CWAG

Update on Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution

The Government’s programme of local government reorganisation (LGR) continues to develop following a review announced in September 2026, which paused a number of decisions and withdrew previous proposals covering Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

On 29 October, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed its ongoing commitment to delivering the LGR programme across England. The Government stated that, subject to a short period for further representations, it is minded to proceed with reorganisation proposals in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and East Sussex with Brighton & Hove.

The remaining 15 areas within the LGR programme, including the nine areas where decisions were paused or withdrawn, remain under consideration, with final announcements expected in early 2027.

To provide certainty for local authorities and residents, local elections scheduled for May 2027 are expected to proceed on existing council boundaries while decisions are finalised. The current timetable envisages shadow elections for new unitary authorities taking place in May 2028, with new councils assuming full powers from April 2029.

These reforms sit alongside the Government’s wider devolution agenda, which envisages mayoral strategic authorities operating alongside larger unitary councils. The direction of travel is towards more strategic decision-making across wider economic areas, particularly in relation to housing, regeneration, infrastructure and economic growth.

The recent Budget reinforced this trend, signalling that an increasing proportion of government investment and funding flexibility will be directed through mayoral authorities. Larger devolved budgets, enhanced borrowing powers and greater control over housing, transport and growth funding are expected to strengthen the role of mayoral strategic authorities as key commissioning and investment bodies in their regions.

Reform of the Shared Ownership Model

In a recent Parliamentary Statement, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook announced a two-phase programme of reforms aimed at improving the shared ownership model and strengthening protections for shared owners.

The first phase of reforms includes raising the household income eligibility thresholds for shared ownership, increasing scrutiny of fees and service charges, and introducing enhanced data collection and reporting requirements.

New schemes funded through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) will be expected to place greater emphasis on long-term affordability for residents. Providers will also be required to ensure that fees charged to shared owners are not used to generate profit or cross-subsidise other areas of their business.

The Minister also confirmed that a second phase of reforms will consider some of the most significant challenges experienced by shared owners. Areas under review include barriers to staircasing, the fairness of nomination periods and provider fees, the potential introduction of buyback or leasehold repurchase options, and improvements to the information, guidance and support available to existing shared owners.

These reforms signal a stronger focus on affordability, transparency and consumer protection, with the government seeking to ensure that shared ownership remains a viable and sustainable route into home ownership.

Update on the Social Housing Bill

The Social Housing Bill was introduced into the House of Lords in May 2026 and has now progressed to the Commons. The Government has tabled a package of amendments at Commons Committee Stage. The changes focus on protecting social housing stock, strengthening tenant protections, and supporting homelessness prevention.

Key Changes Proposed

Protecting Social Housing Stock

• Extends the notification period for disposals of social housing outside the regulated sector from 4 weeks to 8 weeks.
• Requires registered providers to notify a wider range of local authorities about proposed disposals.
• Increases the information provided to councils and other providers to support potential acquisitions.
• Introduces a Right to Buy rural self-designation

Strengthening Tenant Protection

• Enhances protections for social tenants experiencing domestic abuse.
• Helps survivors retain tenancy security when moving to escape abuse.
• Clarifies landlords’ responsibilities when tenancy changes are required as a result of domestic abuse.
• Right to Manage reforms

Tackling Homelessness and Reducing Bureaucracy

• A new duty that specified bodies must identify actual or possible homelessness alongside a general duty to act.
• Repeal of obsolete / unworkable legacy provisions from earlier housing legislation.

Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill

On 4th November 2026 the government published the Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill, introducing significant new measures to accelerate the remediation of unsafe cladding and strengthen accountability for building safety. The legislation aims to address ongoing delays in remediation nearly a decade after the Grenfell Tower Tragedy, ensuring that unsafe residential buildings are identified and made safe more quickly.

Key proposals include a new legal duty on those responsible for residential buildings over 11 metres in height to assess and remediate life-critical external wall fire safety risks, backed by stronger enforcement powers, financial penalties and potential criminal sanctions for persistent non-compliance. The Bill will also establish a national register of medium-rise residential buildings, require standardised fire risk assessments, improve transparency of building ownership, and make it easier to pursue construction product manufacturers for the costs of unsafe products.

The legislation also introduces a new “Remediation Backstop”, allowing public authorities to step in and carry out remediation work where responsible parties fail to act, helping to ensure that no affected building is left without a route to remediation.

Overall, the Bill is intended to speed up remediation, improve resident protection, and reinforce the principle that those responsible for building safety failures should pay to put them right.

Outcome of Social Housing Right to Manage Review

MHCLG has published the outcome of a review of Social Housing Right to Manage which included consideration of issues relating to the ALMO model.

The key findings in respect of ALMOs are:

‘The evidence suggested that ALMOs were working effectively, with good performance, governance and outcomes for tenants. Most managed a wide range of housing services, and ALMOs and councils were generally clear about their responsibilities.

All ALMOs had formal agreements in place. Governance arrangements were viewed as adequate by 9 in 10 ALMOs and 6 in 10 local authorities. Lower scores were mainly due to reviews following the introduction of the consumer regulatory reforms in 2024. ALMOs described strong approaches to tenant engagement, complaints handling and staff concerns. Confidence in financial arrangements was high, with all but one ALMO reporting fit-for-purpose audit systems.

The call for evidence did not identify a need for significant reform to the current ALMO framework. Housemark analysis commissioned by the National Federation of ALMOs has found that ALMOs achieve higher than average overall satisfaction in the Tenant Satisfaction Measures’.

Right to Manage and TMOs

The review signals a significant overhaul of the Right to Manage framework, with a stronger emphasis on governance, building safety, accountability and landlord oversight, while seeking to preserve TMOs as a vehicle for resident empowerment and local control of housing services.

Other Publications

Regulator of Social Housing: 2026 Risk Profile

The central message of the Sector Risk Profile 2026 is that social landlords must deliver “more and better social homes” while facing higher expectations on safety, quality and energy efficiency, all within a difficult financial environment and operating environment characterised by complex interlocking risks.

Although the regulator’s economic standards apply primarily to housing associations, the report stresses that local authority landlords should apply the same governance, risk management and assurance lessons to their Housing Revenue Accounts and landlord functions. Success will depend on strong governance, robust data, effective risk management and clear strategic choices about investment priorities.

