STAIRs Goes Live, the Regulator Grades Two Councils, and Commissioning Takes Centre Stage
Issue #28 · Week ending 1 October 2026 — STAIRs’ publication scheme goes live for supported and temporary accommodation, the RSH grades two councils non-compliant in a seven-judgement batch, and the care minister puts commissioning at the heart of reform.
A New Duty Reshapes Temporary Accommodation, the High Court Redraws the Housing Duty, and Whitehall Audits Its Own Reforms
Issue #24 · Week ending 4 September 2026 — A new statutory temporary accommodation duty takes force and sharpens the exempt-accommodation boundary; a High Court ruling reshapes the housing duty; and MHCLG's value-for-money evaluation with the RSH stakeholder survey signal the next regulatory turn.
Burnham Bets £442m on Christmas, the Regulator Widens Its Net, and Children in Limbo Hit a Record
Issue #22 · Week ending 21 August 2026. Burnham's £442m 'Everyone In by Christmas' drive tests the exempt accommodation gateway; the RSH's whistleblowing report and Rentplus GUR signal intelligence-led enforcement; and children in temporary accommodation hit a record high.
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Rough sleeping is decriminalised as the Vagrancy Act is repealed; the Ombudsman confirms Awaab's Law enforcement is now live; and the Crime and Policing Act 2026 delivers a new cuckooing offence.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.
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.
Consumer Regulation on Trial, Asylum Support in Doubt, and the Ombudsman Goes Systemic
RSH puts its consumer-regulation regime under independent evaluation; asylum-support reform is challenged by MPs and CIH; and the Housing Ombudsman turns to systemic 'learning' — three developments reshaping the legal and regulatory landscape for supported and exempt accommodation.
Three C1s, Window Apathy, and the Crime Act's Supported Housing Reckoning
RSH awards C1 to Sanctuary, Railway Housing, and Regenda; Housing Ombudsman issues severe maladministration learning on window disrepair; legal analysis of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and its implications for supported housing providers.
