Healthy Homes Collaboration Meeting – Key Findings & Next StepsOn 11th March, CHIC hosted the Healthy Homes Collaboration Roundtable, bringing together key framework stakeholders to review progress since the launch of the Healthy Homes Framework. The session provided a valuable opportunity to assess sector challenges, discuss best practice and to evaluate the framework’s effectiveness.

A key outcome of the discussion was the agreement that KPIs should be structured at three levels—framework, contract and optional / project specific —aligning with the suggested approach established in our previous Newbuild Framework Roundtable.

CLICK HERE to read the full findings.

We will continue this discussion at the CHIC Conference & Exhibition on 21st May, where we aim to finalise these KPIs and explore best practice contract for retentions and supply chain payment terms. You can register your place HERE

Fire & Building Safety Framework – ExplainedCHIC recently hosted a webinar that introduced the newly launched Fire and Building Safety Framework, designed to help housing providers navigate complex regulatory requirements while delivering safe, compliant homes.

With increasing pressure from the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the findings from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, ensuring fire compliance has never been more critical. By 2029, all buildings over 11 metres high with unsafe cladding must be remediated, making it essential for providers to act now.

The session explained CHIC’s new framework for all services and works associated with fire safety. It covers the procurement route, lot and workstream structure, options for awarding work and the wide range of service providers awarded to the framework.

CLICK HERE to watch the recording.

Event AttendanceFebruary ended on a busy note for the team as we participated in two key industry events.

At the Constructionline Meet the Buyer event, we had a fantastic opportunity to showcase our range of Dynamic Purchasing Systems, helping prospective suppliers understand how they can become approved suppliers. We also saw great interest in our Multiple Elements framework, for which tenders are due to be returned by 14th May.

We also attended ProcurementActLive to mark the launch of the Procurement Act 2023. Our team provided guidance on how the new legislation will impact attendees and shared insights into our upcoming procurement pipeline, which will be tendered under the new Act. If you have any questions about the changes, feel free to reach out to our procurement team at tenders@chicltd.co.uk.

This month, we also joined a decarbonisation roundtable in partnership with Aico and Niyaa People. The discussion brought together senior representatives from social landlords and contractors to share insights, explore challenges and strengthen connections—all with the goal of advancing net-zero initiatives. While we didn’t solve the challenge in one evening, the conversations we had were a useful step in the right direction.

Recent Contract AwardsHere is a look at some of the latest contracts awarded through CHIC, highlighting the wide range of services our members and partners provide. 

This Month’s Housing Updates

Awaab’s Law to Force Landlords to Fix Dangerous Homes
Awaab’s Law, effective from October, mandates social landlords to address damp and mould within set timeframes, with emergency hazards fixed within 24 hours. Named after Awaab Ishak, a toddler who sadly died due to mould exposure, the law allows social tenants to take non-compliant landlords to court. Implementation begins in October 2025, expanding to cover more hazards by 2027. Future reforms may extend the law to private rentals and introduce safety and energy standards (UK Government, 2024).

£69bn Finance Settlement for Councils in 2025-26
The UK government confirmed a 6.8% increase in council spending, ensuring no reductions in core revenue. A 5% cap on council tax hikes remains, with stricter rules for larger increases. An extra £60m will improve local government operations. The Local Government Association acknowledged the funding but warned of service cuts due to financial strain. Social care authorities will receive up to £3.7bn, including an £880m social care grant uplift (HM Treasury, 2024).

£350m Boost for Affordable Housing Programmes
An additional £300m will support the Affordable Homes Programme, adding 2,800 homes, half for social rent. The Local Authority Housing Fund gains £50m for 250 council homes. This follows a £500m boost in October, aiming for 130,000 new homes by 2026. Labour plans a multi-year housing programme, pending the June Spending Review (Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, 2024).

New Towns and Building Safety Regulator Funding
Keir Starmer announced over 100 proposed sites for new towns, each delivering 10,000+ homes. The Building Safety Regulator gets an extra £2m to speed up applications, while £1m each is allocated to National Highways, Natural England, and the Environment Agency to fast-track planning approvals (New Towns Taskforce, 2024).

£1bn Spent on Empty Social Housing in 2023-24
Around 300,000 vacant social housing properties cost over £1.1bn in repairs and £220m in lettings, totaling £1.6bn. The average re-let time rose to 74 days, compared to under 30 days five years ago. Some landlords address repairs during new tenancies, while others engage tenants pre-move to reduce end-of-tenancy issues (Housemark, 2024).

Single Construction Regulator Announced
The government introduced a new regulator to oversee building safety, merging the Building Safety Regulator with construction product regulation. The regulator will conduct inspections, impose sanctions, and enforce safety standards but will not test products itself. The detailed framework will be unveiled in autumn (Grenfell Tower Inquiry, 2024).

Green Paper on Construction Product Reforms
The government proposed stricter construction product regulations, requiring manufacturers to assess safety risks. Unregulated products must meet new risk-based requirements, and all products must carry clear safety labels. A national database will store compliance records, and digital product passports will track product details. A 12-week consultation runs until 21st May 2025 (Department for Business & Trade, 2024).

Half of Homes Should Have Heat Pumps by 2040
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recommends that 50% of UK homes use heat pumps by 2040, up from 1% in 2023. Installation rates must rise to 450,000 per year by 2030 and 1.5m by 2035. The CCC advises against hydrogen for home heating and suggests mandating low-carbon systems in new homes by 2026. A long-term energy efficiency programme is also recommended (CCC, 2024).