Do you live in a stock?  Stop Social Housing Stigma

This report published by the Stop Housing Stigma campaign examines the part that language and terminology used in the sector plays in generating stigma. Changing language will not resolve social housing stigma on its own, but sectoral rethinking of what language is used can play an important part.

Foundation to Thrive: How to Unlock a Council Housing Revolution – Shelter

This report sets out key reforms to reverse the long-term decline of council owned social housing. Whilst recognising recent positive action by government, including increased grant funding, reduced Right to Buy discounts, a long-term rent settlement and a renewed focus on social rent, the report argues that that current measures alone will not deliver the homes needed to end the housing crisis. It recommends major reforms to funding, land acquisition and delivery powers, alongside a national council housing mission to deliver a renewed council housing programme at scale.

Capacity to Build Programme for Councils

MHCLG has updated its guidance on the Council Housebuilding Skills and Capacity Programme which is renamed Capacity to Build. A further £46m will be available over the next three years (2026-29) to further expand the skills and capacity offer to councils embarking on newbuild development.

Capacity to Build is delivered in partnership with Homes England and the Local Government Association (LGA), helping councils to:

• improve their workforce‘s capability to deliver social and affordable housing
• recruit and retain staff to specialist housebuilding positions
• develop and accelerate bids for grant funding through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP)

The support offer is in three parts:

• The Council Housebuilding Support Service (CHoSS) is delivered by the LGA. It offers bespoke no-cost support to help councils establish, strengthen, or accelerate their council housebuilding programmes. Support may include technical and specialist advice, training, workshops, tools, published guidance, and peer learning.
• An expansion of the Pathways to Planning programme to other specialist housebuilding positions including surveying and construction project management roles. Graduates are supported through structured training and accreditation routes, helping councils to build a sustainable pipeline of skilled staff for housing delivery.
• The Council Housebuilding Support Fund (CHSF) is delivered in partnership with Homes England and provides councils with targeted revenue funding to support pre-development work including feasibility and viability studies, site investigations and pipeline development. Applications for the 2026/27 bidding round are now open. Closing date 2 November 2026.

The National Audit Office (NAO) inquiry into temporary accommodation

The NAO launched an inquiry into the resilience and oversight of England’s temporary accommodation system on 11 September 2026. The inquiry will examine whether government is overseeing a temporary accommodation system that is resilient and delivers value for money, with a report expected in Spring 2027.

The review will assess:

• How effectively the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) provides stewardship of temporary accommodation
• How effectively central and local government work together to address immediate pressures and longer-term solutions.
• Whether the temporary accommodation system delivers suitable accommodation and positive outcomes for households.

The inquiry was launched against a backdrop of record demand, with around 135,600 households living in temporary accommodation in England at the end of March 2026.

The review also includes an archive of individual landlord performance reports that can be downloaded.

CWAG Response -RSH Call for evidence – More and Better Social Home

CWAG has submitted a response to the call for evidence focused on how regulation can support the delivery of more and better homes while improving outcomes for tenants.

CWAG supports proposals for a more targeted risk-based regulatory approach that uses a range of data and regulatory intelligence such as Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), complaints, compliance data and tenant feedback to identify higher-risk landlords. Regulation should be intelligence-led, proportionate and focused on improving tenant outcomes.

However, any increased reliance on the use of data should be balanced with ongoing engagement and dialogue between landlords and the Regulator to maintain collaborative relationships and enable early intervention. The Regulator should maintain its collaborative approach while providing greater clarity on expectations and taking firm action where improvement is not achieved.

Greater attention should also be given to how effectively landlords manage and utilise their existing stock. This includes reducing long-term voids, tackling housing fraud, supporting rightsizing, making best use of adapted homes and improving mobility within the housing stock

Financial realities and local circumstances must also be recognised if landlords are to successfully deliver both high-quality services and new homes.

Other Publications

The impact of the new rent settlement – Savills Briefing Note

This research briefing assesses the impact of the Government’s new social housing rent settlement, which allows registered providers to increase rents by CPI + 1% annually for 10 years, alongside the reintroduction of rent convergence measures.

The research highlights that social housing rents have fallen significantly in real terms with rents currently around 17% lower than they would have been if CPI+1% increases had applied throughout the recent period of below inflation rent caps.

The new CPI+1% rent settlement and rent convergence policy are a ‘necessary step’ towards restoring landlords’ ability to invest in existing homes and support new development. However, Savills cautions that increased rental income alone will not solve financial pressures to maintain and upgrade the existing stock and develop new homes.

Social rents are expected to remain substantially below private sector rents, particularly in London and the South East, meaning affordability protections are largely maintained while providers gain some financial stability. However, general needs social rents are likely to remain below 2015/16 levels before the rent cut in real terms.

Tackling damp and mould: Professional practice, cultural change and regulation in social housing

Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the Chartered Institute of Building have published a joint report which provides both practical guidance and a theoretical framework on how best to approach the dual problems of damp and mould. The guide includes advice on common scenarios as well as case studies.

Funding the future – The financial and economic case for removing Housing Revenue Account Debt

The report argues that that HRA debt is a major structural barrier to council housebuilding and cancelling  HRA debt could unlock a programme  of up to 284,000 new council homes, deliver £411 billion of economic activity, improve outcomes for households and ultimately generate benefits that outweigh the costs.

Diary Dates

Annual General Meeting – Thursday 1st October 2026 (10.00 – 12.00)

A reminder that the CWAG Annual General Meeting is taking place on Thursday 1st October 2026 via Teams.

All CWAG members are encouraged to send a representative as the AGM will be considering proposals with implications for the future structure, management  and direction of the group.

Our speaker this year will be Guy Marshall, Director of Fuza Ltd who will be discussing the challenges, risks and opportunities of AI for the social housing sector. This session will provide an introduction to this topic ahead of the Strategic AI Awareness webinar highlighted below.

Please contact the Policy Office for further details and the meeting link if you have not already received this.

Council /ALMO webinar – Strategic AI Awareness – Monday 19th October 2026 (10.00 – 12.00)

This joint webinar with the National Federation of ALMOs will bring together representatives from both councils and ALMO to consider the implications of AI and governance for this sector. The session will focus on:

• Understanding AI and the path to effective implementation.
• Focusing on strategic-level governance rather than technical complexities, empowering leaders to ask the right questions.
• Aligning strategic thinking between ALMOs and parent councils to foster a unified approach to AI adoption.

