Small housing and care provider added onto gradings under review list

Leon Steer, chief executive of Rapport Housing and Care, said: “The past three years have been incredibly challenging for housing and care providers. The pandemic, subsequent staffing crisis and cost-of-living pressures have significantly impacted the industry, but we are committed to meeting the regulatory requirements and providing safe and happy homes for our residents.

“We are working with the Regulator of Social Housing to improve our position.”

There are currently two other social landlords on the gradings under review list, both based in east London.  Tower Hamlets Community Housing, which manages around 3,000 homes, joined the list in December, while 3,800-home East End Homes joined it in October.

The RSH has also downgraded several providers to non-compliant grades recently.

In January, 23,000-home North West-based ForHousing was downgraded from G2 to G3 over a “lack of independence” in its decision-making. For-profit provider Heylo Housing was downgraded to G3 and V3 after the regulator found “issues of serious regulatory concern”.

The RSH also sent My Space, a non-compliant lease-based supported housing provider, an enforcement notice to seek “immediate advice” on its ability to trade solvently, after downgrading it to the lowest possible gradings of G4/V4.

In December, the regulator downgraded Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to G3 because of its board’s failure to act with an “appropriate degree of skill, diligence, effectiveness, prudence and foresight in response to the most serious of consequences”.