Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
New AI tool could help councils flag risks in social housing
23/06/2026 A predictive artificial intelligence (AI) tool is being developed by Cambridge authorities to support more efficient maintenance action for social housing tenants. |
Farage announces social housing foreigner ban
16/06/2026 Foreign nationals would be banned from social housing under a Reform UK government, party leader Nigel Farage has said. |
Social housing waiting lists will take over 100 years to clear
08/06/2026 England's social housing waiting lists will take 119 years to clear at the current pace of housebuilding, according to research by housing charity Shelter. |
Research finds council homes falling behind in solar uptake
02/06/2026 Councils are being outpaced by private homeowners in their installation rate of rooftop solar panels, data has found. |
Social landlords could receive new powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators
01/06/2026 Landlords could gain new powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators from social housing under changes proposed in the Social Housing Bill, the Government has confirmed. |
Regulator hands Islington Council C3 grade over serious housing failings
13/05/2026 Islington Council has been given a C3 grade by the RSH following an inspection that identified serious failings in the management of its housing stock. |
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. |
