A cross-party coalition of more than 100 local authorities, including Colchester City Council, is calling on the Government to support a transformative new Green and Decent Homes Programme.
This would upgrade and modernise England’s council housing, making homes safer, healthier and more sustainable for millions of people across the country.
Poor housing costs the NHS an estimated £1.4 billion each year, while investing in warm, energy-efficient homes could save up to £4 billion annually in healthcare and social care costs. It is estimated that for every £1 spent on warming the homes of vulnerable people, there is a £4 return in health benefits.
But councils currently lack the long-term funding needed to improve homes and meet growing regulatory demands around better homes.
Now councils are backing a Green and Decent Homes Programme to create the warm, safe houses the country needs.
The proposal has 10 key principles:
- One single, integrated housing standard
- Long-term, multi-year capital funding commitment
- Funding allocated based on need
- Strategic investment by landlords focused on clear outcomes
- A progressive and ambitious benchmark
- Regularly updated to reflect innovation and best practice
- Transparent, outcomes-based reporting
- Flexibility for landlords – no arbitrary restrictions
- Realistic delivery timelines
- Investment in replacement homes as part of the standard
The call for a Green and Decent Homes Programme is backed by 112 councils, representing millions of tenants, who signed up to support Southwark Council’s Securing the Future of Council Housing Report.
Southwark Council launch the Green and Decent Homes Programme at the House of Lords today (Thursday, 15 May).
Southwark Council launch the Green and Decent Homes Programme at the House of Lords today (Thursday, 15 May).
Keynote speakers will include Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council; Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue; and Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, who will be joined by parliamentarians and national stakeholders from the housing sector.
Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, said: “Britain's council homes have been improving lives for generations, but many of them were built in a different age and are at risk of coming to the end of their lives.
"Together with over 100 councils, we are calling for a national Green and Decent Homes programme, which is vital to make these homes fit for the 21st century.
"It is an investment in our country's future that will deliver not just better, healthier homes, but jobs, growth and a reduction in carbon emissions too.”
Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield Council said: “Investment in council housing is not just about shelter – it’s an investment in public health, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability that will improve people’s lives and strengthen the communities they live in.”
To create green and decent homes, councils ask for at least £12 billion over five years to upgrade council homes, along with long-term funding certainty over 20 years.
They are calling for a single, streamlined funding stream to replace the current fragmented system, and for funding and delivery to be coordinated through regional strategic authorities such as the West Midlands Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
The benefits of modernising and upgrading council homes extend beyond immediate residents. With homes accounting for 20% of CO₂ emissions, retrofitting can significantly reduce environmental impact – cutting gas demand by 20%, lowering household energy bills by an average of £779 per year, and creating over 500,000 green jobs.
The proposal builds on Southwark’s Securing the Future of Council Housing report, launched in September 2024 and is one of three clear calls to action:
- A new, sustainable Housing Revenue Agreement – a reset to our broken council housing financing deal with government.
- A Green & Decent Homes Programme – a new, bold national programme for all social homes to reach one clear standard, backed by sufficient funding.
- Funding for new council homes – a sufficient and flexible capital funding programme that prioritises council homes.
Page last reviewed: 15 May 2025