Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Social Housing Standards

Monday 13 April 2026 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mary Foy's constituent in City of Durham faced unresolved issues with cold and damp in social housing from October 2022 until February 2026 when the Housing Ombudsman completed investigations.
  • Sarah Pochin expressed concern over Riverside housing association in Runcorn and Helsby failing to communicate and support residents during property demolition and reconstruction.
  • Will Forster criticized the Conservative government for removing over 4 million from the housing revenue account, leading to a backlog of issues related to damp and mould.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mary Foy Lab City of Durham
Housing
Context

A constituent faced unresolved issues with extreme cold and damp in a social housing property from October 2022 to April 2025, leading to referrals to the Housing Ombudsman.

Question

In October 2022, a constituent of mine moved into a social housing property and immediately faced issues with extreme cold and damp. The issues went unresolved for so long that he referred his complaints to the Housing Ombudsman in April 2025, but it took until February this year for investigations to begin. What are the Government doing to ensure that housing associations are meeting their requirements under Awaab's law and that they have the resources to do so?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

I am very sorry to learn of the experience of my hon. Friend's constituent. All housing association homes must be free from dangerous damp and mould. I note that her case arose before we brought the first phase of Awaab's law into force on 27 October last year; now that we have done so, all social landlords are required to repair emergency hazards within 24 hours and to deal with dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific resources or enforcement mechanisms were not addressed.

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Q2 Sarah Pochin Reform Runcorn and Helsby
Housing
Context

Residents in Runcorn and Helsby constituency have faced a lack of communication and support during the demolition and reconstruction of their homes by Riverside Housing Association. The Wheldon family, in their 80s and having lived in the same property for over 50 years, are among those facing significant upheaval without proper information.

Question

In my Runcorn and Helsby constituency, Riverside housing association is flattening 365 properties, demolishing them to build new homes. Residents have been left with no communication, no support and no number to ring—residents such as John and Barbara Wheldon, now in their 80s, who have lived in the same property for more than 50 years and are facing the trauma of that move without knowing where they are going. Will the Minister agree with me that housing associations have a duty of care to residents and that, where they fail in that duty of care, they should be held to account?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

Social landlords are held to regulatory standards that are overseen by the regulator. I am sorry to hear about the experience of John and Barbara and others. If the hon. Lady would like to write to me with details about the case, I will happily look into it.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not explicitly agree or disagree that housing associations should be held accountable for failing their duty of care towards residents.

How: If The Hon. Lady Would Like To Write To Me With Details About The Case, I Will Happily Look Into It.

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Q3 Chris Hinchliff Lab North East Hertfordshire
Housing

Question

More social housing is essential but, as Members across the House will know, increasingly distant housing associations are often far too quick to put up fees and far too slow to tackle damp, mould and disrepair. What more will the Minister do to ensure that future public funding comes with clear strings attached to require better standards for our constituents?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

Registered providers of social housing, whoever they are, must address non-decency wherever it exists and must do so in a timely and professional manner. Where there are concerns that an RP is not delivering against the required regulatory standards, as I just mentioned, referrals can be made to the regulator, and the regulator has robust enforcement powers that allow it to take effective action when serious failings are identified.

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Q4 Will Forster Lib Dem Woking
Housing

Question

Housing, including damp and mould, is a top issue in my inbox as MP for Woking. One of the key problems is the Conservatives’ unlawful removal of more than £4 million from the housing revenue account, which has resulted in a huge backlog of issues. What steps are this Government and this Minister taking to ensure that that does not happen again to add further woes to our social housing stock?

Answer from Matthew Pennycook

We are taking a number of steps to assist local authorities whose HRAs are under pressure, including the rent convergence introduction, which I know the hon. Gentleman is aware of, and all the other regulatory certainty and stability that allows local authorities, as well as housing associations, to plan for the future and invest in their existing stock, as well as building new social and affordable homes.

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