The next phase of the project is being launched today (Thursday 15th May) at the House of Lords.
The Green and Decent Homes Programme would upgrade and modernise England’s council housing, making homes safer, healthier and more sustainable for millions of people across the country.
It comes after the first year of the coalition working together was marked with a summit co-hosted with project leads Southwark Council to discuss the next steps in Sheffield in March.
The coalition – made up of 112 local authorities - believes that:
- Poor housing costs the NHS an estimated £1.4 billion each year
- Investing in warm, energy-efficient homes could save up to £4 billion annually in healthcare and social care costs
- It is estimated that for every £1 spent on warming the homes of vulnerable people, there is a £4 return in health benefits
But councils like ourselves currently lack the long-term funding needed to improve homes and meet growing regulatory demands around better homes.
“Investment in council housing is not just about shelter - it’s an investment in public health, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability that will improve people’s lives and strengthen the communities they live in.”
Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council
“Together with our coalition partner councils across the country we’re asking the Government to create this new Green and Decent Homes Programme that the campaign has been calling for to create the warm, safe, decent homes we all want to see.”
Cllr Douglas Johnson, Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Housing Committee
Southwark Council is launching the Green and Decent Homes Programme at the House of Lords today.
Keynote speakers include Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council; Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue; and Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.
They are being joined by parliamentarians and national stakeholders from the housing sector.
“For millions of people, council homes are the foundation for living good and healthy lives, and are vital to solve the housing crisis.
“Many of England’s council homes were built in a different age, and we need a bold, long-term national programme of investment to bring them up to modern standards, while also creating hundreds of thousands of green jobs.”
Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council
The Green and Decent Homes Programme builds on Southwark’s Securing the Future of Council Housing report, launched in September 2024 and is one of three clear calls to action, alongside:
- A new, sustainable Housing Revenue Agreement – a reset to our broken council housing financing deal with government
- Funding for new council homes – a sufficient and flexible capital funding programme that prioritises council homes
To read more on the programme’s principles and aims, head to the Southwark Council website.
