Daily News: 09/12/2025
England faces a severe social housing shortage, with 180,067 homes lost in the past decade. Stricter affordability checks exclude many low-income applicants, with 31% of associations and 39% of larger ones reporting offers are often deemed unsuitable, driving homelessness, while harmonised allocation systems help reduce refusals and empty homes. Crisis
Housemark’s Pulse data shows median tenant satisfaction at 75.5% in September, up 2.5 points year-on-year and above 75% since June. Continuous surveys report slightly higher satisfaction at 74.5%, outperforming single-point and phased surveys. Housing Executive
The RSH has launched a consultation on updates to the Tenant Involvement & Accountability Standard, the Consumer Standards Code of Practice, and Tenant Satisfaction Measures. Separately, a new Residential Stock Condition Survey Code, developed with RICS, seeks to standardise how landlords assess housing quality. GOV.UK, National Housing Federation
GreenSquareAccord’s half-year update shows turnover falling from £116m to £102.5m and a reduced surplus, mainly due to scaling back open market sales as the organisation withdraws from that part of its business. Housing Today (register)
An auditor flagged “significant weaknesses” in Tower Hamlets Council, risking continued government intervention. Lambeth Council called for stronger rules on failing Tenant Management Organisations amid concerns over the Loughborough Estate. Birmingham Council may leverage its buying powers to address 12,209 privately owned empty homes. Worthing Borough Council blames rising homelessness for a £2m overspend, with 30% of its budget spent tackling the issue. BBC, Love Lambeth, Birmingham Live, and BBC
CHIC has launched a Lifts and Mobility Aids Framework, giving members a compliant way to procure, install, and maintain lifts and mobility equipment across the UK. Meanwhile, Bruntwood and Trafford Council have also begun procuring a contractor for the first major residential phase of the £210m Stretford Mall redevelopment, with £175m of works out to bid. Housing Executive, Construction Enquirer
Unsecured creditors of Tucker Mechanical & Electrical, owed £4.8m, are now “likely” to receive a payout, administrators say. Companies House has suspended a warning notice for Ardmore Group over late accounts. Mulalley reported a £3.2m loss due to London’s public-sector slowdown and rising costs, while Keller Group boosted its leadership amid a record order book. Q3 2025 timber imports show a mixed but slightly improving market. Construction News (register), Construction News (register), Construction Enquirer, Construction Wave, and The Construction Index
The Construction Industry Training Board has announced further cuts to training grants and funding for several popular courses, despite holding a £79m cash reserve, prompting sector concern over skills development. Construction Enquirer
Government funding cuts threaten hundreds of planned social homes in Northern Ireland, with delivery over the next two years potentially dropping from 2,092 to about 1,100, putting nearly half of the pipeline at risk, the NIFHA warns. BBC
Plans include 900 homes, a primary school, and a local centre on Leicester’s outskirts. Rotherham Council may invest £123m in 500 council homes. In Derbyshire, campaigners have filed over 1,000 objections to a 200-home Green Belt project, while Wyre Council approved Baxter Homes’ 142-home development at Great Eccleston on 88 acres. BBC, Place Yorkshire, Derbyshire Live, and Place North West