Key Facts

• The new clause would amend section 217 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
• Regulations may specify activities and circumstances under which qualifications are required.
• Requirements can include possession of a specified qualification or completion of training programmes.
• Clause 21 enables the Secretary of State to direct the regulator to set standards for the competence and conduct of social housing staff.
• Mandating qualifications could lead to £90 billion of debt being added to the public ledger if housing associations are reclassified to the public sector.
• The professionalisation review findings will be published early next year.
• The regulator can require providers to produce performance improvement plans.
• Fines are unlimited if a provider does not comply with an enforcement notice.
• Professional qualifications will be explored without risking reclassification.
• Consultation will involve Grenfell United, Shelter, and the CIH.
• Half of social renters are in the lowest income quintile compared with 22% of private renters and 12% of owners.
• More than half of all households in social tenure have one or more members with a long-term illness or disability.
• A minority of tenants face urgent moves due to serious youth violence, intimidation by criminal gangs, domestic abuse, and racial harassment.
• There is concern that mandatory qualifications could reclassify housing associations as public bodies, potentially adding up to £90 billion in debt to the public ledger.
• The new clause would designate registered providers as public authorities under the Freedom of Information Act within six months.
• The Government is working on an access to information scheme for tenants of private registered providers, which mirrors the FOI Act's provisions.
• Local authority providers are already subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
• In 2011, the coalition government announced plans to consult on bringing housing associations within FOI scope but took no further action.
• The Grenfell Tower fire highlighted difficulties in accessing information from social housing providers not covered by FOI.
• A Scottish Information Commissioner's report found that 57% of social landlords reported a small impact on staff workload due to FOI implementation.
• Edward Leigh discusses Clause 27 of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill.
• The clause concerns tenant satisfaction measures and performance monitoring.
• The MP highlights potential limitations in the TSM scheme due to variations in data collection methods across different organisations.
• Amendment 16 seeks to ensure all RPs must be inspected within four years of Act commencement.
• It requires each RP to undergo routine inspections at intervals not exceeding four years thereafter.
• The amendment allows the regulator flexibility in determining precise inspection frequencies based on landlord size and risk profile.
• Clause 29 commits the regulator to publishing and implementing an inspection plan.
• The clause ensures the regulator maintains a risk-based approach for oversight.
• Landlords with over 1,000 homes will be inspected every four years.
• Amendment 17 proposes changing 'may' to 'must' in clause 31.
• The amendment ensures that emergency remedial action will be mandatory when specific conditions are met.
• Clause 31 amends section 225 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
• The amendment proposes replacing 'may' with 'must' for emergency remedial action.
• Premises must meet stringent conditions before emergency repairs can be considered.
• Amendments made to adjust powers regarding leaving equipment or materials during emergency remedial action.
• New Clause 1 introduced, requiring the regulator to ensure continuity of secure tenancy for tenants threatened by personal safety issues.
• The new clause mandates that registered providers grant equivalent terms and conditions in alternative accommodation if a threat to personal safety exists.
• Georgia, an NHS worker, was forced to leave her home after her son was threatened by gang members.
• In one London borough, 47 housing association tenants have required homelessness assistance from the council as a result of threats of violence since 2019.
• The new clause aims to prevent victims of threats of serious violence from losing their secure social tenancy and being placed in temporary accommodation.
• The new clause aims to prevent tenants from losing their security of tenure if they need to relocate due to threats of violence.
• Local authorities are required to give victims of domestic abuse secure lifetime tenancies when rehousing them.
• Most private registered providers let between 50% and 100% of their tenancies via nominations from local authorities.
• The local authority's duty to provide emergency accommodation is not functioning effectively for cases like Georgia’s.
• Georgia faced an indefinite period in temporary accommodation despite facing threats.
• New Clause 4 aims to require managers of social housing to have appropriate qualifications and expertise.
• New clause 5 seeks to probe whether the right balance is struck in representing tenants and councillors on boards of registered providers.
• The Regulator of Social Housing sets standards for tenant engagement outcomes that landlords must achieve.
• A residents’ opportunities and empowerment programme provides training to improve resident engagement with landlords.
• New clause 6 amends section 193 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.
• The amendment includes major repair or improvement works, estate regeneration, service charges, homelessness prevention advice, and urgent moves for tenants at risk.
• Issues like domestic abuse and serious violence are considered important by social tenants.
• The regulator's current homes standard requires registered providers to provide a repairs and maintenance service meeting tenants' needs.
• The Government will cap social housing rent increases at a maximum of 7% in 2023-24.
• £2 billion is being invested over three years to address homelessness and rough sleeping.
• £316 million has been provided for the homelessness prevention grant this year.
• Schedule 5 of the Bill amends the regulator’s standard-setting powers to include policies and procedures in connection with domestic abuse.
• Edward Leigh thanked the Chair for being expeditious.
• He acknowledged his fellow Chair, mentioning they are from a Scottish nationalist background.