Housing

Round-up of recent Ombudsman decisions and reports

Limits on discounts under the Right to Buy Scheme in England

New statutory instrument returns the maximum discount levels to pre-2012 regional levels

Budget 2024: Government launches consultation on a new long-term social housing rent settlement and announces changes to the Right to Buy scheme

Government also outlines that it is providing £233 million of additional spending in 2025/2026 on homelessness, at least £600 million of new grant funding to support social care, and an £86 million increase to the Disabled Facilities Grant

Scottish homelessness and housing organisations warn of risk to the lives and human rights of rough sleepers this winter

Letter to Human Rights Commission asks for urgent investigation into potential breach of obligations to protect fundamental right to life caused by a severe lack of safe accommodation

Welsh Government publishes White Paper setting out plans to improve affordability, habitability and accessibility in the private rented sector

Cabinet Secretary says that proposals set out further building blocks in the government's progressive path towards achieving housing adequacy for the people of Wales

Senedd Committee calls on Welsh Government to explore the feasibility of compensating tenants for no-fault evictions

New report from the Local Government and Housing Committee also finds widespread discrimination by landlords against people on benefits and people with pets

Lack of joined-up support from council led to significant gaps in disabled man’s care package, homelessness and unsuitable interim and temporary accommodation

Ombudsman recommends that council pays more than £10,000 in compensation and reminds it of its duties towards homeless people, particularly those with complex support needs

Last year saw a more than 10 per cent increase in the number of people dying while homeless in the UK

New statistics also highlight that deaths of people sleeping rough increased by 42 per cent

Commons Public Bill Committee issues call for evidence on Renters’ Rights Bill

With scrutiny of the Bill due to commence on 22 October 2024, Committee strongly advises that evidence be submitted as soon as possible

Call for Renters’ Rights Bill to include ‘relocation compensation’ and protection from ‘rent-hike evictions’

Briefing from Generation Rent for the Bill's second reading yesterday also urges government to include provisions to end the 'right to rent' policy

Councils risk compounding problems for victims of domestic abuse if they do not follow proper process when providing housing and homelessness support

Issuing a good practice guide, Ombudsman highlights that Domestic Abuse Act 2021 created new duties and powers for councils to help victims

Transfer of functions in consequence of the renaming of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

New statutory instrument

Prescription of new classes of dwelling that are exempt from the empty homes or second homes council tax premiums in England

New statutory instrument

Rough sleeping could ‘quickly spiral out of control’ if funding is not extended beyond March 2025

Coalition of more than 20 homelessness organisations calls on Chancellor to make a budget committment to extend the Rough Sleeping Initiative fund for at least another 3 years in light of record homelessness

More than 10,000 Ukrainian households have been found to be owed statutory homelessness duty in England since the Russian invasion in February 2022

New MHCLG statistics also show that the homelessness duty resulted in prevention or relief for almost three-quarters of homeless households as at 31 August 2024

More than 320,000 households faced homelessness in 2023/2024, the highest on record

New MHCLG statistics also highlight huge increase in newly recognised refugees owed a homelessness duty as a result of 'action to clear the backlog in asylum decisions'

Round-up of recent Ombudsman decisions and reports