With developments moving rapidly in the AI sphere it is vital for organisations to engage with the challenges involved in the rollout of this technology.

This session will also be run by Guy Marshall of Fuza Ltd.

For further information please contact the Policy Officer.

Awaab’s Law Update

MHCLG has published a series of updates on Awaab’s Law in preparation for Phase 2 which will be rolled out from 30th November 2026 and increase the number of the hazards covered under the regulations

Awaab’s Law Phase 1 – Test and Learn Report (July 2026)

MHCLG commissioned Verian to undertake a ‘test and learn’ exercise in respect of the implementation of Awaab’s Law Phase 1 in October 2025. The research involved interviews and focus groups with social housing tenants and landlords across England and has been used to inform the approach on implementation of the second phase of Awaab’s Law.

Key findings – Phase 1 implementation:

•  Awaab’s Law is starting to change behaviour across the sector, with landlords giving greater priority to serious hazards, particularly damp and mould.
• There is evidence of increased landlord accountability and strengthened organisational oversight of housing hazards. However, implementation has been uneven, with varying levels of preparedness, resources and operational capability evident among landlords.
• Tenants have generally welcomed the introduction of Awaab’s Law and felt it provided stronger rights and leverage when reporting hazards. However, awareness of the legislation among tenants was found to be relatively low, and often limited to damp and mould rather than hazards more generally.
• Tenants reported mixed experiences. Whilst emergency hazards were often addressed quickly, damp and mould cases frequently took weeks or months to resolve. Tenants were most dissatisfied when landlords appeared focused on meeting deadlines rather than delivering a lasting solution.
• The researchers noted that most landlords demonstrated a strong understanding of the overall aims of Awaab’s Law and had introduced new processes, governance arrangements and monitoring systems to comply with the regulations.
• Landlords highlighted implementation challenges including contractor capacity issues, difficulty obtaining specialist damp and mould expertise financial constraints and problems achieving compliance timescales on more complex cases.
• Overall Awaab’s Law is driving positive cultural and operational change, but the sector is still adapting. The greatest challenge is moving from rapid compliance responses to consistently delivering permanent solutions to hazards, particularly damp and mould, while managing resource and capacity pressures.

Linked Resources and Publications

Awaab’s Law Phase 2: Guidance

Updated guidance on implementation of the second phase of Awaab’s Law, has now been published to allow landlords time to prepare for the changes ahead of the implementation on 30 November 2026.  The new requirements build on the measures introduced for Phase 1 in October 2025.

Phase 2 marks a major expansion of Awaab’s Law, increasing both the range of hazards covered and the importance of effective systems for early identification, tenant engagement and timely action /remediation.

From November 2026, Awaab’s Law will apply to additional hazards where they present a significant risk of harm, including:

• Excess cold
• Excess heat
• Falls hazards (including stairs and level changes)
• Structural collapse
• Fire and explosion risks
• Electrical hazards
• Domestic hygiene issues, including food safety and personal hygiene concerns.

The updated guidance reflects lessons learned from the first phase and introduces additional advice on hazard triage, access arrangements, written investigation summaries, fire safety considerations and practical implementation scenarios.

Key issues – Phase 2 Guidance

• Statutory response times introduced for damp and mould are being extended to a much wider range of housing hazards from 30 November 2026. Landlords therefore need robust systems for identifying, triaging, investigating and resolving hazards within prescribed timescales. If hazards cannot be made safe within the required timescales, landlords must provide suitable alternative accommodation at their own expense.
• Better hazard triage is essential to assess risk quickly and distinguish between significant and emergency hazards. The guidance places significant emphasis on staff training and having a structured triage process with clear escalation routes to ensure hazards are correctly categorised from first contact. The issue of triaging is dealt with separately within the guidance – see below.
• A new section in the guidance focusses on tenant communication. Landlords are expected to ensure residents understand their rights under Awaab’s Law and receive clear, accessible information throughout the investigation and repair process. The guidance emphasises transparent communication, accurate record keeping and effective escalation procedures.
• The guidance reinforces that landlords must not dismiss hazards on the basis of assumed tenant behaviour or “lifestyle”. The focus is on property-related defects or conditions that create hygiene, sanitation, or food safety risks. The key point is that carrying out everyday activities such as cooking, bathing and drying clothes are not considered a breach of tenancy and should not prevent landlord action.

Housing Sector Calls on P.M. to increase resources for Social and Affordable Homes Programme

CWAG joined 8 social housing representative bodies to call for urgent government action to safeguard and accelerate the delivery of new social and affordable homes. In a joint statement published by Inside Housing, sector leaders have highlighted two immediate priorities:

• Sign off current bids to the Social and Affordable Homes Programme to prevent disruption to development pipelines and maintain delivery momentum.
• Increase overall funding for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including additional investment in its early years, to match the sector’s ambition, accelerate delivery and support the construction of much-needed homes.

A letter was also written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the same, copying in Secretary of State, Angela Rayner and Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook.

Recent Publications

Regulatory Casework Review 2026 – Regulator of Social Housing

This annual report covers key themes from the Regulator’s economic and consumer regulation over the past year. The overarching message is that good governance is fundamental to tenant safety, financial resilience, value for money and service quality. 

Right to Buy Sales 2025/26

MHCLG has published the official outturn for Right to Buy sales in 2025/26. Local authorities reported 14,275 eligible sales in the year, an increase of 90% compared to 2024-25. The total number of property sales to tenants through the Right to Buy scheme since 1980 is 2,052,813.

Home Truths: Housing-led approaches to homelessness – IPPR North

IPPR researchers investigated three regions in England that have used devolved powers to develop housing-led approaches to tackle homelessness. The report makes a number of recommendations around strategic planning powers, tackling long-term empty properties and strengthening obligations on RPs to work with councils to house people experiencing homelessness.

More than Just Bricks and Mortar – Shelter

This report presents findings from longitudinal research into the impact of moving into a social rent home. It follows more than 1,000 social tenants, many of whom previously experienced homelessness, temporary accommodation, or insecure private renting. The report reinforces the wider social, health and economic benefits of access to social housing.

