SAHP Funding Stalls, an Exempt Operator Is Warned, and Devolution Redraws the Map
Issue #20 · Week ending 7 August 2026: SAHP capital funding stalls as the sector urges Burnham to act; a Birmingham exempt operator is hit with a final warning; and devolution plus reorganisation redraw who applies the Housing Benefit 'real difference' support test.
De-Registration Escalates, the Regulator Names a 'Purported' Exempt Provider, and STAIRs Reshapes Tenant Disclosure
Issue #19 · Week ending 31 July 2026: the RSH reaches for de-registration against exempt and lease-based providers, names a landlord 'purporting' to be exempt in a 20-judgement batch, and the Ombudsman's STAIRs reforms reshape tenant disclosure — grounded in the exempt-accommodation support test.
Burnham Takes No 10, Work Starts to Pay for Supported Tenants, and the Courts Force the Door
Andy Burnham enters No 10 with a £340m rough-sleeping pledge as Rayner and Pennycook stay at MHCLG; new housing benefit regulations aim to let 300,000 supported and temporary accommodation residents work; and a landmark ruling confirms courts can grant landlords forced access for safety in
Awaab's Phase 2 Gets Its Date, SAHP Funding Faces Review, and Birmingham Demands Licensing
Issue #17
: Awaab's Law Phase 2 gets a firm 30 November 2026 date, SAHP capital funding goes under review, and Birmingham demands exempt-accommodation licensing — plus the sub-2% LHA affordability squeeze, analysed against the 'care, support or supervision' test.
Competence Becomes Compulsory, Supported Tenants Keep More, and De-Registration Meets Its Appeal
The RSH's Competence and Conduct Standard is confirmed for October 2026; the DWP lets 300,000 supported-housing residents keep more of their earnings; and a lease-based provider's appeal puts RSH de-registration — and exempt-accommodation Housing Benefit — under legal scrutiny.
Technical Issues
Good Day - My apologies but wew have some technical issues this morning. which means that today's issue of
The Vagrancy Act Falls, Awaab's Law Bites, and Cuckooing Gets Its Own Offence
Rough sleeping is decriminalised as the Vagrancy Act is repealed; the Ombudsman confirms Awaab's Law enforcement is now live; and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 delivers a new cuckooing offence. Plus RRA 2025 supported-accommodation analysis and a zero-rate VAT consultation.
RSH Grades Eight, the £7,000 Penalty Lands, and the Ombudsman Stays Toothless
The RSH grades eight landlords in a single batch as consumer regulation scales; the Renters' Rights Act's £7,000 hazard penalty comes into force; and the government rules out enforcement powers for the Housing Ombudsman — exposing the oversight gap the Housing Benefit gateway is left to fill.
Electrical Safety Goes Public, the HHSRS Resets, and the Access-Powers Fight Begins
RSH's electrical safety TSM forces EICR data into the open; revised HHSRS Regulations reset hazard enforcement from 23 June; and a Social Housing Bill access-powers amendment previews the SHROA oversight regime. Plus three Deep Dives grounding it all in the exempt-accommodation support test.
A Lease Model Beats the Regulator, the Consumer Net Widens, and SHROA's Three Gateways Take Shape
A lease-based provider that sued the Regulator wins compliant gradings; the RSH consumer regime reaches a CIC operator; and MHCLG's new advisory panel signals the SHROA 2023 oversight architecture taking shape — three gateways every supported provider must now navigate.
