Round Table Review 15


Foundations for Healthy & Safe Housing: The Social Housing (Regulation) Act


T


he Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 may have a somewhat clumsy title – due to its role creating a new regulatory framework on property maintenance – but another outcome of that is the Act being called the


sector’s most signifi cant reform in over a decade. Its passing was catalysed by the death of two-year old Awaab Ishak due to extreme mould in Rochdale social housing in 2020, but was in fact several years in the making. T e resulting set of legislation gives new power to the Social Housing Regulator to deliver on the longstanding Healthy Homes agenda, focusing on housing safety including crucial aspects such as ventilation and air quality. T is includes a new inspections regime for social landlords, and a new level of responsibility placed on them to ensure that their homes are healthy and safe. T e fi rst part of the new Act’s secondary legislation to come into force is


Awaab’s Law, due this October, comprising measures to prevent dangerous damp and mould occurring in social housing. T is will include timeframes for landlords to deal with property ‘emergencies,’ i.e. severe damp and mould problems, and other hazards, but also requirements to work collaboratively with tenants to reach the goals. Our recent, inaugural Building Insights LIVE round table for Housing


Management and Maintenance, assessing the Act’s likely impact on the housing management and maintenance sector, was therefore well timed. Given the critical nature of the subject, we worked hard to assemble an informed yet diverse lineup, to thrash out the key issues and search for practical solutions in a lively session at London’s Institute of Directors, in March.


ROUND TABLE ATTENDEES • Round Table Chair: Matt Baird, Co-Chair, Spring Housing / Baird & Co Recruitment


• Hony Premlal, Chair, WISH (Women in Social Housing) • Dr Douglas Booker, Lecturer in Indoor Air, University of Leeds • Dr Hector Altamirano-Medina, Academic Director, UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings


• Billy Cliff en, Healthy Homes Manager, Riverside


• Andrew Burke, Deputy Secretary, NHMF • Lee Reevell, Chief Innovation Offi cer, The Healthy Homes Hub & Halton Housing


• Sarah Garry, Chief Executive, Property Care Association • Amy Bentall, Associate, Trowers & Hamlins LLP • Dale Holroyd, Commercial Director, ZapCarbon •


Stephanie Goad, Chief Executive, Golding Homes


SPONSOR ATTENDEES • David Bly, Cornerstone Management Services • Luke Brooks, Senior Commercial Manager, Specialist Packed Products, Tarmac


• Ashley Welch, Pre-Contracts Manager, WMS Underfl oor Heating


Housing Management & Maintenance April/May 2025


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