New funding will be withheld from any housing provider that is ‘failing in their obligations to tenants’, housing secretary Michael Gove today announced.
From today, providers in breach of the Social Housing Regulator's consumer standards will not be able to draw funds from the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) until improvements are made.
The Government will also consider stripping providers of existing AHP funding, unless construction has already started on site.
The announcement follows last week’s decision by the Housing Ombudsman to expedite three investigations into Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) after a coroner ruled a toddler died as a result of exposure to mould in his home.
Earlier this week Mr Gove wrote to all providers of social housing warning that they must do more to improve the conditions of their housing stock in the wake of two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death.
The housing secretary today confirmed that RBH will not receive its expected £1m funding from the AHP or receive any new AHP contracts for new homes, until the regulator has concluded its investigation.
‘RBH failed its tenants so it will not receive a penny of additional taxpayers’ money for new housing until it gets its act together and does right by tenants,’ said Mr Gove.
‘Let this be a warning to other housing providers who are ignoring complaints and failing in their obligations to tenants. We will not hesitate to act.
‘Everyone deserves the right to live in safe, decent home and this government will always act to protect tenants.’