 No home to go to: how frozen Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are causing homelessness

In this briefing, a range of homelessness, housing and older people’s charities, landlords, health organisations and advice organisations have come together on the issue of failure to uplift the Local Housing Allowance. LHA rates now only covering the rent on around 2% of privately advertised homes leaving many households struggling to cover their housing costs and increasing the risk of homelessness and poverty. The impacts are being felt throughout the housing system, including in higher demand for temporary accommodation, challenges moving on from supported housing, and greater pressure on local authorities and homelessness services.

Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG AGM will be held on Teams on Thursday 1st October 2026 (10.00 – 12.00)

As well as the formal business of the AGM to review the general operating arrangements, work-plan, and financial affairs of the group, there are some important decisions for members on the future structure and direction of the group.

Our speaker this year will be Guy Marshall, Director of Fuza Ltd who will be discussing the challenges, risks and opportunities of AI for the social housing sector.

We are currently planning a joint webinar with the National Federation of ALMOs on Strategic AI awareness. The session aims to bring together councils and ALMOs to consider the implications of AI and governance for this sector. The session will focus on:

• Understanding AI risks, strategic opportunities, and the path to effective implementation.
• Focusing on strategic-level governance rather than technical complexities, empowering leaders to ask the right questions.
• Aligning strategic thinking between ALMOs and parent councils to foster a unified approach to AI adoption.

Government Watchdog to review quality of social housing

The National Audit Office (NAO) has announced that a research report into the quality of social housing is included in the 2026/27 work programme. The report will examine whether the reforms to the sector, and to the way it is regulated, are financially sustainable and likely to meet government’s aims for the quality of social housing.

The report will focus the following issues:

• How well the government (MHCLG) understands actual housing conditions and whether it has a clear and credible plan for improving these.
• Whether current regulatory arrangements are working effectively and as intended to ensure homes are safe and decent.
• Whether recent reforms (e.g. new standards, Awaab’s Law) are affordable and financially sustainable for landlords in the longer term.
• Effectiveness of regulation (including new consumer standards and safety requirements) in driving compliance and protecting tenants.
• The pace and scale of change and outcomes for tenants.

Consultation – VAT treatment of land intended for the construction of new social housing

HM Revenue & Customs and HM Treasury have published a joint consultation which looks at the VAT treatment of land intended for the construction of new social housing.

Through this consultation the government is seeking evidence on how the current VAT rules affect the feasibility and timing of social housing developments, and how the introduction of a new zero rate on the sale of bare land intended for social housing development might influence behaviour across the sector. The government is also seeking comments on the design of the proposed relief to inform the final design of the policy.

The consultation highlights that any relief will need to be targeted, effective and fiscally responsible. It must be genuinely supportive of social housing delivery whilst protecting vital tax revenues and minimising the scope for abuse.

Consultation closes 18 August 2026

The Housing Ombudsman has published three new reports:

Window Disrepair

This is the third report on window disrepair and related hazards in the ‘learning from severe maladministration’ series.  The report highlights a worrying pattern of “apathy” and delayed action on window repairs. Around 9% of window-related cases result in a finding of severe maladministration, much higher than the typical casework rate of 2%.

Main issues highlighted in the report:

• Window repairs are often subject to long delays and left unresolved for extended periods, sometimes lasting years despite clear risks to residents.
• Landlords frequently delay urgent works, deferring them to major works programmes which exposes residents to continuing hazards while waiting for long-term projects.
• Casework highlights failure to carry out proper risk assessments linking window related issues with other hazards including damp and mould, excess cold and structural issues.
• Landlords frequently ignore or fail to act on known vulnerabilities, and don’t adequately take into account the impact on residents.

 Handling of Pest Infestations

This report on findings from two “wider orders” on pest infestations involving different landlords.  One case related to pests accessing properties from communal areas, the other to a bed bug infestation within the property.

Both cases revealed failures in handling pest infestations, including:

• Delays which impacted residents, including children
• Poor escalation, limited treatment options, and inadequate compensation (e.g. bed bugs case)

• Common problems included unclear responsibility between landlord and tenant, poor record-keeping and reporting and weak coordination and oversight of contractors

The key learning points from these cases highlight the need for clear policies and responsibilities, proactive management along with good coordination and communication.

Pest hazards are expected to fall under Awaab’s Law, increasing scrutiny of landlord compliance in this area.

Continuous Learning

The latest insight report Learning from further investigations considers how root cause analysis can be used to better understand repeated failures and strengthen learning from complaints.

Complaints should be treated not just as individual cases but as intelligence which should be actively analysed to identify recurring patterns and diagnose systemic weaknesses.

Root cause analysis enables organisations to look beyond human error explanations to identify and address deeper organisational issues. You cannot reduce complaints or improve services without systematically understanding and fixing the root causes of failure across policies, processes, systems, and governance.

Government responds to HCLG Committee report on poor housing conditions in temporary accommodation

In April the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee published a report on Housing Conditions in Temporary Accommodation which found that too many households are living in poor-quality temporary accommodation, with conditions that are unsafe and sometimes unfit for habitation. The report argued that temporary accommodation should be safe, decent, suitable, and genuinely temporary, and that government and councils needed to apply higher standards, stronger enforcement, and increase the supply of good quality accommodation to protect homeless households, especially children.

MHCLG has now published the Government’s response which acknowledges that too many households—particularly families with children—are living in poor‑quality temporary accommodation and frames this as part of a wider “broken system” of rising homelessness.

The response accepts many of the Committee’s concerns and commits to improving standards through its National Plan to End Homelessness (December 2025), which includes strengthening protections, extending the application of the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation, and taking wider action on other issues of concern such as ‘out‑of‑area’ placements.

The Government response restates its commitment to eliminating the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families, except in emergencies. The government has also launched the first year of a three-year £30 million Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme which seeks to end the illegal use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families by the end of this Parliament and improve the quality and suitability of temporary accommodation placements.

Regulator of Social Housing Updates:

More and Better Homes – Open call for evidence

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has initiated an open call for evidence to inform a formal consultation on revising the economic standard which is expected in 2027.

Whilst the economic standard does not apply directly to local authorities, the issues raised in the consultation signal a significant shift in regulatory expectations with potential implications for council business planning.

The RSH is signalling a shift to a more interventionist and outcome focussed regulatory regime which aims to ensure the sector can scale up the supply of new homes whilst maintaining quality and stability within the existing social rented stock.

