Displaying items by tag: poor living conditions

The housing ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, has warned that growing public frustration over substandard social housing could escalate into wider social unrest. Complaints about poor living conditions have surged 474% since 2019/20, with 45% related to repairs. Despite a record £9bn spent on maintenance in 2023/24, landlords were ordered to pay £3.4m in compensation due to poor practices, including extreme delays in fixing serious issues like asbestos and mould. Nearly half of England’s social homes were built before 1964, and damp-related complaints have risen sharply. Blakeway criticised outdated maintenance standards and ‘rationing’ of services, calling current housing policies detached from modern living expectations. He urged a ‘transformative overhaul’, including a national tenant body and predictive maintenance systems. While Awaab’s Law (named after a toddler who died from mould exposure) is set to force landlords to make immediate emergency repairs from October, Blakeway said it remains too reactive. He warned that without urgent reform, the Government’s housing ambitions could collapse under the weight of a failing system.