Housing conditions in England – Housing Committee publishes written evidence submissions, including case study of family visiting A&E with rat bites

Ahead of an evidence session next week with witnesses including Kwajo Tweneboa, social housing activist and writer, and Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has published written evidence submissions for its inquiry examining housing conditions in England.

The Committee has published the written evidence submissions relating to housing conditions in social housing and private rented sectors, and also in new builds and in temporary accommodation (see full list of evidence submissions).

The HCLG Committee received evidence from organisations including housing associations, councils, representative bodies such as the Local Government Association (LGA) and the National Housing Federation (NHF), groups such as the Shared Health Foundation, and public bodies such as the Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing.

The Committee also heard from charities including Shelter and Barnardo's, tenant campaign groups, and trade bodies including Propertymark and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

The evidence submissions cover a range of issues, including the likely impact of reforms to the Decent Homes Standard and the introduction of Awaab's Law, the scale of poor housing conditions, including for children and young people, and the relationship between housing and health

In the social housing sector, submissions highlighted the financial pressures on the sector and difficult decisions around investment in bringing up existing stock to new standards while looking to invest in new developments. Submissions include those from the Housing Ombudsman, on the increase in complaints regarding damp, mould, and overcrowding, and also Shelter, Clarion Housing Group, Southern Housing, NHF, and the Regulator of Social Housing. As noted in the written evidence submission from the Housing Ombudsman Service, "1.5 million children in England lived in a non-decent home in 2023 and 19% of those live in social housing". 

In the private rented sector, submissions reflect on the fact that poor conditions are more prevalent in this sector than in other tenures, with around 1 in 5 private rented homes failing to meet the current Decent Homes Standard (DHS). Barnardo's evidence points to children experiencing a range of health issues as a result of poor quality or unsafe housing including respiratory infections, asthma and rat bites. A Barnardo's case study refers to a family presenting to an Emergency Department on several occasions with rat bites on their hands, feet and heads. Campaign groups such as Shelter comment on the introduction of the new DHS and on the provisions of the Renters' Rights Bill. Propertymark and the NRLA comment on issues around the introduction and implementation of Awaab's Law and the new DHS.

On new builds, the evidence submission from the New Homes Ombudsman Service says that public confidence in new-build housing is low, with many buyers reporting “multiple defects after moving in.” Almost 94% of those who purchased a new-build reported defects or snags to the developer after moving in, according to the National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. The Chartered Institute for Housing raises concerns about future proofing, stating that “every new home that is constructed and occupied today that does not meet a high energy performance specification is putting current and future generations at risk of fuel poverty.”

On temporary accommodation, Shelter says that "Appalling conditions are very prevalent in temporary accommodation, where people are often at a very vulnerable point in their lives" and evidence submissions from Groundswell, a charity, and the Shared Health Foundation raise concerns about conditions in temporary accommodation.

Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said: “The written evidence submissions to our inquiry lay bare the extent of the housing crisis in England. Too many people, whether in the rented sector or in social housing, suffer from appalling housing conditions. Evidence submissions also point to the significant problems in temporary accommodation and of concerns about the conditions and future-proofing of new build homes.

“In our inquiry, we will be examining what action is needed to address these issues. We will be looking at how far the Government's Decent Homes Standard, the introduction of ‘Awaab's law', and the Renters' Rights Bill, will go to address the poor housing conditions which blight the lives of too many people in England today.”

On Tuesday 14 October, the HCLG Committee evidence session will focus on the state of social housing in England, hearing from representatives of social housing residents, from councils, and from the social housing sector (see full list of witnesses below).

The session will focus on conditions in social housing including the prevalence of hazards, such as damp and mould, in homes across the country, and examine how effective the Government's policies to improve housing conditions are likely to be.

Witnesses:

From 10am

• Kwajo Tweneboa, social housing activist and writer 
• Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, Housing Ombudsman Service
• Yaw Boateng, Vice Chair of the National Committee, Stop Social Housing Stigma

From 10.45am

• Cllr Sarah King, Leader of Southwark Council
• Ian McDermott, Chief Executive of Peabody and Chair of G15
• Craig Moule, Group Chief Executive, Sanctuary
• Kate Henderson, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

ENDS

Further information

The Committee's conditions of homes inquiry (see full terms of reference) will be examining the Government's Decent Homes Standard, the introduction of ‘Awaab's law', and the passage of the Renters Reform Bill, and looking at how far these policies will go to address poor housing conditions in England.

On Tuesday 9 September, the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee began its inquiry examining housing conditions in England, with questions to witnesses including Sir Michael Marmot, Director, Institute for Health Equity, Helen Garratt, National Housing Data and Insights Lead, Building Research Establishment, Dr Henry Dawson, Senior Lecturer in Housing and Public Health, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Millie Brown, Deputy Director for Homes, Centre for Better Ageing, Michael Erhardt, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Disability Rights UK (evidence session transcript, 9 September).