Condensation and mould: what can we do?

Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Standards and safety in social housing made the headlines in November, as the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill was brought to the Commons for scrutiny.

Following the conclusion of the coroner’s report into the death of Awaab Ishak, which found that the two-year-old died due to the mould in his social home, Secretary of State Michael Gove wrote to council leaders and social housing providers calling for greater action to improve housing conditions. Gove also gave an emotive speech to Parliament, in which he promised that new regulations would provide greater protection for social housing tenants from unscrupulous landlords. On 26 November, over 250 tenants met November for the first meeting of the Social Housing Quality Residents Panel, which is charged with influencing the government’s plans on improving social housing conditions. The Panel is one of several provisions in the Bill which have received cross-party support.

What can almshouse charities do?

Condensation is the process where water vapour becomes liquid. It is the reverse of evaporation, where liquid water becomes a vapor. Condensation happens one of two ways: Either the air is cooled to its dew point or it becomes so saturated with water vapor that it cannot hold any more water.

Condensation occurs where moisture in warm air comes into contact with a cold surface and turns into water droplets.  It is generally noticeable where it forms on non-absorbent surfaces such as windows and tiles, but it can form on any surface, only being noticed when mould appears or the material rots. Condensation tends to happen more in rooms where there is a considerable amount of moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens, or in rooms where there is a number of people.

The moisture in the air comes from a number of sources within the house.

Normal day to day activities produce relatively large quantities and it is estimated that a five-person household puts approximately ten litres of water into the air every day. This estimation does not take into consideration the effects of any heating. Cooking, washing and drying clothes, our breathing and personal washing all play a part.

In the kitchens and bathrooms where the warm air contains a considerable amount of moisture, when the air then circulates to cooler parts of the house, for example to a bedroom, it will condense on any colder surface. The fact that houses have become more effectively sealed has led to any moisture produced being retained and providing better conditions for condensation to occur.

Ventilation is only effective if consistent throughout the entire house

Poor air circulation causing the formation of stagnant air pockets in areas, such as behind furniture and in cupboards, will tend to encourage condensation and the first evidence is usually the formation of mould growth. A further culprit is that of drying clothes in the home, especially over radiators.

Condensation can cause mould to form on walls, furniture and soft furnishings such as curtains and can even damage plasterwork and rot wooden window frames. In the case of anyone who has a breathing condition such as asthma or bronchitis, it is most important that every effort is made to control condensation because mould and house mites may make these conditions worse.

Minimising and Preventing Condensation

In order to minimise and hopefully prevent condensation occurring:

  • It is best to ventilate the room to the outside after having a bath or shower. Opening a window and closing the door will help.
  • Dry clothes should be dried out of doors if possible or in a cool area leading to less moisture being held in the air at any one time.
  • Where clothes are dried inside the home, the room should be ventilated and wet coats should be hung outside the living area to dry.
  • Tumble dryers should be vented to the outside unless they are condensing dryers.
  • A minimum amount of water should be used when cooking and lids kept on pans.
  • Extractor fans should be used where available.  
  • When filling baths it is best to run the cold water first and then add the hot which will reduce the amount of steam considerably.

Encouraging your residents to follow the above simple measures will make a great difference and hopefully avoiding condensation or, at the least, minimise its occurrence.     

30 November 2022

Registered Providers Network Meeting

The Almshouse Association Registered Providers Network met with Regulator of Social Housing and IFF Research on 23rd November 2022 to discuss the Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

The agenda included:

  • Tenant Satisfaction Measures
  • Practical process of what and how to record TSM
  • General Q&A

We would like to thank all members for participating; it was encouraging to get such a good turnout. A recording of the session can be found here for anyone not able to attend or would just like a recap on the discussions that took place.

posted 24 November 22

Providing a safe haven over the centuries

In the second of his features looking at Wiltshire’s almshouses, Gary Lawrence visits the county’s largest organisation and discovers it provides housing, security and, just as importantly, hope, for a huge variety of people of all ages.

