This past week, the main heating system in the Houses of Parliament has been broken. It is a centuries-old building – I knew I would need to wear double pairs of socks when going in to work! Luckily, the more modern parts of the estate are still warm.
Yet too many families don’t have a warm home to look forward to. Over 1 in 13 households in Earley and Woodley constituency are in fuel poverty, meaning they can’t keep their homes adequately heated. This is particularly dangerous for those young, old or ill members of the house.
That is why the government’s Warm Homes initiative matters so much in our area. 38% of homes with a D-G energy performance rating in our constituency are eligible for a Warm Homes local grant, a program which is providing over £39 billion across the country to upgrade homes for the most vulnerable.
Too many tenants know that having a roof over your head does not always mean having a safe or healthy home. Damp, mould, and poor insulation are not minor inconveniences. They are public health failures that drive up energy bills and put children and elderly people at risk of developing breathing problems.
The government is updating the Decent Homes Standard for the first time in 20 years to require social homes to be warm, energy-efficient and free from disrepair. From 2030 onwards, higher energy efficiency standards will save families hundreds of pounds a year on heating bills.
Crucially, councils that have not built homes in years will now be able to start again. Removing unnecessary red tape, such as forcing smaller building programs to open costly Housing Revenue Accounts, is a practical change that recognises how our councils actually work
None of this will fix the housing crisis overnight. But it is a shift towards rebuilding the capacity of our councils to build proper homes that last.
Yuan Yang is Labour MP for Earley & Woodley
