Unlocking the potential of affordable housing

As the affordable housing sector faces mounting challenges, from meeting Net Zero targets to improving resident wellbeing, the need for smarter, more integrated approaches has never been greater. With a new Decent Homes Standard on the horizon, it’s time to reflect on past lessons, rethink how we use data, and explore the potential of emerging technologies. By addressing questions within key areas, we can ensure that every decision we make drives real, long-term value for residents and communities.

Applying lessons from Decent Homes

The Decent Homes upgrades carried out under the last Labour government succeeded in dramatically improving the UK’s social housing stock but, in hindsight, not all of the funding was well-targeted. Buildings with weak structural capacity or very poor thermal performance were fitted with new windows, kitchens and bathrooms, when the longer-term investment view would have been to look at more sustainable options.

This time round, with a new version of the Decent Homes Standard on the way, as well as a decarbonisation target to achieve EPC C by 2030, there will be many more competing priorities and it will be more important than ever to utilise available funding, such as WH:SHF Wave 3, as efficiently as possible. To make better decisions, we need to look at the whole picture, cross-referencing stock condition surveys, life cycle costs, retrofit priorities, fire safety compliance, HHSRS including condensation, damp and mould and voids. The sector needs take a holistic approach to investment within homes and communities.

To make better decisions, we need to look at the whole picture, cross-referencing stock condition surveys, life cycle costs, retrofit priorities, fire safety compliance, HHSRS including condensation, damp and mould and voids. The sector needs take a holistic approach to investment within homes and communities.

We also need to learn from the uneven application of the Decent Homes Standard. The lack of enforcement mechanisms and insufficient focus on ongoing maintenance left significant gaps which allowed poor conditions to persist and contributed to high-profile cases and ongoing concerns about tenant safety and wellbeing. Would the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and Awaab’s Law have emerged if Decent Homes had been applied properly? These are in place to address its failings – finally emphasising landlords’ accountability and legal responsibility for maintaining safe, habitable homes.

Joining datasets together

The Regulator of Social Housing and Housing Ombudsman have been emphasising the need for quality data for a while, but the sector still has a long way to go. Many landlords don’t have comprehensive information on their stock, but even those that do are rarely using it to its full potential. This would involve integrating information from multiple sources – stock condition surveys, compliance records, energy performance data, tenancy management systems – into a centralised platform or database, creating a single, comprehensive view of the housing portfolio. This makes it easier to identify gaps, analyse trends and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

At Ridge, we’ve found software such as Power BI and Airtable is really valuable for supporting our clients. Airtable is great for collaboration and project tracking; Power BI excels at deeper analysis and visualisation, making them complementary tools for streamlining data management and supporting regulatory compliance.

At Ridge, we’ve found software such as Power BI and Airtable is really valuable for supporting our clients. Airtable is great for collaboration and project tracking; Power BI excels at deeper analysis and visualisation, making them complementary tools for streamlining data management and supporting regulatory compliance.

Revolutionising asset management via technology

With drone technology, we use thermal imaging to visualise heat loss and carry out large-scale external surveys and defect diagnosis. This not only modernises asset management but also aligns with future-focused strategies such as Net Zero goals and enhanced regulatory compliance.

Integrating drones with artificial intelligence will revolutionise the way that housing stock is inspected and maintained, resulting in smarter decision-making, lower costs and improved outcomes for both housing providers and residents. It improves accuracy compared to manual inspections, and by enabling the early detection of issues, it supports proactive problem-solving, helping to lower repair costs and minimise potential disruptions for tenants. The scalability of drones also enables rapid large-scale surveys, so will be particularly valuable for providers with large, dispersed portfolios.

Integrating drones with artificial intelligence will revolutionise the way that housing stock is inspected and maintained, resulting in smarter decision-making, lower costs and improved outcomes for both housing providers and residents.

In the future, we anticipate being able to offer an app that a resident can use to scan their property, without a surveyor needing to enter their home. While there will always be a need for physical inspections, this would provide valuable data that our skilled teams can use to build up a picture and identify areas for further investigation. Meanwhile, remote building management systems continue to advance, for example flagging when an older person’s boiler hasn’t been on, carrying out self-diagnostics, and collecting information about gas safety and electrical checks.

The path to better social housing starts with understanding the bigger picture: learning from past experiences, harnessing data effectively, and embracing innovative technologies. By working collaboratively and thinking strategically, we can overcome challenges and create healthier, more sustainable homes.

Talk to the Affordable Housing team about how we’re delivering better housing maintenance and making more effective use of limited budgets that is ultimately resulting in happier, healthier residents.

Contact Steve Cooper