Diabolical and disgraceful - majority of Birmingham council homes fail to meet minimum standards

Opposition councillors branded the situation “diabolical” and a “disgrace” after the figure was revealed in a performance report.

The finding, from the second quarter of 2024/25, said just 26.65 per cent of the authority’s council homes met the decent homes standard.

That is the minimum standard set by the government and states all social housing should be in a reasonable state of repair and have reasonably modern facilities.

It also demands properties should provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort and meet the minimum standard for housing.

Birmingham’s performance figure fell short of the authority’s annual target of 30 per cent and was drastically lower than in to 2010, when the council said all its homes met the standard.

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The council, run by Labour since 2012, said the age and condition of its stock continued to hit its figures as it completed more condition surveys.

But Coun Robert Alden (Erdington), leader of the Conservatives at the council, said thousands of tenants across the city were being let down.

“This is a disgrace,” he said. “Labour’s leadership of Birmingham City Council is failing the very people it is supposed to protect.

“Families are trapped in damp, mould-ridden homes and instead of solutions, we see more excuses and falling standards.”

Coun Ewan Mackey (Sutton Roughley), deputy leader of the opposition, added: “Birmingham Labour’s housing record has gone from bad to diabolical.

“Their promise to fix this crisis was hollow and tenants continue to pay the price.”

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Coun Jayne Francis, the cabinet member for housing at the council, said more issues were being encountered as the stock condition surveys were conducted.

She said: “It will take time to turn that corner and we’re making a huge investment in this city to make sure those houses are brought into good ownership.”

Paul Langford, strategic director of city housing, said there had been an underinvestment in homes in the city for more than a decade and the council would soon begin to see the decency figures moving in the right direction.