Issue - meetings

National Housing Update Briefing

Meeting: 09/09/2025 - Homes Policy Development Group (Item 28)

National Housing Update Briefing (02:05:00)

To receive an update from the Head of Housing & Health on a number of national housing initiatives.

Minutes:

The Group received a presentation providing a summary of national changes in the social housing sector within the context of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) ‘five-step plan for renewal’ (July 2025). This plan was focussed on increasing the supply of social housing and continuing change in the safety and quality of homes.

The presentation included the following information:

§ Nationally there was not enough social and affordable housing (MHCLG July 2025).

§ Locally, the Devon Housing Commission report (2024) had identified the same issues across the county.

§ Mid Devon’s Housing Strategy aimed to build / acquire more MDH social housing properties, grow development pipeline, invest in the current stock, acquire temporary accommodation properties and support 100% of Homelessness presentation.

§ The Government would provide a boost to affordable homes funding through the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP)

§ Sector financial capacity:

10-year rent cap settlement – would allow for annual increases of CPI (Consumer Prices Index) + 1% from April 2026.
Rent convergence – bringing rent for historic tenancies up to national Formula Rent and aligning social rent levels over time. There was currently a consultation on £1 or £2 per week.
Currently more than half MDH tenants had long-standing rents that sat below Formula Rent that could only be lifted when the tenancy changed.
Continued provision of low-interest loans to support housing development. This was still borrowing that had to be sustainable within the wider Housing Revenue Account.

§ There were a number of regulatory changes including:

o Updated Decent Homes Standard (DHS) consultation.

o Implementation of Awaab’s Law from October 2025. There were stringent timelines for investigating and resolving damp & mould and emergency hazards. MDH were putting processes and resources in place to meet this.

o Mandatory full (inspection) electrical safety checks every five years from November 2025. MDH had already begun significant advance work towards this.

o Proposals to implement minimum EPC Band C energy standard within social rental sector by 2030. Again, MDH had undertaken significant advance work towards this.

o Mandatory Competence and Conduct Standard. This would come into force in October 2026 setting out minimum qualification standards for specific housing staff/roles.

§ There was a raft of additional Right to Buy changes.

§ There would be a greater tenant focus in terms of the ‘Resident Experience Innovation Fund’, allocation policies and tenants access to information. This increased focus would mandate specific requirements on housing providers.

Discussion took place regarding:

· The Housing Service faced a lot of challenges and the team as whole were praised for working hard and being so proactive.

· The Government had said that damp & mould was an issue that needed to be solely dealt with by individual local authorities. There would be no additional funding to support this work. However, this Council had a robust system in place to tackle this difficult issue.

· The ‘Rent Convergence’ issue and the difference to a tenant of being charged either £1 or £2 extra per week. These ... view the full minutes text for item 28