Bath MP Wera Hobhouse highlighted the prevalence of cold and damp homes during a speech in Parliament earlier this month.
A debate last Thursday, 8th May, focused on the urgent need for action to improve private and social housing conditions, particularly in the face of rising fuel poverty.
Mrs Hobhouse raised the statistic that one in four private renters in the UK live in fuel poverty, and 1.6 million children are living in homes that are cold, damp, or mouldy.
She said 31% of private sector tenants report issues with heating or hot water, and 21% of private rented homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The MP raised the health risks posed by damp and mould, citing numerous constituent cases, including one in which a tenant developed asthma after living in a mouldy home.
Mrs Hobhouse pointed to the struggles of local social housing providers like Curo, which face rising costs for repairs, energy efficiency upgrades, and the need to deliver new homes. But the funding received from rent and government support isn’t enough to cover everything that’s needed.
She specifically called for a review of the rent and capital subsidy regime to ensure that housing providers have the necessary resources to deliver well-maintained homes, improve existing stock, and meet future housing needs.
The MP also criticised the government’s Warm Homes Local Grant funding allocation for Bath, which she said was a fraction of what was needed to address fuel poverty and housing inefficiencies.
Bath MP Wera Hobhouse
She stated that thousands of homes in Bath are eligible for the Warm Homes Grant, but only a very small fraction will receive funding under the current scheme.
Speaking to the importance of the government taking immediate action to prevent another winter of cold and damp homes, Wera Hobhouse said: “The state of our rental housing – both private and social – is simply not good enough.
“It is one of the many failures of the previous Conservative government, but the new government must now step up and deal with the problem.
“We know the solutions – higher standards, proper funding for repairs, and investment in insulation – but we continue to see piecemeal action and shrinking budgets.
“The government has ambitious housebuilding targets, but social housing providers are being left to struggle with inadequate budgets. This funding mismatch must be addressed urgently.
“I urge the government to act fast so all of our constituents can live in safe, warm, and secure housing.
Victor da Cunha, Chief Executive at Curo, said: “We welcome Wera’s speech in Parliament today, which shows the real-world impact of a social housing system under strain.
“Problems like damp and mould are signs of much wider challenges in how social housing is funded.
“We want all of our customers to live in homes they’re proud of – but it’s getting harder to provide these essential services as costs rise and funding falls behind.
“Our customers’ rents have to cover more and more each year – from repairs to meeting higher safety and environmental rules, as well as building the new homes the country needs – yet overall funding hasn’t kept pace.
“This can’t carry on without a clear and fair framework that explains what social rent should pay for, and how we balance keeping it affordable with properly looking after homes, old and new.
“We believe it’s time for a national conversation about the future of social housing – one that involves tenants, government and providers – to make sure we can keep offering safe, warm and decent homes now and in the future.
“We want everyone around the table to agree on a rent system that makes sense and works for all.”
