Decent Homes

Under the Decent Homes standard programme, launched in July 2000, the government established a minimum standard below which homes should not fall and that all social housing housing should meet a minimum standard of decency. Social housing should be free of health and safety hazards; be in a reasonable state of repair; have reasonably modern kitchens, bathrooms and boilers; and be reasonably insulated. At the beginning of April 2011, there were 217 000 council houses that were in such a poor state of repair that they didn't meet this standard. To help local councils with the worst housing, the government provided GBP 1.6 billion to the Decent Homes programme for the period 2011 to 2015. A further GBP 160 million has been allocated for 2015 to 2016. Outside London this programme is run by the Homes and Communities Agency on the government's behalf and GBP 774 million has been paid to to 31 councils to repair and improve nearly 80 000 homes. London has GBP 820 million to spend on bringing homes up to a decent standard, and decisions on how to use it are made by the Mayor.

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