NHC: improve poor-quality existing stock in the North

In addition to the 997,000 ‘non-decent’ owner-occupied homes, a further 345,000 private rented sector properties were found to be unfit, according to the study, which analysed figures from the English Housing Survey 2016. It identified a slight increase in non-decent homes in the North, from 20 per cent in 2013 to 22 per cent in 2016, and that the North had a higher proportion of England’s non-decent homes (31 per cent) in 2016 than it did in 2007/08 (29 per cent).

Written for the NHC by public policy thinktank the Smith Institute, the study also highlighted that of the one million owner-occupied houses, more than half were home to at least one person either aged over 60, or living with a long-term illness or disability. It found, too, that in many areas, low-value, poor-quality houses had little or no equity available for repairs or adaptations.

Although progress has been made in reducing non-decent stock and improving social housing stock, the NHC said, a lack of investment into private housing – and particularly housing for older people – has started to reverse that trend.

It suggests support for home improvement under a new Decent Private Homes programme, alongside stock condition surveys to identify costs and savings to enable either home improvements or an option for older people to move into more suitable accommodation. New devolution deals could accelerate this work, it said.

“We are acutely aware that new homes are urgently needed across the North and there has been an understandable focus on finding ways to achieve this,” Jo Boaden, chief executive of the NHC, said.

“However, new supply in the North accounts for less than one per cent of the North’s housing stock and so we cannot forget about the critical importance of maintaining, improving or adapting existing homes.”

Paul Hackett, director of the Smith Institute, added: “The number of retired homeowners living in non-decent properties is alarming. All the focus has been on increasing housing supply, and not enough attention has been given to the quality of existing homes.

“Urgent action is needed across the North to tackle the problem of disrepair. Perhaps it is time for a Decent Homes programme for the North, focused on helping low-income older homeowners?”

The Northern Housing Consortium’s 2018 summit is taking place in Manchester today.