MPs warn of social housing crisis as thousands fail Decent Homes Standard

More than 430,000 social homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard, as a cross-party group of MPs warns the government must do more to tackle poor housing conditions.

A report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee (HCLG) says social housing conditions have barely improved since the pandemic, leaving residents stuck in appalling conditions.

The news comes as the government announced all social housing landlords and private rented sector landlords will need to meet the new Decent Homes Standard by 2035.

1 in 10 socially rented homes fail

According to the report, in 2024/25, just under 9% of social homes (around 365,000) were estimated to be overcrowded, higher than in other tenures, and approximately 7% of social homes were estimated to have problems with damp.

Last year, the government introduced Awaab’s law to the social housing sector with all social housing landlords required to fix dangerous damp and mould within strict timeframes.

The report also reveals that, according to the English Housing Survey, 1 in 10 socially rented homes in England (just under 430,000) failed the Decent Homes Standard.

The government has admitted that progress in bringing homes up to a minimum standard has stagnated.

The Fabian Society says if the current rate of progress continues, it will take 15 years for all social homes to meet even this basic standard.

Government must do more

Florence Eshalomi MP, chair of the HCLG committee, said the government must do more to support social housing landlords in raising housing standards.

She said: “Whether it is residents living in poorly insulated homes, experiencing overcrowding, or enduring housing with damp or mould, it’s vital that government measures, including Awaab’s Law and the new Decent Homes Standard, bring a meaningful improvement to social housing conditions.

“The government deserves credit for the steps taken to rebuild the sector’s financial capacity after years of underinvestment. However, we do have concerns about the resources available to social housing providers to meet the government’s new social homes target while also raising standards over the decade.

“The government’s Long-term Housing Strategy needs to set out a credible plan to tackle the need to improve existing housing stock while encouraging social landlords to build the new social homes the country needs.”

Maintaining older housing stock

The report also reveals that many social housing landlords struggle with maintaining older housing stock.

Housing association Clarion Housing Group told the committee that many homes have “hard-to-heat properties and building fabric and construction that lends itself to leaks, condensation, damp, and mould.”

Southwark Council also told the report that some council homes “can be cost-effectively refurbished,” but a “sizeable proportion are approaching the end of their viable life without significant investment.”

The HCLG claims the government has not addressed the need to replace the country’s ageing stock of social homes.

It urges the government to publish the Long-term Housing Strategy as soon as possible to maintain these homes and tackle the root causes of poor housing quality, with a long-term plan for regenerating existing social housing.