Social landlords plug the gaps

After 14 years of uninterrupted austerity and a major economic crisis that led to rising inflation, rising interest rates, and further cuts to government spending, the social housing system began to look threadbare. Stories emerged of serious disrepair and major safety problems. Social landlords responded to the significant challenges of funding cuts and economic troubles by struggling to provide the necessary services. However, social landlords have shown considerable resilience. They have a large and valuable stock with a steady if constrained, rental income stream that largely funds both their debts and their running costs. The tenure houses four million, low-income, households, who are mainly unable to afford market rents. Social renting invariably dominates in the lowest-income areas, and landlords provide many ancillary support services through their resources, which help make those communities viable. Crucially social landlords support social, and community needs alongside actual housing provision. They work with the government while contributing to the wellbeing of local communities, and wider society as they have done since their foundation. Without their long-term contribution, our housing problems would be vastly worse, and our society far poorer and more polarised.