Key Facts

• Amendment 13 aims to ensure adequate care and support services in supported exempt accommodation and temporary housing.
• New clause 8 would amend the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 to include standards for consumer matters related to supported exempt accommodation and temporary accommodation.
• The amendment allows the Secretary of State to bring specific types of accommodation under consumer regulation through orders.
• The Bill aims to improve standards in social housing but faces criticism for delays.
• Non-profit making providers of supported exempt accommodation can exploit loopholes by letting properties at market rents without coming under consumer regulation.
• £159 million in housing benefit payments were received for 16,370 market rent properties outside consumer regulation in Birmingham last year.
• Amendment 13 would extend the remit of the regulator to supported and temporary accommodation.
• New clause 8 would regulate accommodation not classified as social housing but held by a registered provider.
• £1 billion in housing benefit was paid out last year on supported housing in exempt accommodation.
• Private companies like Stef & Philips are exploiting loopholes to make large profits from HMOs.
• Residents in Siobhain McDonagh's constituency report fear and distress due to lack of support for vulnerable tenants.
• In one case, a resident had to be locked in their room due to threats from another tenant with a knife.
• Another incident involved the police raiding an HMO property due to a crossbow threat by a vulnerable individual.
• The current regulation lacks powers and resources for local authorities to effectively manage social housing.
• Rogue providers are exploiting existing loopholes in regulations.
• There is a need to update standards and guidance for support services in exempt accommodation and temporary accommodation.
• New clause 2 aims to require the Regulator of Social Housing to report on safety defect remediation in social housing.
• New clause 3 seeks to mandate reports on whether the supply of social housing meets reasonable demands.
• The government is evaluating options for monitoring fire safety defects and does not want to pre-empt this process with new legislation.
• Every one of the 160 social sector buildings with unsafe aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding has been remediated.
• As of October 31, 251 social sector buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding systems have applied for government funding but none have been remediated.
• More than 1.2 million households are on a housing waiting list in England.
• The new clauses put extra burdens on the regulator, requiring them to report on the amount of social housing required.
• The MP believes that 90,000 units per year would be required just to get back to a standard deemed necessary.
• Tenant representation on the advisory panel is mandatory under the proposed amendment.
• The Bill aims to overhaul regulation for social housing residents.
• Clause 2 establishes an advisory panel but lacks independent influence over regulatory standards.
• Amendment 14 seeks to allow the panel to provide direct advice to the Secretary of State.
• Amendment 15 requires the advisory panel to be chaired by a tenant with majority membership from social tenants.
• Amendment 14 seeks to enable the advisory panel to provide information and advice directly to the Secretary of State.
• Amendment 15 aims for a social housing tenant to chair the advisory panel and have responsibility for setting its agenda, ensuring tenant majority membership.
• The resident panel is made up of 250 social housing residents from diverse backgrounds and will meet approximately monthly over the coming year.
• The amendment addresses clause 4 of the Bill.
• It aims to refine the regulator's fee-charging power.
• Any significant changes will be consulted upon and require ministerial approval.
• Clause 4 amends section 117 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 to clarify the extent of the regulator's fee-charging powers.
• Amendment 2 revises section 202 of the 2008 Act, removing subsections related to inspection fees.
• The Government is providing £4.8 million in funding for the regulator this financial year.
• The current system involves a three-stage internal complaints process taking about a year.
• Clause 31 of the Bill is about emergency remedial actions posing an imminent threat to health and safety.
• There are concerns that clause 31 fails to provide quick resolution due to existing delays in reaching the ombudsman.
• Clause 10 appoints a health and safety lead for registered providers.
• Clause 11 proposes mandatory electrical safety checks every five years for social housing properties.
• Current law does not require social landlords or leaseholders to undertake electrical safety checks.
• The consultation concluded in August.
• It included a call for evidence on mandatory five-year checks for leasehold properties in mixed tenure social housing blocks.
• My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow East emphasized the need to get the mechanism right for protecting people living in mixed-use blocks.