Fighting the Fakes: The battle against AI disinformation
The Electoral Commission has launched a deepfake detection pilot ahead of May's elections. LocalGov's editor William Eichler finds out how it works.
West Northants considers social housing policy shakeup
01/05/2026 West Northamptonshire Council is considering changing the criteria for its social housing allocation scheme following a surge in applications. |
Non-tenants gain right to complain about council housing
01/05/2026 People who are not council tenants can now formally complain about how councils manage social housing due to new powers under the Renters' Rights Act. |
Government confirms Right to Buy overhaul
28/04/2026 The Government has confirmed sweeping reforms to Right to Buy, tightening eligibility rules and reducing discounts in a bid to protect social housing stock. |
Inspectors hit Basildon BC with lowest social housing grade
15/04/2026 Basildon BC has been awarded the lowest possible social housing grade following an inspection that uncovered very serious failings. |
Homeless handed rising proportion of social housing
14/04/2026 The proportion of social housing being allocated to homeless people has risen, according to data collated by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). |
Social housing fund boost to support innovative pilots
02/04/2026 Twenty schemes across England aimed at supporting social housing tenants are set to each receive a share of a £2m fund from the Government. |
London social housing system ‘opaque’, committee warns
27/03/2026 London’s social housing system has been criticised as ‘opaque, confusing and unfair’, in a new report by the London Assembly Housing Committee. |
Guildford council first to upgrade to top consumer housing rating
25/03/2026 Guildford Borough Council has become the first local authority in England to upgrade from a C3 to a C1 under new social housing standards. |
Preston City Council looks to boost council housing stock
20/02/2026 Preston City Council is seeking to secure 19 council-owned affordable homes after submitting a conditional offer to a private developer. |
Regulator hits county council with C4 grading
11/02/2026 Northumberland County Council has been issued with a C4 grading following a planned inspection that uncovered ‘very serious failings’. |
Social housing conditions ‘barely improved’ since pandemic, MPs say
09/02/2026 The conditions in England’s social housing have ‘barely improved’ since the pandemic, with nearly 430,000 homes failing to meet the minimum standard, MPs say. |
Social housing provider secures £55m following funding freeze
26/01/2026 A social housing provider whose funding was frozen after being issued with a regulatory notice over the death of toddler Awaab Ishak has been granted £55m to deliver new homes. |
Major £300m fraud investigation into social housing sector launched
15/01/2026 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an inquiry into the past management of Home REIT amid allegations of fraud and bribery. |
‘Record amounts’ spent on improving housing quality, says report
14/01/2026 Social landlords spent £10bn on repairs and maintenance by March last year, research has found. |
Tensions rise over out of area placements
14/01/2026 Council relations have strained over housing placements, with some authorities accused of ‘cleansing themselves’ of challenges and ‘exporting’ ‘more complex’ cases outside their area. |
Housing approvals drop in final quarter of 2025
06/01/2026 New data has revealed the number of housing projects granted approval dropped by 17% in the last three months of 2025. |
Council housing cuts loom without rent reform, London boroughs warn
05/01/2026 London boroughs are warning that deep cuts to social housing services are inevitable unless ministers back changes to social rent policy later this month. |
Watchdog uncovers 'serious failings' in social housing
17/12/2025 Gosport BC has received the lowest grading for its social housing after a regulator found ‘unacceptable failings’ in its role as landlord. |
Councils face hurdles housing low-income applicants, charity warns
09/12/2025 Almost a quarter (24%) of housing associations in England have confirmed that local social housing registers can sometimes see low-income households ruled out, research has found. |
Rental arrears owed to councils soar 55% in six years
25/11/2025 Rental arrears owed to local authorities have climbed by 55% since 2019, according to a new analysis. |
New social homes could boost economy by £5bn
20/11/2025 Meeting the Government’s target of delivering 180,000 new social rent homes could add more than £5bn to the economy, according to new research released today. |
Brighton and Hove back £50m spend to combat housing ‘disaster’
27/10/2025 Brighton and Hove City Council is to invest £50m to deliver more social and affordable housing. |
‘Transformative’ social housing complex wins architectural recognition
17/10/2025 A social housing complex has been awarded the Stirling Prize for architectural excellence. |
