Tens of thousands of UK homes unsafe to live in, says Michael Gove

a { color: #880000 !important; background: #ffeeee !important; } Tens of thousands of UK homes unsafe to live in, says Michael GovePolitics > HousingMichael Gove, the UK's Levelling Up Secretary, has admitted that tens of thousands of rented homes across the country are unsafe to live in due to poor maintenance and repair. This follows the recent death of a two-year-old boy from exposure to mould in a housing association flat in Rochdale. Gove has blocked £1m of funding earmarked for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, which failed to maintain the home where the boy died. Gove has also threatened to strip other landlords of funding unless construction has already started. The government is exploring beefing-up rules for private landlords.

What's happened

Tens of thousands of rented homes across the UK are unsafe to live in due to poor maintenance and repair.

Why it matters

The admission by the Levelling Up Secretary highlights the poor state of much of social housing and the need for better regulation of private landlords. The recent death of the two-year-old boy has brought the issue to the forefront of public attention.

What the papers say

The Mirror, The Guardian, The Independent

How we got here

In 2016, Conservative MPs voted against a Labour amendment requiring landlords to make their homes "fit for human habitation". The government is exploring beefing-up rules for private landlords, six years after Tory MPs voted against the move. The government has also missed its target of building 300,000 new homes this year.