What does it mean for Housing 21?

The new consumer standard seeks to realign the balance between the current position of a weaker consumer standard and a stronger financial one. Its overall objectives are to:

• Support the provision of well-managed and appropriate quality housing
• Ensure tenants are given an appropriate degree of choice and protection
• Ensure tenants have the opportunity to be involved in the management of their homes and to hold their landlords to account
• Encourage registered providers to contribute to the well-being of the areas in which their homes are situated.

The Regulator has published their Implementation Plan (January 2023). The consultation on the new consumer standard closes in October 2023.

View the latest vision from the Regulator

Their test for success of the new consumer regulation framework remains the same – which is:

1. It must make a meaningful difference to tenants
2. Landlords must be able to deliver its expectations.
3. The Regulator must be able to regulate against it.

The Bill will add the following to the consumer objectives:

• Safety
• Transparency
• Energy efficiency

The Regulator will be assessing landlords against outcome based consumer standards – as below:

Safety – Landlord's safety responsibilities including safety within the home and in communal areas.

The Regulator is considering not only the safety of residents’ homes and communal areas but also the safety of the residents living within those homes and how services are delivered.

Housing 21 thoroughly understands our health and safety obligations and our work around this ensures that our residents remain safe in their homes.

Quality – Quality of the home, communal spaces and services to residents.

The expectation to meet the Decent Homes Standard is one which has always been upheld by Housing 21 and has been viewed as a fairly low benchmark for us. We are aware that the standard is currently being reviewed and we will respond appropriately when it is published although we don’t expect it to hold any surprises.

Neighbourhood – Landlord's role, working with other agencies to contribute to the wellbeing of neighbourhoods in which residents live.

Our schemes are themselves communities and often reflect the external community as many residents stay close to where they previously lived. They also make links with a variety of local bodies. Within the Helping Hands expansion, we are creating a local directory which will aid local managers to identify various organisations and networks to connect with to deepen their links to the local community. 

Transparency – Landlord's role in making information accessible to residents including roles and responsibilities, so residents know who is responsible for matters relating to consumer standards.

Resident engagement in Housing 21 takes place at a number of levels from scheme level, through local managers to regional managers and upwards, across a multitude of teams and across a whole range of subjects. This is supported by the national resident panels who are consulted on policy and strategic decisions. This visibility of, and access to, employees should mean that residents are able to access the information and support they require in a way which suits their needs. This is in addition to the written communications to residents on a monthly and annual basis and resident conferences and other events.

Further work is ongoing to consult with residents as to what additional data and information they want to see and how they want to see it as required by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act. This will inform changes we make to our communication methods. 

Engagement and accountability – Engagement between landlords and residents, including how complaints are handled. Landlords’ accountability to residents and treating residents with fairness and respect.

Feedback is consistently sought from residents through a range of mechanisms which results in positive changes to our services. Through the Resident Engagement Strategy we have committed to producing an annual impact report which will be the starting point of more formal reporting. In addition, we have plans in place to provide better and more timely feedback to residents on the annual resident census survey.