Key themes

• Expectation that social housing remains the core organisational activity with potentially greater scrutiny of diversification and non-social housing activities.
• Increased scrutiny of business planning.  The RSH will be seeking to ensure that financial capacity is channelled into homes delivered and improved with business plans tested against actual delivery, not just financial metrics.
• Renewed emphasis on maximising value from limited resources. Landlords will need to demonstrate improved cost efficiency, better asset management and justify investment decisions around newbuild versus existing stock.
• New emphasis on being able to ‘fail safely’ without risk to tenants’ homes has implications for governance, assurance and oversight arrangements.

Call for evidence closes 30 September 2026

Independent Review to evaluate the impact of consumer regulation

The RSH has appointed an independent research consortium to carry out an evaluation of recent consumer regulation changes.  The evaluation will be carried out by a research consortium comprising RAND Europe, Shared Intelligence and the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research. The project will span more than two years, with the final report expected to be published in 2028.

Other Publications

Renew Interim Report – Unlocking 500,000 good quality homes in the North – Northern Housing Consortium (NHC)

This Northern Housing Consortium report makes the case for housing‑led regeneration to deliver new homes, revitalise communities and deliver economic growth across the North. This is an ambitious project that seeks to re-establish regeneration as a key priority and driver within housing policy.

The report sets out a roadmap for government and the sector, highlighting that without long-term funding and structural reform, large-scale regeneration and the associated expansion in housing supply, will not be achievable.

Key recommendations

• Long-term devolved funding through a 10-year Place Based Regeneration Fund for mayoral authorities to provide the certainty required to unlock complex regeneration schemes.
• Appoint a Minister for Regeneration to co-ordinate activity across government and ensure alignment between housing, planning and growth policies.
• Establish a National Centre for Regeneration to strengthen local delivery capacity, skills and innovation.
• Devolve powers to mayoral and local authorities to lead regeneration and enable place based, locally tailored solutions to housing need.
• Strengthen resident engagement and trust through clear standards and rights for residents involved in regeneration schemes.
• Recognise and address financial viability barriers e.g. low land values and high remediation costs.

Clearing the Decks: Tackling Energy Debt to Lower Bills – June 2026

This policy paper published by National Energy Action sets out the case for expanding Ofgem’s Debt Relief scheme to restore stability, reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing, and enable households to re-engage with their energy use and wider support. Clearing energy debt would also reduce costs for all consumers as debt-related costs currently add around £50 to £70 per year to typical bills. Bringing down overall levels of debt would reduce these costs, delivering ongoing bill savings across households.

Procurement – the price we pay, and the path to improvement (June 2026)

This Housing Forum report sets out how councils and housing associations are paying more than private developers to build new homes due to slow and overly complex procurement processes. This new report argues that reforming procurement practices represents one of the quickest and most practical ways for councils and housing associations to improve delivery and reduce costs within their control.

Diary Dates

Finance and Business Planning Meeting – Thursday 16^th July 2026 (9.30 – 12.00)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will be leading this event for finance officers and others with an interest in HRA strategy and business planning.

2026 CWAG Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG Annual General Meeting will be on Thursday 1st October 2026. Further details will be available in due course.

Guide to the Social housing Bill

This sets out the key elements and objectives of the proposed legislation.

Letter from Matthew Pennycook to Sector Leaders

This letter includes details of a government review into the allocation and use of social housing to reduce empty homes, support the better use of existing stock. A key aim is to ensure homes go to those most in need, including strengthening council nomination arrangements and reviewing statutory guidance to better reflect local needs and support vulnerable households.

Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities

MHCLG has published an update to this guidance which now includes an additional clause 8.18 regarding assessment of vulnerability of applicants with a disability or another relevant protected characteristic.

Text of Housing and Planning Minister’s Speech to UKREiiF 2026

MHCLG has published details of Matthew Pennycook’s speech at the UK Real Estate and Infrastructure Forum on 19th May 2026. The speech sets out the government’s housing related achievements so far along with policy objectives and plans going forward.

How Tax reforms would make rent controls feasible to deliver – This report published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation argues that the high level of returns generally available to landlords warrant intervention on rents — both to make rents more affordable for renters, and to curb the excessive returns landlords are currently able to make and the distortive effects they have on the housing market and wider economy.

Finance and Business Planning Meeting – Thursday 16^th July 2026 (9.30 – 12.00)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will be leading this event for finance officers and others with an interest in HRA strategy and business planning.

The event is a free event that is open to CWAG members.

2026 CWAG Annual General Meeting

This year the CWAG Annual General Meeting will be on Thursday 1st October 2026. Further details will be available in due course.

CWAG Consultation Response – Housing Ombudsman Business Plan 2026/27

The Housing Ombudsman recently consulted on its 2026/27 Business Plan. In our response, CWAG raised a number of concerns relating to the scale and timing of fee increases and impact on the sector. We also raised concerns about the way the fee consultation was conducted and the need to evidence measures to control costs and allow effective scrutiny and feedback in future. The Housing Ombudsman has now published its consultation response which recognises many of the concerns we raised and includes a phased increase in fees which will reduce from  £9.64 per property in 2026 /27 (as against the £10.56 originally proposed).

You can read both the CWAG consultation response and the Housing Ombudsman’s recently published statement below.

Revised Right to Buy Guidance

MHCLG has updated the guidance on the RTB scheme setting out the latest information and good practice on operating the Right to Buy scheme for both councils and tenants. The guidance on retained RTB receipts has also been updated.

Council Tax changes to protect vulnerable households

MHCLG has published the outcome of the consultation Modernising and improving the administration of council tax which includes proposed reforms and a wider package of support for vulnerable households and those facing enforcement action. Under the current system, missing one monthly payment can leave people liable to pay the entire outstanding sum in a single payment just two weeks later. Proposed changes from next year will give households 63 days, roughly two months, to settle their bill.  Councils will also be required to work with affected households on a sustainable repayment plans.

Homes England launches National Housing Bank

Launched on 1st April 2026, the National Housing Bank is a new government public finance institution tasked with accelerating the delivery of new homes and enabling the regeneration across England. The institution is backed by the UK government with access to up to £16 billion loan finance, which will be available for projects with house builders, developers, investors and registered providers.

The bank is a subsidiary of Homes England; with plans to support the delivery of more than 500,000 homes and a raft of major regeneration and mixed-use schemes, alongside unlocking more than £53 billion of private investment over the next ten years.

