have an up-to-date local plan.
• Look to a mixed tenure model.
• Address understaffing within local authorities.