Applies to Registered Providers in England. The Regulator of Social Housing closed its consultation on the draft Consumer Standards and new Code of Practice for Consumer Standards on 17th October 2023; it will shortly publish the outcomes of this consultation and its consultation on fees with the new regime expected to come into effect in April 2024.
As part of our work to develop a response, CCH created an online survey which several members completed, held a well-attended online member forum on 5th September [login required] and featured the consultation at the Annual Conference.
The proposed new Consumer Standards are:
- The Safety and Quality Standard – requiring co-operatives to provide safe and good quality homes and services to members.
- The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – requiring co-operatives to be open with members and treat them with fairness and respect so that they can access services, raise complaints when necessary, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account.
- The Neighbourhood and Community Standard – requiring co-operatives to engage with other relevant parties so that members can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
- The Tenancy Standard – sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes and for how those tenancies are managed and ended.
CCH’s response welcomed the proposed new Standards; we have some concerns about how these standards will be regulated for small providers and await the publication of those details. Our response to the new fees raised concerns about the proposed increases and the disproportionate impact of these for small providers as well as concern that small local authorities would pay no fees.