What’s happening?
Following a report from the Regulator of Social Housing in October 2024, the Council launched our Improving Your Homes Housing Service Improvement Plan in May 2025.
Since then, significant improvements have been made across housing services, including:
- stronger safety checks and ongoing monitoring
- improvements to how we manage and deliver repairs
- better management of housing standards
- increased opportunities for residents to get involved and shape services
We want to keep residents informed about the next step towards improving your housing services.
In June 2026 the Council entered into a Voluntary Undertaking with the Regulator of Social Housing.
This is a legal commitment to make the promised improvements to our housing service in the time frames agreed.
What is a Voluntary Undertaking?
We are making this Voluntary Agreement with the Regulator under section 125 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. By doing this, we understand that the Regulator may take our actions and progress into account when deciding whether any formal action is needed.
This voluntary agreement is intended to give the Regulator:
- confidence that Newham Council is working to meet the required Consumer Standards and the Consumer Standards Code of Practice
- more information about the improvements we plan to make, the results we expect, and when these changes will happen, as set out in our Housing Services Improvement Plan (HSIP)
- our commitment to carrying out the improvements listed in the HSIP
- our promise to regularly update the Regulator on our progress and any important changes linked to our current regulatory position.
What has improved since we were inspected?
Over the past year, residents should have seen changes across key areas:
Homes and repairs:
- improvements in repairs management and how quickly we complete the work
- stronger focus on getting work done right first time
- clearer tracking of housing maintenance issues
Safety and compliance
- improved monitoring of safety standards across homes and estates
- continued work to address and prevent risks in housing stock
Resident involvement
- a tenancy audit programme to better understand residents’ needs
- a co-produced Resident Engagement Strategy
- a new Resident Challenge Board, giving residents a direct voice in improvement work
- work to ensure vulnerable residents are better supported through tailored safety assessments.
Fair and inclusive services
- consultation on a Diverse Needs Strategy to ensure services are equitable and responsive.
How we are keeping residents informed
We are improving how we communicate and share progress, including:
- a quarterly Improving Your Homes e-bulletin sent to over 13,500 residents
- a dedicated Housing Improvement webpage, showing performance information against key targets which is updated monthly.
- regular updates and information shared across our channels, including social media
- printed materials and posters in estates, libraries and housing hubs.
What this means for you
For residents, this means you should see:
- continued improvement on repairs and housing services
- clearer communication about what is happening and why
- ongoing investment in safety, standards and housing quality
- more opportunities to influence and shape services.
Our priority remains simple: safe, well-maintained homes and reliable housing services for all residents.
Get involved or find out more
We want to continue working closely with residents as improvements progress.
You can:
- read the latest updates on the Improving Your Homes webpage
- sign up to the e-bulletin for regular updates
- speak to your housing officer or resident engagement team
- raise questions through your Tenants Association representatives
The Voluntary Undertaking marks an important milestone in Newham’s housing improvement journey. It reflects real progress already made and sets out a clear path for continued improvement, with residents at the centre of everything we do.
We will continue to keep you informed every step of the way.
