A summary of the latest UK Government policy changes and news.

Consultation Responses

The Association has recently responded to two government consultations:

1. Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023

This Act aims to introduce a new licensing regime, establish National Supported Housing Standards, and reform aspects of Housing Benefit eligibility for supported housing. The changes will apply to all types of supported exempt accommodation—which includes many almshouses.

There will be another Government consultation before these regulations come into force, which the Association will also prepare a response to.

2. Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes

The Government has recently consulted on its proposals to raise Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for privately rented homes in England and Wales by 2030. The proposed changes will significantly raise the energy performance standards required of landlords, including charitable almshouse providers, with new minimum levels linked to updated EPC metrics, higher investment thresholds, and expanded regulatory expectations.

We will update you as soon as we have more information about the Government’s responses and future consultations.

Updated Charity Commission Guidance

The Charity Commission has recently updated several of its guidance pages. These include:

There is lots of information on the Charity Commission website for trustees, and more information can be found on The Almshouse Association pages here.

Working Paper on Planning Reform: Reforming Site Thresholds

The Government is committed to getting Britain building again and is publishing a series of planning papers to support this goal.

This document is part of a wider set of working papers on various aspects of planning reform, intended to inform future policy development in collaboration with the sector.

An informal inquiry has been launched, with responses invited by 9 July 2025. Submissions should be made via Citizen Space here.

Boiler Upgrades

The Government are also seeking views on proposed amendments to the existing Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and to certification requirements for BUS and other clean heat schemes.

This consultation closes on 11 June 2025, and responses should be made via Citizen Space here.

Awaab’s Law

In October, the first part of Awaab’s Law (which forms part of the new Renters’ Right Act) will be implemented. While this legislation is enforceable to Registered Providers, it acts as good guidance for all almshouse charities.

Key provisions of Awaab’s Law include:

  • Investigation: Landlords must investigate hazards within 14 calendar days of being notified.
  • Commencement of repairs: If a hazard poses a significant risk to health or safety, repairs must begin within 7 calendar days of the investigation report.
  • Completion of repairs: Repairs must be completed within a “reasonable time period”, depending on the circumstances.
  • Emergency repairs: Any emergency repairs must be completed within 24 hours.
  • Alternative accommodation: If repairs cannot be completed within the required timeframe and the hazard poses a significant risk, landlords must provide alternative accommodation for tenants.

Alongside this, further information has been published, and more is expected, on improving residents’ experiences in housing accommodation. A new Code of Practice for the remediation of residential buildings has recently been released and is available here.

New Combined Authorities

Four new Combined Authorities have recently been created in England – Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Devon and East Yorkshire. The Government has set a goal of universal coverage of strategic authorities in England in its White Paper on local government devolution, which will see more of these authorities created.

4 June 2025