Decent Homes Standard
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The Decent Homes Standard is legislation enacted by the present Labour government of the United Kingdom that aims to provide a minimum standard of housing conditions for all those who are housed in the public sector - i.e., council housing and council funded housing associations.
The government set out a target in 2000 that it would: "ensure that all social housing meets set standards of decency by 2010, by reducing the number of households living in social housing that does not meet these standards by a third between 2001 and 2004, with most of the improvement taking place in the most deprived local authority areas" [[1]].
Local authorities have been required to set out a timetable under which they will assess, modify and, where necessary, replace their housing stock according to the conditions laid out in the standard.
The criteria for the standard are as follows:
"1. it must meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing
2. it must be in a reasonable state of repair
3. it must have reasonably modern facilities and services
4. it must provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort" [[2]] and [[3]].
The policy also makes it possible for local councils to devolve their housing stock to registered social landlords, housing associations or private companies, and to seek funding under the Private Finance Initiative in order to fund future developments [[4]].
Some local authorities, such as Norwich City Council have deemed that 36% of their housing stock will be in need of upgrade [[5]]. Other local authorities, such as the London Borough of Lewisham have felt unable to meet the 2010 target [[6]].
The policy has led to the demolition of some tower blocks and prefabricated buildings which were deemed beyond repair.
