New Research Shows Impact Of Building Safety Crisis On House Building

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The NHF estimates that housing associations will have to spend more than £10 billion to make all their buildings safe over the next decade. The NHF said: “Without additional funding for safety work, these not-for-profit organizations are having to cut plans to build 12,900 new affordable homes over the next 5 years, in order to prioritize spending on building safety.”

NHF estimates that housing associations spend more than £10 billion to make all buildings safe over a decade

Newsnight continued its investigation into the building safety crisis as Lewis Goodall reported on the show on 20 October: “The total cumulative cost to housing associations and local authorities could be £18 billion in the coming years to rebuild homes they already have rather than building new ones.”

He spoke to Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation about their research. She said: “If the government doesn’t step in, the money for this remediation work will be diverted away from much-needed affordable housing, but also from investing in our existing homes.”

Mounting building safety

Mounting building safety costs are also affecting housing associations’ ability to invest in the upkeep of the homes they already own, where social housing residents live. The NHF survey showed that housing associations will have to divert £730m away from routine maintenance work, such as upgrading bathrooms or kitchens, to pay for essential building safety work.

Ms. Henderson added: “Housing associations did not build these buildings, and what we have found is a complete failure in construction and a failure in some of the products, including flammable cladding. This is not the housing associations’ fault; it is not the social residents’ fault and it is not the leaseholders’ fault. That is why we need the government to step in, to fund the upfront costs of building safety and to recoup that from those responsible.”