This Month In Social Housing: November 2025

Crikey, December really knows how to make an entrance, doesn’t it? One minute we’re battling fallen leaves and rogue Halloween pumpkins rolling down the street, and the next we’re waking up in pitch-black mornings, wrestling with thermostats, and wondering how mince pies have already infiltrated every supermarket aisle. The Christmas adverts have barely begun their annual assault, yet the winter rush — fiscal, political and meteorological — is already gathering pace. But while most of the country shifts into hibernation mode, the social housing sector certainly hasn’t slowed down. From policy movements to regulatory shifts and everything in between, the past month has been as busy as ever. So, grab something warm to drink, settle in, and dive into the November edition of This Month in Social Housing…

ALMOs Continue to Outperform Councils on Tenant Satisfaction Measures

Arm’s-length management organisations (ALMOs) are outperforming councils on the majority of Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), according to new analysis by Housemark for the National Federation of ALMOs. Reviewing data from 15 ALMOs and 126 local authorities for 2024-25, researchers found ALMOs scored higher on 23 of 26 measures, with year-on-year satisfaction rising from 71.5% to 75.2%. Council scores dipped slightly over the same period. The strongest performance gaps were seen in repairs and complaints, where ALMOs demonstrated faster completion times, reduced backlogs and better learning from complaints. Eamon McGoldrick, managing director of the NFA, said the results reflect “specialised teams focused exclusively on the complex business of housing provision,” arguing councils seeking higher-quality services “should perhaps think about setting up an ALMO.”

Housing Ombudsman Set to Gain New ‘Duty of Candour’ Powers Under Upcoming Legislation

The government has confirmed plans to extend the new statutory “duty of candour” to the Housing Ombudsman, using powers within the upcoming Hillsborough Law. The Public Office (Accountability) Bill, introduced last month to ensure public bodies tell the truth during official investigations, will place a legal obligation on authorities and officials to act transparently. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones told MPs that the duty will be applied to “a range of ombudsman investigations”, including housing. Housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway welcomed the move, calling openness and transparency “behaviours integral to a positive complaints culture”. The legislation stems from failures exposed after the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer pledged in the Commons that “this bill will not be watered down”, saying the state “must never hide from the people it is supposed to serve.”

Funding Freeze for Temporary Accommodation Leaving District Councils £268m Short Each Year, Report Warns

Councils in England are losing £268m a year due to the government’s freeze on temporary accommodation subsidy, according to new analysis by the District Councils’ Network (DCN). The subsidy rate has been fixed at 2011 levels, even as rental costs have soared, meaning councils now recover just 34% of their temporary accommodation spending — and in some districts as little as 7%. The DCN said the shortfall represents a “direct cost shift” onto local taxpayers and a “missed opportunity” to build more than 1,100 social homes annually. Chair Richard Wright warned that relying on outdated rates “threatens councils’ financial sustainability”, forcing them to spend rising sums on homelessness rather than investing in new homes. The call for an immediate funding review comes ahead of the Autumn Budget.

National Survey Shows Over Two-Thirds of Tenants Feel Stigmatised for Living in Social Housing

Early findings from Stop Social Housing Stigma’s national tenant survey reveal widespread concern about how social renters are perceived, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they feel stigmatised for living in social housing. Over half (53%) believe their landlord’s actions contribute to that stigma, though around 27% said they trust their landlord “a lot” or “a great deal”. The group criticised the government’s lack of progress, with 69% saying ministers have done “little or nothing” to address the issue. Campaign director Nic Bliss called the results “shocking”, adding: “No one can think it right that social housing tenants should feel like the underclass.” The Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing both pledged to continue pushing landlords to treat tenants with “fairness and respect.”

Government Pushes Rent Convergence Response Back to January

The government has postponed its long-awaited decision on rent convergence until January, leaving one of the sector’s key budget expectations unresolved. Housing providers had anticipated clarity on whether below-formula rents would be allowed to rise by an extra £2 or £3 per week on top of CPI+1%, following a consultation earlier this year. The measure, paused since 2015, is seen as essential for giving landlords sufficient income to maintain homes and invest in new stock. Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said the delay was disappointing, noting that convergence is “both fair for tenants and vital” for the sector’s financial stability. While she welcomed the removal of the two-child benefit cap and £1.5bn for the Warm Homes Plan, she criticised the lack of support for supported housing.

And that brings us to the end of the November edition of This Month in Social Housing. We’re all off to brace ourselves for frost, festive ads, and office parties that should probably have been emails, but never fear as we’ll be back next month with more stories, insights, and sector updates to wrap up the year. Until then, stay cosy, stay curious, and keep doing what you do best. Adieu!

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Mobysoft helps landlords make sense of social housing data. Founded in 2003, Mobysoft is the UKs leading data analytics and social housing technology partner committed to providing social landlords with unique and valuable insights to help them make sense of their data, properties and tenants.

Mobysoft AI-powered PropertySense® applications RentSense® and RepairSense® help landlords improve their income-collection processes and the productivity, quality, and sustainability of their repairs service for the benefit of all involved.