G15 responds to building safety announcements

On Monday 10th January 2022, the Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing, and Communities announced a series of measures concerning building safety.

Responding to these announcements, G15 Chair, Geeta Nanda OBE, commented:

“Today’s statement from the Secretary of State is a welcome step in the right direction. We have consistently called for leaseholders to be protected from the costs of making sure their homes are safe, and the confirmation that no leaseholder will be asked to pay for the removal and replacement of defective or dangerous cladding in buildings over 11 metres is long overdue.

“The recognition that those responsible for causing the building safety crisis must be the ones that meet the cost of fixing affected buildings is also absolutely right. G15 housing associations are rigorously pursuing developers and contractors to address and fund issues that have been found with certain buildings, and we look forward to working with the Secretary of State to support his efforts in recovering costs from those responsible. The focus on restoring proportionality to the system is crucial and we urgently need to see further details of how the government will achieve this in coordination with lenders and insurers.

“However, as the Secretary of State has acknowledged, today’s announcements are not a complete solution for the wider building safety crisis. Issues beyond cladding continue to be found and where they pose a significant risk to safety they must be addressed. Not-for-profit housing associations are investing significant resources into addressing building safety issues and this has already had an impact on our ability to build much needed new affordable homes. To ensure we can continue to build the homes that are needed, as well as investing in existing homes and services for our residents, a truly comprehensive solution to this crisis is still required.”