The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, launched the
Spending Review 2021 (SR21) on 7 September 2021. The Review will
conclude on 27 October 2021 alongside an Autumn Budget.
The press release accompanying the launch of the Spending Review
stated that the government would set out how it will "Build Back
Better" and deliver the priorities of the British people and
continue to support businesses and jobs through:
- Ensuring strong and innovative public services - making
people's lives better across the country by investing in the NHS,
education, the criminal justice system and housing;
- Levelling up across the UK to increase and spread opportunity;
unleash the potential of places by improving outcomes UK-wide where
they lag and working closely with local leaders; and strengthen the
private sector where it is weak;
- Leading the transition to Net Zero across the country and more
globally;
- Advancing Global Britain and seizing the opportunities of EU
Exit;
- Delivering our Plan for Growth - delivering on our ambitious
plans for an infrastructure and innovation revolution and cementing
the UK as a scientific superpower working in close partnership with
the private sector.
The closing date for representations and submissions for the
Spending Review 2021 was 30 September 2021 and ARCH, working in
collaboration with the NFA have made the case for council housing
in a joint submission to HM Treasury.
Our Spending Review submission focuses on the steps necessary
from Government to enable local authorities to play their part in
delivering these ambitions. These fall into three areas:
- Support for investment in the existing local authority housing
stock to meet the requirements of the new building safety
legislation, a new Decent Homes standard and to ensure that all
council homes reach EPC Band C or better by 2030 as a key step
along the road to full decarbonisation of housing by 2050.
- Support for a major new council building programme building on
the findings of the report "Building post-pandemic
prosperity " focussing on homes for social rent coupled
with a reformed, sustainable Right to Buy scheme which gives every
tenant fair access to the opportunity of home ownership while
guaranteeing one-for- one replacement of every home sold, so long
as need continues.
- The inclusion of the social housing sector in government
funding programmes and policy development on tackling unemployment
and helping to level-up our communities.
- Welfare reforms to ensure that all local authority tenants have
an income sufficient to sustain a reasonable standard of life and
pay their rent.
Click here to read the ARCH/NFA
submission to the Spending Review 2021.