As the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill still appears sidelined, MPs on the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities commons select Committee published a new report into its commitments and policies.
MPs described the affordability crisis in the private rented sector in England as the source of many other problems in that area. They said the only way to solve it properly is by a "significant increase in house building, particularly affordable housing".
The committee urged the Government to recommit to delivering the affordable homes it said the country needs, citing its own 2020 report in which MPs concluded England needed at least 90,000 additional homes for social rent every year.
The committee also said it supports introducing a legally binding decent homes standard (DHS). Still, it said that it would not succeed in improving standards unless local authorities are able to "vigorously" enforce it.
In their report, the committee said: "The precarious position of local government finances, the shortage of qualified housing and environmental health officers, and the lack of reliable data are all obstacles to effective enforcement." You can read the full report on the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee website.
Mikey Erhardt, at Disability Rights UK, said,
"Disabled people across Britain have been waiting for a restoration of their housing rights for more than 30 years. The Government must ensure that the Renters Reform Bill actually tackles the housing crisis. We are beyond the point of tinkering, and we urgently need wholesale reforms that create a safer, fairer and more accessible housing system for everyone.
As Disabled tenants, we need certainty and consistency in our housing situations for our independence. Appropriate housing is key to independent living and creating choice and control for us, and that shouldn't be removed from us if we rent privately.
Although we welcome the abolition of Section 21 and the blanket ban to stop landlords from refusing to rent to those claiming benefits, we are still awaiting changes that would make the private rented system fairer and more accessible for Disabled people.
We will pay close attention to this bill as it moves through parliament. We urge the Government to consider using the bill to improve access to the disabled facilities grant, provide a robust Decent Homes Standard that prevents us from living in dangerous homes, and develop new regulations which tackle the ongoing affordability issues across all tenures."