He begins his article in the office of Susie Coen, the clerk of Salisbury City Almshouses and Welfare Charities which oversees 13 separate groups of almshouses dotted around the city. He is taken on a wonderful tour where he meets the residents of a variety of almshouses including young families, nurses from India, people in their 40s and 50s and retired men and women

The editor of the magazine has kindly provided us with a copy of the article*, which can be found by clicking on the link below. We are now really looking forward to the publication of the third article in the series in December!

Wiltshire Life: Providing a safe haven over the centuries | November 22

* Note: the journalist made a small error in the content.
Both men and women are welcome to become residents at Hussey’s Almshouses, not just women.

Further reading: Almshouses in Wiltshire Life | October 22

Posted 23 November 22

Christmas Presents Wanted for Grotto on the Go

PRESS RELEASE FROM MUNICIPAL CHARITIES OF STRATFORD-UPON-AVON         

Municipal Charities and Escape Arts have partnered together this Christmas to support local Stratford families with their Grotto on the Go project. Working with Morrisons supermarket they are appealing to Stratford residents to donate toys, chocolates and toiletries for children and families in Stratford who would otherwise face a bleak Christmas.

Karen William the Chief Executive Office of Escape Arts said “We have been running our Grotto on the Go Project for a number of years now. We are really pleased that this year we are being joined by Municipal Charities Relief in Need charity who are providing Morrisons food vouchers for the Stratford families we are supporting. They are also providing Santa with a workshop area where all of our elves are busy wrapping the toys, chocolates and toiletries for those families in need”.

John Barrott who is one of Morrisons Community Champions said “We worked with Municipal Charities last year and our customers were incredibly generous in providing presents for Stratford families in Need. We are pleased to offer the opportunity for people to donate toys, toiletries and other Christmas presents at our store for the Grotto on the Go project”.

Sheila Price who chairs the Municipal Charities Relief in Need charity said “We are delighted to be working with Escape Arts on the “Grotto on the Go” Project and hope to support around 100 families in Stratford this Christmas by giving them presents for the children and parents as well as a Morrisons food voucher. We hope that Stratford residents will once again show their generosity of heart and provide presents for those families worse off than themselves.”

The Grotto on the Go will be out visiting families during December with Father Christmas and his elves.

Anybody wishing to donate any new toys, chocolates, toiletries or other presents can leave them at the left at the collection point at Morrisons or drop them off at the charities offices: Municipal Charities 6 Guild Cottages Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6HD between 8.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday to Friday or to Escape Arts, The Old Slaughterhouse, Sheep Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6EE between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

23 November 22

P&G update: 21.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

Almshouse Association receives letter from National Housing Federation

What we see is a robust response to the death of Awaab Ishak through a speeding up and enhancement of the Social Housing Bill. This will have implications for all Regulated Housing Provider almshouses and may have implications for all almshouse charities in the future. We will monitor, engage and report to members as applicable. Full letter below:

Dear Nick,  

In response to the inquest into the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, the Department for Levelling, Housing and Communities has published an open letter from the Secretary of State calling on all social housing providers to “read and absorb” the lessons in the coroner’s report. Michael Gove also set out an expectation that social housing providers assess damp and mould in properties and which actions will be taken to redress these issues. The sector is told that a letter from the Regulator is also imminent.  

I know from speaking to a number of Chief Executives over the last week how shocked and upset the sector is about Awaab’s death.  As your trade body, the National Housing Federation (NHF) is committed to ensuring that our members understand the critical lessons from this case and the action that is needed to ensure such a tragedy never happens again. We will do this through briefings and face-to-face meetings that support practical change.  

You will also know that earlier this year the NHF and Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) commissioned an independent panel to review poor quality in housing association homes and make recommendations for improvements. The Better Social Housing Review, led by housing and social care expert Helen Baker, has met with residents, front-line staff, sector leaders and key stakeholders across the summer to understand the challenge. The final report from the review is expected soon and the NHF and CIH will be developing an action plan from its recommendations to make sure every resident has a good quality home.  

There is a problem with the quality of some housing that must be fixed. We want to address this urgent issue, learn where things are going wrong, and work with you to tackle the root causes of these problems.  

Please get in touch if you have any questions about the NHF’s work in this area.  

