Increasing the supply of new homes is crucial but they must be of good quality and fit for the future, says the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee in correspondence to Matthew Pennycook MP, Housing Minister.
The letter makes a series of recommendations to help ensure the quality of new homes, improve the routes for redress for home buyers, and deliver an increase in accessible homes.
The correspondence also expresses concern that new homes are being built that do not sufficiently mitigate the risks of homes overheating.
The committee’s letter recommends the government’s planned technical review in this area undertakes a rigorous stress-test to check whether existing building regulations are sufficient for the higher temperatures the UK could be exposed to as a result of climate change.
The committee’s letter to the Housing Minister is part of the committee’s ongoing work examining housing conditions in England.
Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said: “Progress towards delivering the Government’s national target to deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament is crucial. However, in our evidence we heard concerns about the quality of new homes, including major defects and safety issues as well as problems with damp and mould. We also heard the dissatisfaction and frustration felt by homeowners when these issues are not dealt with effectively.
“Boosting housing supply will play an important role in improving housing conditions overall. But the government needs to go further to ensure that new homes are of good quality and reflect the changing needs of our population, including homes that are adaptable and accessible, and of our climate.
“We hope the government will act on our recommendations to ensure homes are fit for the future and we look forward to questioning the Housing Minister as part of our condition of homes inquiry later this year”.
