Government consultations give residents and landlords alike the opportunity to share their expertise and alternative perspectives with policy makers to influence their decisions.
Although not all policies will seek input from residents directly, we wanted to provide an indication of forthcoming consultations where we will be seeking your views.
Professionalisation
The call for professionalisation of the housing sector has been made by various housing campaign groups, including Grenfell United. We expect the government to propose that resident-facing managers and above will be required to have a Chartered Institute of Housing level 4 or 5 qualification, if they don’t already have a housing-related degree. If opened to residents, the consultation will give you the chance to comment on whether this is the right level of professional training you would expect from our staff.
Introduction of Awaab’s law
Following the tragic death of toddler Awaab Ishak in 2020, following prolonged exposure to mould in his home, the Manchester Evening News campaigned for an amendment in the Social Housing Bill for landlords to be set strict deadlines for damp and mould inspections and repairs. If opened to residents, this consultation will give you the opportunity to comment on the proposed timescales landlords have for responding to damp and mould.
Meanwhile, you can take a look a look at what we’re doing as part of our commitment to keeping on top of damp and mould in our homes.
Access to information scheme
In August 2023, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published research on residents’ experiences of asking for information from their landlord. The Social Housing Quality Resident Panel have welcomed the idea of having an established scheme. When the government consults, residents should have further opportunity to comment on the scheme.
Update on consumer standards
We have responded to government’s recent consultation on the revised consumer standards and the government is expected to publish the final version of these standards in January 2024.
