Thousands of council homes fail to meet standards

Almost three-quarters of council homes in Birmingham do not meet national standards, a report has revealed.

A performance report said just 26.65% of Birmingham City Council homes met the government's Decent Homes Standard, which sets minimum requirements social housing is expected to meet.

The Labour-run council said the age and condition of its stock of 60,000 homes continued to hit performance figures as it completed more condition surveys.

However, opposition councillors have branded the situation "diabolical" and a "disgrace".

Councillor Robert Alden, leader of the Conservatives at the council, said thousands of tenants across the city were being let down.

"Labour's leadership of Birmingham City Council is failing the very people it is supposed to protect," he said.

"Families are trapped in damp, mould-ridden homes and instead of solutions, we see more excuses and falling standards."

The performance figure reported to the council's cabinet earlier this month, from the second quarter of 2024/25, falls short of the council's annual target of 30% and is lower than in 2010, when it said all of its homes met the standard.

Labour councillor Jayne Francis, cabinet member for housing, said more issues were being encountered as condition surveys were conducted.

"It will take time to turn that corner and we're making a huge investment in this city to make sure those houses are brought into good ownership," she added.

The Decent Homes Standard is the minimum standard set by the government, which states all social housing should be in a reasonable state of repair and have reasonably modern facilities.

Paul Langford, strategic director for city housing, added there had been under-investment in homes in the city for more than a decade and the council would soon begin to see the figures moving in the right direction.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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