G15 response to second Building Safety Levy consultation

The G15, the group of London’s leading housing associations, has responded to the government’s second consultation on the Building Safety Levy.

In our response, we reiterated the calls we made in our response to the first consultation for providers of social and affordable housing to be exempt from the levy.

Whilst the G15 supports the levy in principle in order to fund essential remediation works, we are clear that it must be implemented in a way which does not lead to a reduction in the delivery of social and affordable housing.

The safety and wellbeing of all G15 residents is our absolute priority. We are continuously working to ensure that the well over one million people we house in over 715,000 homes are safe. At least £3.6bn has been earmarked across the G15 for investment in the safety of our homes, including fire safety and prevention, from 2021 - 2036.

In response to the consultation, we make clear that:

• Providers of affordable housing exempt from the proposed Building Safety Levy
• Housing associations and 100% subsidiaries should receive a proportionate reduction in the levy where they are part of a Joint Venture
• A refund mechanism should apply whereby the levy is repaid should any part of a building previously liable be transferred to a registered provider of social housing

The G15 remains keen to work with the government on this important issue and share the ambition to ensure that every home is safe to live in. You can read our full response below.