Birmingham homes to meet national standards by 2032, council says amid criticism over 'inadequate properties'

The Labour-run city council said this week that thousands of its tenants are now seeing the benefits of an investment programme as it takes action to make sure their properties meet the decent homes standard.

That is the minimum standard set by the government and states all social housing should be in a reasonable state of repair and have reasonably modern facilities.

A recent report revealed that the council had increased its compliance against the decent homes standard from 30 per cent to around 43 per cent – and is set to reach 100 per cent by 2032.

The council’s leadership has hailed the progress being made, which they say is driven from the £622m investment since 2024.

But opposition councillors remained critical of the situation and the state of many council homes at a cabinet meeting this week.

“While 43 per cent is an improvement, it’s a long way off where the service used to be,” Conservative group leader Coun Robert Alden said.

“And it’s a long way off where residents rightly want it to be.”

Coun Ewan Mackey, deputy leader of the opposition, added: “I still feel we’ve got too many people living in property that isn’t of a high enough standard and that the repairs are taking too long.”

Labour councillor Nicky Brennan, the cabinet member for housing, said a warm and safe home is “what allows people to flourish and grow”.

“I am delighted to see the difference our investment has made so far and the progress being made to ensure all our tenants and leaseholders are living in warm, safe and sustainable homes,” she said.

“Energy bills for many have been cut, homes are safer, and many tenants have had new kitchens and bathrooms installed.

“There’s still much more to do and we will keep up the pace of investment over the next six years.”

‘Losing battle’

Stacey, a resident of the freshly refurbished Bromford, said she had struggled to heat her home in the past.

But after the upgrades, she said she now enjoys a “cosy” and safer home.

“I’ve lived in my home for almost 19 years,” she said. “But the heating issues meant I’d make it all lovely inside and it still wouldn’t be comfortable.

“It was like a losing battle.”

She continued: “With the new windows installed, I can heat it up instantly and it actually stays cosy.

“While enclosing the ground-floor balcony means I no longer feel vulnerable to passersby.”

This week’s meeting also saw the council approve plans to increase rent for thousands of its tenants across the city.

The authority is pushing ahead with plans to hike social and affordable rents by 4.8 per cent in the next financial year.

This is the maximum amount the government currently allows councils across the country to increase their social rents by.

The council has said this rise would “counter some of the impacts of high inflation and borrowing costs” and help it achieve its compliance obligations.

Further justifying its plans, Birmingham Council said that each 1 per cent reduction in the increase from the government’s 4.8 per cent cap “would mean a permanent loss in income of £2 million average” per year.

It continued that this is the equivalent to 400 fewer bathroom renovations each year, 256 fewer kitchens per year and 167 fewer roof replacements each year.

Government-appointed commissioners, sent in to oversee the council’s financial recovery, added the increase would “support the provision of good-quality homes and a level of service that enables the council to meet its obligations to residents”.