As people were forced to spend more time at home during the pandemic, issues around housing standards were thrown into sharp relief.   

Under this header comes a multitude of considerations spanning overcrowding, overall space and room sizes, access to private amenity space, adequacy of storage space, and environmental factors such as access  to natural light, ventilation and thermal comfort.

The effects of the lockdown on wellbeing will be most compounded for those living in overcrowded and poor quality homes. According to the English National Survey 2018-2019, 4.3 million homes in England fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard with approximately 788,000 households living in overcrowded conditions.

Twenty five per cent of private rented homes and 12 per cent of social rented homes fail to meet Decent Homes Standard. Overcrowding has increased  in the rented sectors in the last 20 years and it remains the highest rate it has even been in the social rented sector. Focusing on local authority housing stock, some 66,706 council homes across England were recorded as non-decent as at 31 March 2019, with over half in London. 

Housing providers/developers and local authorities will come under renewed pressure to improve their estates, whether that be through refurbishment, part redevelopment or, as a last resort, comprehensive regeneration. 

It is important that these assessments are multi-faceted taking account of wider issues associated with homes and the environment within which they are located, including consideration of:

• housing need to alleviate overcrowding and to re-balance under-occupied stock
  
  
• housing quality  
  
  
• residents’ experiences
  
  
• quantum and quality of outdoor space
  
  
• urban design and public realm design
  
  
• environmental performance and fire safety, including taking account of zero carbon and upgraded Building Regulations
  
  
• socio-economic and health considerations
  
  
• planning and development activity and the policy framework for the area 
  
  
• economic performance and viability

In order to ensure that the most sustainable option is taken forward, the options should be assessed against social, environmental and economic considerations and residents’ should be engaged throughout the process.

Further information

Contact Savills Planning