Housing Ombudsman has published two reports in the ‘learning from severe maladministration series.

One report focusses on the use and importance of apologies as a remedy, highlighting the growing use of apology as part of the resolution of Ombudsman cases, with the service typically ordering around 4000 apologies each year. The report highlights the power of genuine apologies to restore trust between landlords and tenants where things have gone wrong.  Meaningful and empathetic apologies also foster important behavioural and cultural change at little financial cost. The Ombudsman has also published separate apologies guidance setting out what makes a good apology and how best to approach an apology whether in writing or in person. There is also an apologies checklist.

The second report reviews recent casework involving hazards, and the relationship between multiple hazards, that is often a feature in these cases. The report highlights a series of examples involving different HHSRS hazards and the issues involved, as such it is particularly relevant ahead of the introduction of phase 2 of Awaab’s Law later this year. The report calls for a focus on ‘early warning signs’ as well as making good use of void periods to proactively tackle problem issues.

Other Publications

“Supported Housing: The Missing Link in Social Care Reform – A Call to Action” – Cornwall Council 

This report is based on a panel discussion at the National Children and Adult Social Care Conference (NCASC).

The report makes the case that if supported housing is to be sustainable, person centred and preventative, it must be treated as core social infrastructure – not a peripheral housing issue. It calls on Government to place supported housing at the heart of social care reform, with a clear plan for sufficient specialist and supported provision embedded in national housing policy, housing strategies and planning guidance alongside appropriate funding mechanisms that give councils the means and providers the long-term certainty to invest at scale. To live well, people need safe, stable homes with the right support at the right time: “Being stable, warm and supported is 80% of what enables a good life. Good outcomes rely on good housing and accommodation.” Hugh Evans – Executive Director of Adults and Communities, Bristol City Council

Build Up Not Trickle Down – The case for Need-Led Housing Policy – Shelter (February 2026)

Successive governments have pursued trickle down approaches to housing delivery relying on policies to increase the supply of newbuild homes for private sale and rent in the hope that wealthier households buying newly built homes at the top of the market will free up supply lower down the chain for lower income families. This paper argues that housing policy focused on market demand linked to trickle down policies will not address the current housing emergency as it only responds to people who with the resources to buy or rent in an increasingly unaffordable private market. An alternative needs-led housing model that delivers genuinely affordable homes is required. This would address loopholes in the planning system that mean developments too often fail to include social homes and improve the affordability of homes for those in the greatest housing need.

The New Decent Homes Standard

The Government has published a policy statement in response to its consultations on a new Decent Homes Standard (DHS).

The policy statement confirms that the new DHS will apply to both social rented and private rented sectors from 2035. This extended implementation timeframe is intended to allow landlords sufficient time to plan for and manage implementation effectively. In addition, the government is keen to ensure social landlords have the resources to support both improvements to their existing stock and continued delivery of new supply.

The new DHS will focus on condition as the primary factor for compliance, rather than the age of a property/ component.  See box for overview of the new DHS

The new DHS will also apply to supported housing and temporary accommodation; however, the government has recognised that there may be instances where it is not appropriate for landlords to meet certain elements of the DHS and further guidance on this will be available later this year. Additional guidance will also be published covering rented homes where the landlord is a leaseholder, as well as mixed‑tenure blocks containing both rented and owner‑occupied leasehold properties.

The new DHS will not include a mandatory requirement to provide floor coverings, although this was part of the consultation. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, in a parliamentary written statement, indicated that this decision reflects careful consideration of feedback received and the significant challenges that would be involved in implementing this as a mandatory requirement. However, the government recognises that many residents struggle to provide basic floor coverings and will look to identify cost-effective ways landlords can support tenants in need.

Other measures included as part of the consultation that have not been carried through to the new DHS include proposed enhanced home security measures and obligations to meet enhanced standards within the public realm (boundary walls, curtilage, pathways and steps, signage, external lighting, bin stores).

Modelling the Decent Homes Backlog and Costs

MHCLG has also published a report using analysis of English Housing Survey data (2023) to estimate whether dwellings would pass or fail the new DHS, as well as estimating the cost of bringing homes up to the new standard.

The report indicates a likely failure rate against the new DHS of 45% in the social rented sector and 48% in the private rented sector (PRS).

The cost of meeting the standard will reflect both the cost of upgrades to meet the revised standard and actions required for landlords not currently meeting obligations. Using 2023 data, this is expected to cost £26.5 billion in the PRS and £11.3 billion in the social rented sector, although only £5.4 billion and £1.8 billion of these costs are those above and beyond existing obligations respectively.

In January MHCLG published the outcome of the consultation Improving the energy efficiency of socially rented homes in England which confirm the requirement for social rented properties to achieve EPC C or equivalent by 1 April 2030.

The ‘dual metric’ approach set out in the consultation requiring providers to meet EPC C in two metrics, is retained. However, in response to concerns about deliverability and affordability, the timescale for full implementation has been extended. Social landlords will only be required to meet one metric by the 2030 deadline; the second metric must be achieved by 2039.

In addition, the ‘Fabric First’ principle will no longer be mandatory, allowing landlords to select which metric (smart, heat, or fabric) is best suited to their stock and tenant needs allowing flexibility where other metrics may deliver greater benefits.

A new, time‑limited ‘Spend Exemption’ will apply from 1 April 2030, capping required energy‑efficiency investment at £10,000 for a 10‑year period. Also, homes that are already compliant with EPC C with a valid certificate issued before the new EPC format is introduced will be able to rely on this certificate until it expires.

The Warm Homes Plan published on 21^st January 2026, by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), sets out government policy and a £15 billion investment plan to upgrade up to 5 million homes by 2030 and help lift one million families out of fuel poverty.

With a focus on electrified heating, insulation, and residential solar power, the plan aims to deliver significantly lower energy bills through low-carbon technologies and energy efficiency measures. Whilst the plan does not currently set a date to end gas boiler sales, it seeks to incentivise low carbon alternatives. It represents one of the largest ever programmes of public investment in home upgrades in the UK.

There are 3 elements to the Plan:

Direct support for low-income households

• One third of the total funding (£5 billion) will be targeted towards low-income households, with grants potentially covering the full cost of upgrades e.g. fully funded installations of solar panels and a battery, to the full average cost (currently £9,000-£12,000)
• For social housing residents, this could mean upgrades to entire streets at the same time, lowering bills and improving warmth and comfort for whole neighbourhoods.

