Health, wealth and housing

With housing set to be a key election battleground in the coming months, Nikki highlights a few of the top stories that have hit the headlines this month.

In summary, house prices remain stubbornly high despite the increase in interest rates, and the cost of renting has skyrocketed as demand continues to outstrip supply.

Meanwhile, the urgent need to tackle sub-standard housing is taking centre stage with the introduction of Awaab’s Law and a new report from the Health and Social Care Committee outlining the impact of poor housing on health outcomes.

Building magazine reports on a freedom of information request revealing that since its inception in 2017, just £1.3 billion (about 31%) of the government's £4.2 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund has been spent.

The fund was set up to accelerate housebuilding by providing local authorities with funding for land preparation, transport infrastructure and education facilities.

Read more here.

As shared by Specification Online, the Prevention in Health and Social Care: Healthy Places report, published this month, is a sobering read. Outlining the strong evidence linking poor housing and ill health, the report calls on the government to urgently update the Decent Homes Standard and extend it to cover the private rented sector.

Read the full story.

One of the key stories shared on Inside Housing this month was about the launch of the consultation to deliver Awaab's Law. Named after Awaab Ishak – the two-year-old who died in December 2020 due to poor housing conditions – the proposed amendment to the Social Housing Regulation Bill will require social housing landlords to follow strict time limits to inspect and repair hazards, including damp and mould.

Access the article here.

The Housing Forum is calling on the next government to create a £4bn Housing Accelerator Fund to deliver 60,000 new affordable homes, reports Olivia Barber in Housing Today. This forms part of The Housing Forum’s Manifesto for Housing 2024, published in January, which urges all political parties to commit to a long-term plan for as long as 25 years.

Read the full story here.

As the need to decarbonise homes gathers pace and the cost of energy continues to rise, the Guardian reports a growing number of homeowners are switching to heat pumps, with some halving their monthly heating costs. And despite misconceptions, even those living in older rural homes and Victorian properties are reaping the benefits of heat pump technology.

Find out more here.

On the countdown to a general election and as Awaab’s Law comes into effect, housing is finally getting the long-deserved attention it needs. We can expect continued focus on increasing supply, tackling poor standards, and exploring innovative solutions.

Will these measures be enough to address the affordability crisis and ensure everyone has a safe, healthy home? Only time, and the policies from the next government, will tell.