Best wishes,
Kate Henderson
Chief Executive, National Housing Federation

Energy bills and decarbonisation

Housing association homes are on average more energy efficient than any other homes, however, the sector still faces a significant challenge to decarbonise the 2.7 million homes owned by housing associations by 2050.
Yesterday’s announcement of an extra £6bn for energy efficiency measures is a welcome and necessary step from the government.
This funding will be vital in helping housing associations to continue making progress towards their individual net zero targets and will contribute to the government’s ability to meet their legally binding target for the UK to reach net zero by 2050. It will also help better protect tenants from soaring energy costs in the future.  
To mitigate the more immediate impact of the energy crisis, the Chancellor announced an extension of the energy price cap guarantee which will now continue from April for a further 12 months. This cap of £3,000 per year for the average household will limit the impact of any further hikes to energy costs.  

Welfare and benefits

In his statement, the Chancellor took steps to protect those on the lowest incomes who will feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis most keenly in the coming months.

  • Benefits will be uprated by inflation, with an increase of 10.1%. For the first time since 2016, the benefits cap will also rise with inflation next year.
    We welcome this news, having signed an open letter to the Prime Minister earlier this month with over 100 organisations calling for these measures. We believe it will ensure the benefits system continues to function as a financial safety net. Whilst these measures are welcomed, it is important to note that claimants need to wait until April 2023 to benefit from the uprating. This means that they will still face this winter without any increase in their income.  
  • There will be additional Cost of Living Payments of £900 to households on means tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households and £150 to people on disability benefit.
  • In a move to support older people, the pension credit will also increase by 10.1%, which will protect the triple lock pension and mean an extra £870 for each state pensioner.    
  • An extension of the Local Authority Household Support Fund with an additional £1bn of funding available.
  • It was announced that the planned movement of Employment and Support Allowance claimants (not in receipt of child tax credit) onto Universal Credit would be delayed until 2028.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 21 November 2022

HM Treasury: Autumn Statement

Chancellors Statement and impact for member charities.

Following the completion of the consultation period where the Department for Levelling Up (DLUC) asked The Almshouse Association and its members for their views on the impact of a 3%-5% and 7% rent cap to Registered Social Landlords (Registered Providers of Social Housing), today the DLUC announced their position. In our consultation feedback we explained how important it was to enable our members to be exempt from the rent cap and that anything less than 7% would have grave implications for the financial stability of our RESL members and their residents.

  • DLUC today confirmed a rent cap of 7% on Registered Social Landlords (RSL) for 2023/2024 with an intention to revert to CPI +1% in the future.

NOTE: Supported Housing Providers are exempt from the above cap, however, most almshouse charities do not fall under the recognised ‘Supported Housing’ classification.

Full details from the DLUC can be found here

In his first Autumn statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made the following announcements (that could impact almshouse charities and their residents):

  • Benefits will rise with the rate of inflation – by 10.1%
  • Pensions will also increase by 10.1%
  • The government’s energy price guarantee will be kept for a further 12 months at an average of £3,000 for a typical household, up from £2,500 at present.
  • New one-off payments of £900 to households on means-tested benefits, £300 to pensioner households and £150 for individuals on disability benefit.
  • The “national living wage” will rise by 9.7% next year to £10.42 an hour.

The full Autumn statement can be found here

WMC: For almshouse charities who have yet to set their WMC for 2023/4 our updated Specimen Outline Budget can be found here.

posted 17 November 2022

Devon Regional Meeting

Date: 1st December 2022, 10.30am – 2pm
Location: The Exeter Community Hall, 17, St David’s Hill, Exeter, EX4 3RG.
Contact: Gerry Harmon at The Almshouse Association to book your place: gerryharmon@almshouses.org

This informal meeting will give you an opportunity to meet fellow trustees, clerks, wardens and scheme managers to chat about your almshouses in an open and relaxed forum.  The Almshouse Association will also be providing an update on the almshouse movement and you will have ample opportunity to network with peers and guests.

We would be delighted to see you and your colleagues at this event so please circulate this invitation to all those involved in your charity. There is no fee for attendance but places are limited so please do let us know as soon as possible, if you would like to attend.