Energy- Efficiency Improvements (‘an offer for everyone’)

• The central focus is electrified heating through heat pumps described as the most effective low carbon heating technology for most homes. A £7,500 universal grant for heat pumps, including “air-to-air heat pumps” that can also cool homes in the summer. The plan envisages installation of 450,000 heat pumps annually by 2030 (200,000 in newbuild properties and 250,000 in existing homes)
• Government-backed, zero and low interest loans will also be available to get solar panels onto the nation’s rooftops. New rules that mean every new home will come with solar panels by default. This plan will triple the number of homes with solar panels on their rooftops by 2030.

New protections for renters:

• A new obligation on private landlords to improve the energy performance of properties to EPC C by 2030 targets up to 3 million rental properties for improvement over the next 4 years.

In summary, the plan targets reducing fuel poverty by delivering cost savings and energy efficiency. Energy bills will be reduced through investment in low carbon technology and insulation to upgraded standards using a combination of government grants, loans and incentives. A new Warm Homes Agency will also be set up to provide consumers with information and advice on options available within the plan.

Fuel Poverty Strategy for England

This policy paper sets out the government’s approach based around three main policy strands, namely – reducing energy costs, tackling the cost of living and improving energy performance.

Consultation Response – Improving  energy performance of privately rented Homes

This consultation response confirms key policy decisions on minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) in the private rented sector. The target of EPC C will apply for all tenancies by 2030 (subject to a maximum investment of £10K per property).

Delivering New Social and Affordable Homes

Bidding for the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026 -36 is due to open this month with several funding routes available. The programme’s key objective is to deliver around 300,000 social and affordable homes over the life of the programme, with at least 180,000 of these homes being for Social Rent. As part of the government’s wider development drive, several new initiatives have been announced designed to promote development and tackle obstacles to programme delivery.

Updated Housing Revenue Account Guidance

The government is keen to encourage councils which have no recent history of housebuilding to start building again. To facilitate this the government has announced an increase in the Housing Revenue Account threshold from 200 to 1,000 homes making it easier to undertake new development without an immediate requirement to re-open a Housing Revenue Account.

Roadmap for Section 106 Delivery in England

On 28^th January MHCLG released a policy statement setting out measures to reset the Section 106 (S106) mechanism for delivering social and affordable housing. This includes time limited flexibilities to resolve the legacy of uncontracted S.106 homes and new measures to establish simpler, more transparent and more resilient arrangements going forward.

New Homes Accelerator Scheme

This scheme is a collaboration between government, Homes England, the Greater London Authority, local authorities, developers and other key stakeholders. It aims to provide specialist assistance to unblock and accelerate development delivery and is particularly focussed on getting homes built this Parliament. Phase 2 announced in January 2026 extends the scheme to sites under 500 homes and includes guidance on how to apply along with the application form, for developers, local authorities and landowners interested in the scheme.

Recent Publications

Housing Ombudsman Report (February 2026)

The latest report in the learning from severe maladministration series focusses on compensation awards and is accompanied by new guidance setting out the key principles and expectations expected to underpin a fair approach to compensation, make clear expectations and encourage consistency. This guidance will be effective from 1 April 2026.

The guidance is for internal use by caseworkers who make decisions on behalf of the Ombudsman and landlords are encouraged to adopt a compensation policy that aligns with it. The guidance stresses that compensation payments are not punitive or a regulatory fine but should be determined by the principle of putting the resident back in the position they would have been in had the service failings not happened. The aim is to deliver a fairer, more consistent approach to compensation payments across the sector. It is also noteworthy that compensation is not always ordered as other forms of redress may be deemed more appropriate.

General Announcements

Invitation to Take Part in Research on Awaab’s Law.

Verian, an independent social research agency, is working with MHCLG to understand social landlord and tenant experiences of the early implementation of Awaab’s Law. The findings will inform improvements for future phases of Awaab’s Law, shape policy decisions that affect social landlords and tenants and provide insights to help landlords strengthen compliance, improve tenant relationships, and reduce risk.

Verian is looking to recruit social housing landlords and tenants to participate in this research. Please see the recruitment survey here.

ADoH Bitesize Webinar: Ending Furniture Poverty (26 February 10-11am)

The charity End Furniture Poverty (EFP) works to raise awareness of furniture poverty—its scale, its impact, and the solutions available. Claire Donovan, Director of EFP, will share research showing the extent of furniture poverty in social housing and the impact it has tenants. She will also explain how EFP supports local authorities and housing associations to introduce cost‑neutral furniture provision. She will be joined by Andrew Waters, who leads the furniture rental service at their sister charity FRC, as well as representatives from local authorities EFP has supported—including a stock‑holding authority with a long‑running furnished tenancy scheme and a non‑stock‑holding authority that has worked with EFP to bring local housing associations together to improve furniture provision. If you would like to attend the webinar please contact the CWAG Policy Officer.

Government Publishes New Homelessness Strategy

In December 2025 the government published its long-awaited Homelessness strategy A National Plan to End Homelessness. This cross-departmental strategy aims to move from a system providing emergency relief to one that focusses on prevention through earlier and more effective interventions before the crisis point is reached.

However, given the scale of the current crisis, the immediate priority is to tackle existing backlogs, eliminating the use of unlawful Bed and Breakfast (B&B) for families, tackling poor quality temporary accommodation and reducing the number of long-term rough sleepers.

Longer term the plan has ambitious aims to move resources to focus on prevention, with earlier interventions and support to prevent homelessness before it happens. By tackling the underlying drivers of homelessness, the strategy aims to ensure that where homelessness occurs, it is a brief experience and not part of a repeating cycle.

The government’s plan to end homelessness has been developed around 5 Key Policy Pillars:

Pillar 1: Universal Prevention

This part of the strategy aims to tackle structural and systemic root causes of homelessness, in particular housing affordability and poverty. By improving housing supply and economic resilience the strategy will reduce the risk of homelessness for everyone.

Policy Measures include:

• Investment in social and affordable housing to increase supply and address current shortages
• A commitment to review social housing allocation policies to ensure available social housing reaches the people who need it most.
• Reform of the Private Rented Sector.
• Employment, training and earnings initiatives to build greater financial resilience.
• A full review of homelessness and supported housing funding including £124m new funding investment in supported housing services.

