Exempt accommodation: Birmingham City Council seeks tougher regulation

Birmingham City Council has revealed that it is seeking regulatory reform to toughen rules surrounding the provision of exempt accommodation.

The sector is often used for people with few other housing options who are among the most vulnerable in our communities - such as prison leavers, rough sleepers, refugees and migrants and those experiencing substance abuse issues.

Birmingham Labour MP for Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood, previously told BirmighamWorld how she fears the government is pouring billions of pounds into the pockets of “cowboy landlords” and “unethical providers” managing exempt accommodation.

She spoke out after the DWP failed to answer her question about how much was being spent on the sector, with a report by Prospect Housing estimating the sector is costing local authorities across the UK up to £1 billion a year in housing benefit.

Birmingham city council is currently working on a national pilot with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to develop a strategic plan. A report is due in 2022.

What has Birmingham City Council said about exempt accommodation in their own words?

A spokesperson for the council said: “The exempt accommodation sector is funded solely by the Department of Work and Pensions and can currently only be regulated through the Housing Benefit regulations.

“These are weak in a number of areas and do not allow the council to control the growth of the sector or the quality of accommodation.

“To tackle the issues, we are seeking regulatory reform and to toughen existing regulation through our pilot with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

“This has enabled us to put in place considerable on the ground oversight activity, develop a needs assessment and a strategic plan.

“We are also working with providers to drive up standards through the roll out of the accreditation scheme (Quality Standards) and Charter of Rights.”

“The national pilot is currently being evaluated with a view to publishing a report next year.

“In the meantime we are continuing to lobby government on the key areas of regulatory change that are required to give us greater oversight and control over the sector by increasing standards and enforcement powers.”

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