Social Housing Bill
MP’s have urged the government to include the regulation of temporary accommodation by including them in the Social Housing Regulation Bill.
A report by the APPG (Accommodation All Party Parliamentary Group) think that there should be a regulatory system in place to improve the conditions for temporary accommodation rented out to councils. The use of temporary accommodation has increased significantly since 2010 with nearly 120,000 children in B&B’s hostels and shelters. They believe that including temporary accommodation in the new Social Housing Bill will be an “easy win” and could lay the foundation for basic accountability, from which it is possible to progress with the next step”.
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CITB Construction Demand
Figures issued by the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) suggest that 225,000 more workers will be needed to meet the demand of the construction industry by 2027.
Despite the current economic uncertainty, the construction sector is expected to remain an area where the demand for workers will continue to grow. The report from the CITB shows that 44,980 new workers will be needed each year to meet demand.
The Chief Executive of CITB Tim Balcon said: “The latest CSN report clearly shows that despite current economic uncertainty, recruiting and developing the workforce remains vital to ensure the industry can contribute to economic growth.
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Tackling Damp and Mould
The Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, has vowed to amend the Social Housing Regulation bill to respond to the recent issues of damp and mould in the social housing sector.
Michael Gove said he will publish a policy statement on “approaches to tackling serious hazards (including damp and mould) in the social rented sector”.
After the distressing news that has shocked the sector, the government has said that new guidance on the health impacts of damp and mould will be published in the summer. Gove, along with the Department of Health and Social Care will lead the review.
