A study found that the 'Decent Homes' programme was considered by respondents to have made a positive impact overall on tenant satisfaction, tenant choice, and partnering arrangements. The programme was thought to have brought considerable efficiency gains in procurement and investment.
Source: Jude Bennington, Ian Cole, Richard Crisp, Will Eadson, Del Fletcher, John Flint, Janet Gilbertson, Steve Green, Paul Hickman, Sarah Pearson, and Kesia Reeve, Assessment of the Decent Homes Programme: Final Report, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Notes: The Decent Homes programme was launched by the previous Labour government in 2000 to improve the condition of homes in the social housing sector and for vulnerable households in non-decent accommodation in the private sector. Publication of the report, dated March 2010, was delayed by the new coalition government.
Date: 2011-Oct
A report said that housing conditions in the United Kingdom were among the worst in western Europe and cost the country £7 billion in costs to the National Health Service, social services, and education. Cuts to local authority housing services, a lack of affordable accommodation, and welfare reforms were creating 'real hardship and ill-health' for the most vulnerable people.
Source: Recommendations for the Reform of UK Housing Policy, Pro-Housing Alliance
Links: Report | CIEH press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2011-Sep
A report said that the average new three-bedroom home in England was around 8 per cent smaller than the basic recommended minimum size – depriving thousands of families of the space needed for children to do homework, adults to work from home, guests to stay, and members of the household to relax together.
Source: Rebecca Roberts-Hughes, The Case for Space: The size of England?s new homes, Royal Institute of British Architects
Links: Report | RIBA press release | HBF press release
Date: 2011-Sep
The Energy Bill was given a third reading. The Bill provided for the introduction from 2012 of the 'Green Deal'. From April 2018 it would be unlawful to rent out a house that had less than an 'E' energy efficiency rating.
Source: Energy Bill [HL], Department for Energy and Climate Change, TSO | Debate 14 September 2011, columns 1043-1145, House of Commons Hansard, TSO
Links: Bill | Explanatory notes | Hansard
Notes: The 'Green Deal' is a programme designed to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. Under the scheme, householders would be able to get energy efficiency improvements carried out with capital provided by businesses, who would get their money back through energy bills.
Date: 2011-Sep
The English Housing Survey Housing Stock Report was published for 2009. Some 8.8 million (38 per cent) of the 22.3 million dwellings in England in 2009 had been built before 1945, and 4.8 million (21 per cent) before 1919. There had been a significant reduction in the amount of disrepair since 2001 – particularly in private rented housing.
Source: English Housing Survey: Housing Stock Report 2009, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Summary statistics | Summary
Date: 2011-Jul
A report said that inadequate housing accounted for over 100,000 deaths per year in Europe, and caused or contributed to many preventable diseases and injuries.
Source: Matthias Braubach, David Jacobs, and David Ormandy (eds.), Environmental Burden of Disease Associated with Inadequate Housing: A method guide to the quantification of health effects of selected housing risks in the WHO European Region, World Health Organisation (Regional Office for Europe)
Links: Report | WHO press release
Date: 2011-Jun
A report reviewed the evidence on the direct and indirect health impacts suffered by those living in fuel poverty and cold housing. 21.5 per cent of 'excess winter deaths' – equivalent to around 5,500 – were due to people living in the coldest quarter of housing.
Source: Ilaria Geddes, Ellen Bloomer, Jessica Allen, and Peter Goldblatt, The Health Impacts of Cold Homes and Fuel Poverty, Friends of the Earth/Marmot Review Team
Links: Report | Friends of the Earth press release | Citizens Advice press release | RCP press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2011-May
A report said that poor housing cost the National Health Service in Wales around £67 million per year.
Source: Maggie Davidson, Simon Nicol, Mike Roys, and Adele Beaumont, The Cost of Poor Housing in Wales, Shelter Cymru and Building Research Establishment (BRE) Trust
Links: Summary | Shelter press release
Date: 2011-Apr
An article examined the views and experiences of residents who had benefited from social housing modernization. Residents reported significant improvements in the appearance, functionality, and manageability of their properties; they felt prouder of their homes and were more likely to make additional improvements to them.
Source: Aimee Walshaw, 'From house to home: residents perceptions of housing modernisation', Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Volume 4 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Mar
A report said that the 'vast majority' of the 221,000 homes owned and managed by housing associations and local authorities in Wales would achieve the Welsh housing quality standard by the deadlines given.
Source: Social Landlords Performance in Achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report | WAG press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A paper examined the early housing and neighbourhood circumstances of children born in England in 2000. The majority of children experienced good housing conditions. Those in social rented homes, and to a lesser extent in private rented homes, were markedly disadvantaged in terms of family circumstances and neighbourhood deprivation. Housing conditions and other neighbourhood characteristics also varied somewhat between tenures. Links were found between children's housing tenure and test scores: these were largely explained by a combination of family characteristics and neighbourhood deprivation.
Source: Rebecca Tunstall, Ruth Lupton, Dylan Kneale, and Andrew Jenkins, Growing Up in Social Housing in the New Millennium: Housing, neighbourhoods, and early outcomes for children born in 2000, CASEpaper 143, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (London School of Economics)
Links: Paper
Date: 2011-Mar
A study found that tenants living in cold homes that posed the greatest risk to health could save £488 per year on fuel bills if the properties were improved to a basic standard of heating and insulation.
Source: Frances Downy, Which Way Up: Advance headline findings, Friends of the Earth/WWF
Links: Report | FOE press release
Date: 2011-Mar
A report said that in 2009 6.0 per cent of the European Union population suffered from severe housing deprivation. The most frequent problems were noise from the neighbourhood (22.2 per cent); overcrowding (17.8 per cent); and pollution, grime, or other environmental problems (16.5 per cent). In addition, 12.2 per cent of people in the EU lived in households affected by high housing costs.
Source: Housing Conditions in Europe in 2009, Eurostat (European Union)
Links: Report | Eurostat press release
Date: 2011-Feb
A report examined the use of civil, rather than criminal, sanctions for non-compliance with building regulations.
Source: Greenstreet Berman, The Use of Civil Sanctions to Enforce Building Regulations: Final Report, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report
Date: 2011-Feb
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the 'Decent Homes' programme (designed to improve the living conditions of social housing tenants).
Source: Beyond Decent Homes: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2009-10, First Special Report (Session 2010-11), HC 746, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response
Notes: MPs report
Date: 2011-Jan
An article examined evidence on how long children lived in bad housing, and whether the duration was associated with other poor outcomes. Policy-makers needed to focus on reducing the substantial number of children who lived in bad housing for long periods, and interventions in housing provision for families were likely to lead to improvements in many other aspects of children's lives.
Source: Matt Barnes, Sarah Butt, and Wojtek Tomaszewski, 'The duration of bad housing and children's well-being in Britain', Housing Studies, Volume 26 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2011-Jan
A briefing paper examined the existing standard on overcrowded housing, efforts to update the standard, and the new government's approach to tackling the problem.
Source: Wendy Wilson, Housing: Overcrowding, Standard Note SN/SP/1013, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2011-Jan
