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.
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Rough sleeping is decriminalised as the Vagrancy Act is repealed; the Ombudsman confirms Awaab's Law enforcement is now live; and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 delivers a new cuckooing offence.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.