The Agenda

10:30 – 11:00      Arrival and Registration – light refreshments – tea, coffee, biscuits
11:00 – 11:15      Welcome and Introduction – Karen Percival – Regional Peer Representative for TAA/Clerk to Okehampton United Charity and Steve Sitch, GM at Exeter Homes Trust
11:15 – 11:45      Update on the almshouse movement and The Almshouse Association  – Nick Phillips, TAA CEO
11:45 – 12:30      Open Forum Discussion
12:30 – 14:00     Light lunch, networking, and close

P&G update: 14.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

GOVERNMENT

  • Guidance for members operating heat networks – The government has outlined how members operating heat networks must ‘pass-through’ the savings made through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

    There are certain requirements for members which include:
    • Informing all your heat network customers how and when savings will be passed onto them. Savings must be passed on by 30 November 2022, or within 30 days of receiving the discounted prices from your energy supplier. To help with this, you will find a template letter here.
    • Registering with the Energy Ombudsman for the redress scheme. More information will be found on the Energy Ombudsman website. Heat suppliers can also contact heatnetworks@beis.gov.uk for more information on the redress scheme.

      You can find further guidance on the Energy Bill Relief Scheme pass-through requirements for heat networks here, including how to inform customers and calculating the pass through.

      If you are benefitting from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme on your commercial electricity supply, used for communal areas (lighting, lifts, security doors, etc.), these savings also need to be passed through to customers. In these cases where you are acting as an intermediary, there is guidance for intermediaries. The deadline for the notification is 30 days from the benefit being provided to the intermediary.
  • Former Housing Minister Appointed as Charities Minister – Short-lived housing minister Stuart Andrews MP has been appointed as charities minister by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

    The Association will be in touch with Mr Andrews and hope that in his new role he can champion and protect the charitable status of almshouse charities in government.

    Lucy Frazer MP has also now been announced as the new housing minister. The Association has written to Mrs Frazer to ask for her support.
  • Housing Ombudsman Issues Call for Evidence on Poor Record Keeping – The Housing Ombudsman has issued a call for evidence to support its next systemic investigation which will look at record keeping and data management. This has been a consistent theme found by the Ombudsman in its casework with 67% of investigations upheld in 2021-22 involving poor records.

    Complaint handlers are invited to submit evidence which will help the Ombudsman make recommendations that promote greater understanding of the importance of information and knowledge management.

    You can submit evidence here until December 23rd 2022.
  • Government Confirms Support for Oil Heating – Households that don’t use main gas – such as homes with heating oil, LPG or biomass boilers – will get an additional £100 to help with energy bills this winter, on top of the £400 you’ll get from your electricity supplier.

    The Government has now confirmed this money will come from your electricity supplier, and will be added to your energy account as bill credit, but it hasn’t said when yet. It has also said that if you don’t have a direct relationship with an electricity supplier, you’ll still get the payment, though it has yet to announce how this will be paid.

    The Association will provide further updates when we know more.

CHARITY COMMISSION

Setting up ‘My Charity Commission Account’ – ‘My Charity Commission Account’ is a new way for trustees and charity contacts to access the Charity Commission’s online services. It can also be used by other people you have authorised, such as your accountant or lawyer.

The Commission has published guidance to help trustees get set up on the new system which can be found here.

FUNDING

CAF opens Keystone Fund for small charities – The Keystone Fund aims to enable locally and regionally focused charities working towards social equity to become more agile in their support for their communities. It provides a programme of unrestricted grants, networking and access to advice webinars and toolkits.

Grants available:

  • Unrestricted grants, intended to enable charitable organisations in the UK to adapt ways of working, strengthen capacity or build resilience, according to identified needs.
  • Grants will be awarded between £5,000 and £50,000
  • Approximately 120 grants will be awarded over 2-3 rounds during 2022-23.
  • Grant funds must begin to be spent within 6 months of grant payment, but can be carried forward into the following financial year if required to enable flexibility. They should be fully spent within 24 months of grant payment.

