Council home boost fails to offset critics

Council home standards are improving in Birmingham according to the local authority, although opposition members say conditions are poorer overall.

Labour-run Birmingham City Council said it had increased its compliance against the government's Decent Homes Standard from 30% of its stock to about 43%, and was set to reach 100% by 2032.

The government states all social housing should be in a reasonable state of repair and have reasonably modern facilities. It has set a compliance deadline of between 2035 and 2037, a target for which Birmingham is ahead of schedule.

However, at a council meeting, Conservative group leader Robert Alden remained critical of the state of many council homes.

"While 43% is an improvement, it's a long way off where the service used to be," he said.

"And it's a long way off where residents rightly want it to be."

The council's leadership praised the progress being made, which it said was driven by a £622m investment since 2024.

Labour councillor Nicky Brennan, cabinet member for housing, said a warm and safe home was what allowed "people to flourish and grow".

She added: "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.

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

Councillor Ewan Mackey, deputy leader of the opposition, echoed Alden's comments, stating: "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."

A resident of a property on the freshly refurbished Bromford estate in Hodge Hill informed the meeting she had struggled to heat her home in the past.

After upgrades, she said she enjoyed a "cosy" and safer home.

She said: "I've lived in my home for almost 19 years, 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."

The council has also approved plans to increase rent for thousands of its tenants across the city.

It aims to hike up social and affordable rents by 4.8% in the next financial year.

This is the maximum increase the government currently allows.

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

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.