However, the strategy has been criticised as it does not  address barriers to accessing the private rented sector caused by the ongoing freeze on LHA rates.

Pillar 2: Targeted Prevention

Here the strategy addresses the issue of support for people at higher risk of homelessness because of difficult life experiences or crises, for example care leavers, prison leavers, people being discharged from hospital, refugees and migrants. Targeted prevention involves tailored support to people who are more likely to face homelessness.

Policy Measures include:

• Cross- government targets to reduce the numbers of people leaving institutions into homelessness, for example prisons, hospitals, care settings and asylum accommodation
• A new ‘duty to collaborate’ compelling public services to work together to prevent homelessness for those at crisis point.

Pillar 3: Preventing Crisis

Moving funding away from crisis responses is central to the strategy, in particular helping people stay in their homes through early personalised interventions to prevent homelessness. A key issue for councils will be the resources required to deliver these new expectations and responsibilities.

Policy Measures include:

• A direction to local authority homelessness services to prioritise encouraging people to seek help as early as possible. There is recognition that this will require a culture change away from discouraging people from making homelessness applications.
• A new national target to increase the proportion of households who are supported to stay in their own home or helped to find alternative accommodation.

Pillar 4: Improving Emergency Responses

Here the focus is on improving temporary accommodation and making people’s experience better if they do become homeless. In the longer-term, the aspiration to shift from crisis response to prevention should reduce pressure in this area.

Policy Measures include:

• A target to end the use of B&Bs for families within this parliament, except for very short-term emergency use.
• Commitment spend £950million on a fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) enabling local authorities to purchase properties for Temporary Accommodation (TA) use.
• A Temporary Accommodation Toolkit to improve council sourcing and procurement of TA, and ensuring nightly paid TA is used appropriately.
• Applying the Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law to TA (where possible).
• A new £30m Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme to tackle poor practice including use of B&B and unsuitable out-of-area placements.

Pillar 5: Recovery and Preventing Repeat Homelessness

Here the focus is on ensuring people receive the right support, so don’t experience homelessness more than once. There is a new target to halve long-term rough sleeping within this Parliament.

Policy Measures include:

• A new £15m Long-Term Rough Sleeping Innovation Programme to enable councils with the greatest pressures to deliver more personalised and comprehensive support for people with complex needs.
• Introduction of Long-term Rough Sleeping Partnership Plans for areas with high long-term levels of rough sleeping.
• £37m funding for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.
• Improving health access for people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, ensuring full alignment with the 10-Year Health Plan for England and the Men’s Health Strategy.

Planning Consultation – Overview of Proposed Reforms

The government has launched a consultation on a broad set of planning reforms including significant changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The changes are intended to support the government commitment to delivering 1.5million new homes in this Parliament alongside achieving economic growth and progressing plans to accelerate the shift to net zero. The main areas impacting housing providers are:

A permanent presumption in favour of suitably located development.

As part of a more rules-based approach to development, the presumption in favour of development would be applied to a much wider range of circumstances. The aim is to provide clarity on what developments are acceptable in principle in different locations, for example, making development of suitable land in urban areas acceptable by default.

Building homes around stations.

Default in principle support for suitable proposals that develop land around rail stations within existing settlements, and around ‘well-connected’ train stations outside settlements, including on Green Belt land. Minimum dwelling densities proposed around ‘well-connected’ stations to maximising opportunities for sustainable development and make the most of high levels of connectivity.

Driving urban and suburban densification.

A number of changes aim to support higher density development in sustainable locations, with good access to services. For example, support for redevelopment of low-density plots in urban and suburban areas, upward extensions and infill development – including within residential curtilages. Other measures support an overall increase in density within settlements.

Securing a diverse mix of homes.

Using the planning system to provide stronger support for rural, social and affordable housing, and setting clearer expectations for accessible housing to meet the needs of older and disabled people

Supporting small and medium sites.

A new category of ‘medium development’ is to be introduced linked to a range of policy and regulatory changes, to support a more streamlined and proportionate planning approach. The government is also considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of enabling developers to discharge social and affordable housing requirements through cash contributions in lieu of direct delivery.

Streamlining local standards.

To promote certainty for applicants and speed up local plan production quantitative standards in development plans will be limited to specific issues where local variation is justified. It is also proposed to limit duplication where issues are covered by the Building Regulations.

The consultation closes on 10^th March 2026.

Tackling ‘No Access’ Challenges and Awaab’s Law

Recent Publications

Moving the deckchairs? Social housing allocations in England – December 2025

This report from Crisis, Heriot-Watt University, and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence investigated how social housing is allocated by housing associations. The findings highlight that affordability issues are preventing access to social housing for some low-income groups in England.

Recommendations include increasing housing supply for social rent; removing barriers to accessing social housing for households on low incomes and for people experiencing homelessness; addressing unmet support needs; and improving communication flows between local authorities and housing associations.

‘You can’t bid because you’re in the red’ – December 2025

This report published by CIH, King’s College London and Oxford Brookes University sets out how housing related debt rules included in allocations policies act to limit the ability of domestic abuse survivors to find a safe home. The report provides guidance for social housing providers looking to improve support for domestic abuse survivors at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Homelessness in England 2025 – Shelter – December 2025

This report sets out the scale of recorded homelessness in England on a given night in 2025 and includes a breakdown by region and local authority area.

Learning From Repairs – Housing Ombudsman – December 2025

This report urges housing providers to ‘see the person behind the repair’, emphasising the need for a more person-focused repairs service connecting the household’s circumstances to the condition of the property.

Meetings and Events

• CWAG Inspection Feedback Meeting  – Wednesday 14^th January 2026 (10.00 – 11.30)  Teams

The meeting will be a panel type discussion with representatives from councils that have recently been subject to an RSH inspection. The event is an opportunity to hear first hand from CWAG members on the inspection  experience as well as key learning around the process.

• CWAG Finance and Business Planning Meeting – Thursday 29th January 2026 (10.00 – 13.00)

Steve Partridge – Savills Director of Housing Consultancy will be leading this event for finance officers and others with an interest in HRA strategy and business planning.

To book places to attend either of the above events, please contact the CWAG Policy Officer.