Report reveals difficulties in social housing provision for consumers
The UK's social housing sector is grappling with significant improvement challenges, particularly in areas such as record-keeping, safety compliance, and IT systems, as revealed in a new report published by Housemark, the UK's leading housing data specialist.
The report, titled 'Raising the Bar', highlights substantial gaps in housing providers' data management, emphasizing the need for a "single golden thread" - a reliable, consistent data source that the entire organisation can trust and scrutinize. This is crucial for understanding and managing tenants and stock effectively. Poor data grip undermines landlords' ability to comply with regulations and respond to tenant needs promptly.
Regarding safety compliance, while the report does not detail specific safety challenges directly, the regulatory focus on inspection and data control strongly implies a connection between effective record-keeping and compliance with safety standards. The Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) sector risk profile and inspection approach reinforce the importance of landlords having a "grip" on data related to property and tenant safety to mitigate risks.
In terms of IT systems, there is a clear push towards updating and integrating technology solutions to better manage housing services. For example, West Northamptonshire Council is seeking new comprehensive software solutions for housing allocations, homelessness management, and tenancy data. This reflects a broader trend of modernizing IT systems that support social housing management and compliance.
Key challenges include data fragmentation and poor quality, lack of a unified IT platform, slow pace in adopting new technologies, and complexity for housing providers to maintain compliance while managing day-to-day operations without fully integrated and user-friendly IT solutions.
To address these challenges, the report recommends establishing a "single version of the truth" in data to ensure consistency and regulatory compliance, implementing or upgrading integrated IT systems that support transparent, real-time record-keeping and service management, and strengthening internal scrutiny and governance to ensure boards and executives understand and act on data insights.
One key finding not previously mentioned is that only one out of ten residents were satisfied with the way their landlord was handling repairs and maintenance. Additionally, only one in three residents were satisfied with the way their landlord was handling complaints. Damp and mould issues remain the top cause for concern in social homes, but the research found that one in five cases resurface within a year.
Housing providers must act now to ensure they meet the new regulatory standards and provide a positive tenant experience, according to Jonathan Cox, chief data officer at Housemark. The report also predicts a sharp decline in compliance rates with the upcoming Decent Homes Standard 2 (DHS2). Based on recent experience in Scotland, when more stringent decency standards were introduced from 2020, nearly 600,000 additional properties in England could fail to meet the new standards within the first year.
Housemark is committed to supporting the sector with the insights and tools needed to navigate these changes successfully. In the 2023/24 inspection period, more than half of landlords recorded full compliance for four out of the five building safety measures. However, only one in three landlords improved their satisfaction scores in the same period. Furthermore, only 3% of tenants reported being treated fairly and with respect by their landlords.
These findings show how far the sector has to go, according to Cox. It takes 18 months to see service improvement actions reflected in satisfaction metrics, as per Cox's exclusive analysis. With the evolving regulatory landscape, it is crucial for social landlords to address these challenges to ensure they provide a positive tenant experience and maintain compliance with the growing regulatory demands.
[1] Source: Regulator of Social Housing [2] Source: West Northamptonshire Council [3] Source: RSH Sector Risk Profile and Inspection Approach [4] Source: Housemark Report 'Raising the Bar' [5] Source: Manifest Software Solutions
The need for a reliable data source, termed as a "single golden thread," is essential to effectively manage tenants and stock in the UK's social housing sector, as highlighted in the Housemark report titled 'Raising the Bar.' This data will also aid in ensuring compliance with regulations and addressing tenant needs promptly.
In light of these findings, there is an increasing focus on IT systems, such as the comprehensive software solutions West Northamptonshire Council is seeking, to modernize housing management and promote safety compliance. The goal is to implement or upgrade integrated IT systems for transparent, real-time record-keeping and service management.
