Mayor Lutfur Rahman and the Housing Management (Cabinet) Sub-Committee approved a new damp and mould policy to comply with Awaab's Law¹, a policy for adaptations and enlargements to council properties, and a data management strategy to improve housing services. The sub-committee also reviewed the council's housing performance, strategic risks, and a programme of housing improvements. They further discussed the government's proposals to reduce affordable housing contributions from developers, and agreed to object to the proposals in a joint letter with the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Affordable Housing Contributions

A member of the public, named as Terry, asked how the council could increase the requirement for affordable housing from developers, moving from 35% affordable housing with a split of 70% social rent homes and 30% intermediate homes, to 40%. This was raised in light of the government's pressure on the Mayor of London to include only 20% social housing in new developments.

Councillor Kobir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Inclusive Development and Housebuilding, responded that the council's local plan² aims for 40% social housing with a split of 15% to 85% affordable housing, and that the council would challenge the government's proposals. He added that the proposals from the government and the Mayor of London were still at the proposal stage and that detailed consultation information was not yet available.

David Joyce, Corporate Director of Housing Regeneration, added that the council had prepared evidence, advised by BNP Paraba, to support its approach and would robustly defend it.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman said that the council did not support the reduction of the affordable housing element to 20% and would make strong representations during the consultation process. He also stated that the council relies on section 106³ contributions from developers to support communities and reduce overcrowding in the borough.

The sub-committee agreed to object to the government's proposals in a joint letter with the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee, and that the corporate management team would feed into the official consultation.

Damp and Mould Policy

The sub-committee approved the new Damp and Mould Policy, which aligns with Awaab's Law and the Social Housing Regulations Act 2023. The policy sets clear timescales for emergency response (24 hours) and standard investigations (10 days), and emphasises proactive landlord responsibility and resident support.

Karen, an officer, noted that the policy had been amended to remove requirements for residents, which would instead be included in communications material. She also stated that the housing contact centre triage system had been changed to prioritise reports of damp and mould.

Steve, Director of Assets and Repairs for Housing Management, said that the service had been coping with damp and mould cases in line with the legislation.

Mayor Lutfur Rahman requested that the new triage system be implemented as soon as possible, and that the repair service be performance managed to ensure contractors are delivering work quickly. He also requested a communications strategy to ensure residents are aware of the policy and the council's expectations.

Councillor Kobir Ahmed added that there would be proactive inspections of properties to identify early signs of damp and mould.

The Mayor requested that permanent solutions be found to damp and mould, rather than just cleaning and bleaching, and that properties that cannot be repaired should be abandoned.

David Joyce said that the council would look beyond just doing a damp and mould wash and would consider the root causes, such as windows, insulation and the roof.

Enlargements and Adaptations Policy

The sub-committee approved the new Enlargements and Adaptations Policy, which expands the scope of the council's previous knock-throughs policy to include extensions and internal modifications. The policy aligns with the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Equality Act 2010, and introduces clearer governance, referral pathways and rent adjustment methodology.

Councillor Kobir Ahmed said that the policy supports residents by providing adaptations such as additional toilet facilities or bathrooms, and enlargements such as extensions to gardens.

David Joyce noted that the policy would address overcrowding and allow families to grow within their existing homes.

Karen stated that the governance had been strengthened and that the review date would be three years from the date of the meeting.

Housing Management Data Quality Strategy

The sub-committee approved the Housing Management Data Quality Strategy, which aims to improve data quality governance and analytics. The strategy focuses on person and property data, establishes a data quality working group and data management framework, and supports regulatory compliance and better service delivery.

Karen said that the strategy would ensure staff are confident with data and know how to handle it, and that data is routinely cleansed.

Chris, who is leading on the strategy, added that the work on the systems had been completed and that the focus would now be on the culture going forward.

Housing Management Performance and Compliance Report

The sub-committee noted the Housing Management Performance and Compliance Report for August 2025, which showed that five of the 12 key performance indicators (KPIs) were met, and seven were on a positive trajectory. Repair satisfaction was at 92.3%, complaint handling was improving, and fire resections had reduced, but over 1,300 remained overdue.

Stephen, Director of Assets and Repairs for Housing Management, said that the service needed to listen to residents around their view of repair services and how they feel safe in their properties.

David Joyce noted that the council was now performing well compared to other registered social landlords in Tower Hamlets on a number of indicators, particularly around compliance. He added that the regulator was clear that things are not reported as green unless they are 100%, but that it is sometimes not possible to get to 100% because access to properties cannot be gained.

Your Voice, Our Action: Safe Homes, Great Services Programme Highlight Report

The sub-committee noted the progress of the Your Voice, Our Action: Safe Homes, Great Services Programme, which is the council's improvement programme for housing management services. 44 initiatives have been completed and 68 are in progress. New work streams include resident engagement policies and procedures, and key achievements include tenancy health checks and improved void turnarounds. There are five deliverables overdue, and mitigations are listed in the paper.

Karen said that the regulator is tracking the programme in terms of deliverables, and that most of the overdue deliverables have a minimum impact in terms of the regulator. She added that there is a risk around business objects, a piece of software used for reports, but that a workaround has been found.

Housing Management Strategic Risks

The sub-committee approved the Housing Management Strategic Risks, which sets out the key risks and how they are managed and mitigated. There are seven strategic risks identified, and two have reduced in score: governance and business performance. The highest risk is geopolitical and economic uncertainty.

David Joyce said that the improving direction of travel with some of the risks reflects the work that has been done as part of the Your Voice, Our Action programme. He added that the Audit and Risk Committee had held up the strategic risks in housing and regeneration as best in class.

Housing Management Cabinet Sub-Committee Forward Plan

The sub-committee approved the forward plan for future meetings, with key items for January 2026 including tenant engagement activity, asset management strategy, leasehold alterations, and major works policies.

Councillor Kobir Ahmed said that it was important to highlight and reassure residents that they have direct access to information and that the sub-committee is reporting back to residents, the regulators, and everybody has equal access to information.

Karen noted that there are standard items on the agenda for future meetings, including a report from the tenant's voice. Nicola, who is responsible for the Your Voice, Your Action programme, was thanked for her work in keeping people's feet to the fire and making sure that the 126 deliverables are actioned.