Grants will not normally be restricted to specific projects, but CAF will ask you to tell them how you would like to use the funds. It is hoped that charitable organisations can use a grant to become more agile in their support for their communities. This might include the costs of leadership time to develop strategy or organisational capacity, or to access additional external expertise, support and advice to develop their resilience plans. Grants might also be used for staff costs, digital costs, overheads, delivery costs or equipment, according to your identified longer-term needs.

In addition, building on CAF’s advisory opportunities for charities across the UK, all grant holders will gain access to webinars, toolkits, and networking opportunities to accelerate their impact.

More details can be found here.

ENERGY

Centrica scheme to support battery storage – Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, are looking for 2-3 acres of land to support the growth of energy storage. In particular they are looking for land which is:

  • Grade 3 or poorer i.e. could not be used for arable farming
  • Near a substation (not essential, but better)
  • Near a grid connection

If you have an interest in this type of scheme, you can find more information here. It is likely that other companies are offering similar schemes and if interested it would be advisable to consult 2 or 3 other organisations before proceeding.

Note: It is also important to check your governing documents regarding how land you own can be used.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

Inquest hears how boy’s death linked to mould in home – An ongoing inquest has heard that the death of a two-year old boy was directly linked to exposure to mould in the flat where he lived.

The case comes as the government pushes for higher standards in both the private and social sectors of housing. This tragic case serves as a reminder to members of how important it is that you keep track of maintenance issues as they arise and ideally planning effectively for them before they do. One of the best ways to achieve this is through quinquennial surveys which allow you to plan maintenance over a number of years.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 14 November 2022

P&G update: 7.11.22

News summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable.

Government

  • Social Housing Regulation Bill moves to House of Commons – MPs will begin to consider the Social Housing Regulation Bill on November 7th after its completed passage through the House of Lords.

    The Almshouse Association continues to have concerns over what is now Clause 32 which concerns the extension of the Regulator of Social Housing’s power to charitable housing providers who have not received government grant.

    We believe that this ultimately undermines the charitable status of almshouse charities and feel it is inappropriate. We encourage members to write to their MPs to flag our concerns and challenge the clause.

    The Bill can be found here.

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2022 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 7 November 2022

Honywood and Douglas charity latest expansion project nears completion

In 1622 the Honywood Trust was created to provide homes for local people in Lenham and was united with the Douglas Charity in 1996, to provide homes for residents from Boughton Malherbe.

The latest expansion project of the Honywood and Douglas Almshouse Charity of Lenham and Boughton Malherbe in Kent has involved building work at 23 High Street over the past year. The existing property was bought by the Honywood and Douglas Charity in 2021 to convert into three new almshouses, which would make the total owned by the Charity in Lenham, twenty-nine.

Each of the new homes has been allocated to new residents, who should be moving in soon. They have an open-plan kitchen/living room and a single bedroom and wet-room. They share a garden in front.

On the 6th of October the church bells rang out and the Town Crier announced the arrival of Mr. Julian Marczak of The Almshouse Association, who came to officially ‘open’ the first two dwellings, Honywood Cottage and Douglas Cottage. The third is Flint Cottage, which is nearly finished.

As with all the Charity’s properties the new ones are for residents who are over 60 and who have lived in Lenham or Boughton Malherbe for at least two years. Following the official opening, the Charity Trustees and colleagues, together with 100 residents and special guests, held a tea-party at the Lenham Community Centre to celebrate the 400th Anniversary.

While enjoying a delicious afternoon tea, the Party was entertained with music from a Lenham Primary School choir, also pieces played by our Lenham harpist, Claire Houston. Guests could enjoy an historic exhibition of some of the Charity’s archives and records, and old deeds and maps of the original estate and land owned by the Charity. An enormous amount of research by dedicated historians went into the production of this remarkable display.

This very special occasion was marked by the publication of the new ‘400 years’ leaflet outlining the background and achievements of the Charity and its hopes for the future. Copies were given to all the guests.

The Chairman and Trustees and officers of the Honywood and Douglas Charity gave their sincere thanks to the many volunteers who had helped to make this a great occasion of celebration and they look forward to welcoming their new residents very soon.

Posted 1 November 2022