In the 1990s I helped Southwark council prepare its housing strategy. Reading the Southwark housing commission report published last week, I was struck by how little the issues had changed.
Most of the commission's recommendations are not controversial, nor are they new. Southwark needs to improve its core housing management service, in particular repairs and maintenance, and become more responsive to its tenants and leaseholders. The scale of investment required is huge: 18,000 of the council's 39,000 homes do not meet decent homes standard and, without major refurbishment, many will soon reach the end of their useful life – the legacy of poor building standards and maintenance.
There is though a divergence of opinion about whether Southwark should divest itself of much of its stock. The commission looked at three future options: stock remaining at 39,000; being reduced to 30,000; or being reduced to 20,000. The report's weakest point is its consideration of what would happen if the stock is nearly halved. Who would buy it? What would happen to the tenants? And would the stock remain available to meet housing need?
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