Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Social Rented Housing Sector

12 February 2026 · 5 other contributors

Opened by Florence Eshalomi Labour (Co-op) Vauxhall and Camberwell Green

Housing

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Florence Eshalomi raised concerns about social rented housing sector in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • Florence Eshalomi highlighted progress in the social rented sector over the past two decades due to initiatives like the decent homes programme.
  • The latest English housing survey findings show that about 430,000 social homes still do not meet basic standards.
  • Significant challenges remain in improving the condition of homes in the social rented sector.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Florence Eshalomi

Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, made a statement regarding the condition of homes in the social rented sector. She highlighted that while there has been progress over the past two decades through initiatives like the decent homes programme initiated by the last Labour government, significant challenges remain. The latest findings from the English housing survey indicate that around 430,000 social homes still fail to meet basic standards of decency, with issues such as overcrowding and high energy costs persisting. Eshalomi emphasised the need for transformational change in social housing over the next decade, citing new minimum energy efficiency standards by 2030 and the introduction of Awaab’s law to protect tenants from hazards like mould. She also called for interim targets leading up to 2035 when a new decent homes standard will be introduced, as well as periodic reviews of these standards. Despite welcoming government progress, Eshalomi urged for a modern decent homes programme to support social landlords in raising housing quality and stressed the need for adequate funding to prevent stock replacement.

Other contributors (5)
  • Will Forster Lib Dem Woking

    Question

    The quality of social housing is a huge issue across my constituency, and residents contact me about it daily. I thank the hon. Member for her leadership on this cross-party report. What response has she had from the Government since its publication?

    Minister reply

    I thank my fellow Committee member for his work to ensure consensus on this important issue. We hope for a full, detailed response from the Government and urge them to enact our recommendations and provide necessary funding.

  • Chris Hinchliff Lab North East Hertfordshire

    Question

    As chair of the all-party parliamentary group for council and social housing, I welcome the report’s conclusion about boosting the supply of social housing. Does my hon. Friend agree that bold policies are needed to match past achievements like building over 800,000 council houses between 1946 and 1951?

    Minister reply

    My hon. Friend is correct in advocating for new social homes. We must look at various avenues for housing builders, councils, and developers and continue to fund them. The Government's affordable homes programme prospectus has opened this month, encouraging bids for high-quality, family-sized social homes.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Question

    I thank the Committee for their report; I am chair of the healthy homes and buildings all-party parliamentary group. This issue affects MPs across the UK weekly in advice surgeries. Shouldn't we share best practices with Northern Ireland housing providers?

    Minister reply

    Conditions in homes indeed impact constituencies nationwide, making it important to share best practice learning from other regions in the UK.

  • Bell Ribeiro-Addy Lab Clapham and Brixton Hill

    Question

    I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for her excellent report. Does she agree that housing associations sometimes try to get the heat taken off them by employing managing agents? When constituents approach them for repairs and so on, they are often sent back from one to the other. I have had particular incidents at the Darcus Howe apartments on Brixton Hill, where Notting Hill Genesis, which is the housing association, and Crabtree keep shirking the responsibility for providing some vital changes. For example, people could not get heating between November and January, the coldest months. Does my hon. Friend think that more should be done? Perhaps we should be better able to hold people criminally liable for the situations in which they put our constituents.

    Minister reply

    I thank my constituency neighbour for highlighting just one of the many examples that Members across the Chamber will have seen in their inboxes. We need to recognise how some housing associations that receive Government grants to build homes are treating their tenants. It is important to direct residents to the Regulator of Social Housing and other avenues. I hope that the management issue will come up in the forthcoming commonhold and leasehold legislation.

Shadow Comment

Will Forster

Will Forster thanked Florence Eshalomi for her leadership on the issue of social housing quality and enquired about the Government's response since the publication of their report, particularly regarding the request for a new decent homes programme. He highlighted the daily concerns raised by residents in Woking.

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