Nineteen months after the Grenfell Tower fire, some of the hunger for change catalysed by the terrible events of 14 June 2017 has found an outlet. A report by the commission on social housing convened by the charity Shelter takes up a number of proposals put forward by the disaster’s survivors. The signs are that the government is listening. Proposals for a new system of regulation in England are expected later this year.
The commission makes the case for a model based on reforms to the banking sector, a key element of which is that consumers – tenants, in this case – should have their own regulator, distinct from the body tasked with economic oversight. The new organisation, the report argues, should proactively inspect private as well as social landlords, and set clear standards. Barriers to complaint must be removed, no-fault evictions outlawed, and tenancies extended beyond the three years now being considered – as they have been in Scotland. The proposal for a national, independent tenants’ organisation, and enhanced powers for local groups, is also sound. Currently, half of private renters who make complaints are evicted within six months.
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