Associations Slash Spend On Major Repairs As Rent Cut Bites

Housing associations in England slashed spend on major repairs work to their estates as the government enforced its policy of cutting social rents. An survey by Inside Housing reveals that associations cut expenditure on major repairs by 7.3% to £386m in 2015/16. In July of that year the government announced its decision to cut rents by 1% a year for the next four years. The survey reveals that associations’ planned maintenance expenditure also dropped by 1.6% to £630m. John Kiely, director of housing and public sector at Savills, says he thought the fall in expenditure “is all down to the rent reduction”. Read more on Inside Housing.