We support national campaign to secure the future of council housing

We are supporting a national campaign which is calling for reform to revitalise council housing finances.

In September 2024, Adrian England, Leader of Dacorum Borough Council and Simy Dhyani, our Portfolio Holder for Housing and Property Services, attended an event at Westminster, joining forces with more than 100 other stock-retaining councils to endorse a report published as part of an initiative led by Southwark Council to #SaveCouncilHousing

Following this week’s publication of a survey of councils across the country, collectively managing over 870,000 council homes, two thirds of councils revealed that their housing budgets are on the brink of collapse – at risk of being unable to set a balanced budget within the next five years.

The survey also found that 61 per cent of councils have already cancelled, paused, or delayed council house building projects, and more than one third have cut back on repairs and maintenance of homes.

Councils across the country have welcomed the recent reduction in Right to Buy discounts and the ability to retain sale proceeds to build new homes, along with a consultation around rent-setting, but are now calling for the government’s upcoming housing strategy to introduce further measures. We endorse Southwark Council's ‘ask’ to see:

1. A new, sustainable financial model for council housing
2. A Green & Decent Homes Programme
3. Sufficient funding for building new council homes

Adrian England, Leader of Dacorum Borough Council, said: “We welcome Southwark Council’s initiative to call for longer-term rent setting agreements and other measures to secure the future of council housing. Whilst Dacorum Borough Council has so far been able to continue its ambitious new build programme, in common with other local housing authorities we are facing unprecedented financial pressures. We have joined the call for government to agree a new, sustainable HRA financial model and support social landlords to modernise their housing stock for the benefit of existing and future tenants, and to tackle the climate emergency.”

Find out more about the campaign on the Southwark Council website.