Newham Council has launched sweeping reforms to its housing services following a damning assessment from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), which ranked the authority with the lowest possible grading last year.
The borough became the first in the country to receive a ‘C4’ rating under the RSH’s updated inspection system. The verdict? A catalogue of failings – some critical – that left thousands of council homes unsafe and poorly maintained.
The RSH’s report, published on 16 October, uncovered alarming safety lapses. Among them:
- 9,000 fire safety remedial actions were overdue
- 8,000 of those had been outstanding for over 12 months
- 4,000 were labelled “high risk”
- Some properties hadn’t undergone an electrical installation check in over 11 years
Inspectors also flagged serious issues with compliance around smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Shockingly, around 20% of Newham’s housing stock failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard.
The council’s repairs system came under fire too, with 5,400 open repairs identified at the time of inspection. Nearly half were already past due.
Abi Gbago, Newham Council’s Chief Executive, conceded at the time that the council had failed its tenants and committed to act on all recommendations made by the regulator.
In response, the council has introduced a new Housing Services Improvement Programme – a strategic roadmap aimed at transforming services for both tenants and leaseholders.
Blossom Young, Cabinet Member for Housing, Landlord and Tenant Experience Improvements, admitted the findings were deeply troubling.
“I was shocked by what I was reading [in the report] and what the regulator was finding, because clearly lots of what they were identifying was not an acceptable position for our residents.
It doesn’t give a clear indication at all that we are keeping our residents safe fundamentally, and then all the associated issues with that, that’s not acceptable for the residents of Newham and it’s certainly not acceptable for our council tenants and leaseholders,” she said.
Cllr Young stressed that restoring trust and safety is now the council’s top priority. “I think the real challenge has been about how we [move] from that position of unacceptability to a position where we can have confidence that our residents are living in safe homes, that they are being treated with respect when they engage with our services and that they’ve got an opportunity to be able to influence them.”
The council has launched a new independent Resident Challenge Board, offering tenants and leaseholders a platform to hold the council to account.
A Care and Support Team is also in place, engaging directly with vulnerable residents in high-rise blocks. These tenants are being supported with tailored fire risk assessments and safety measures.
Monthly inspections are now being carried out at high-rise buildings to identify and deal with maintenance issues swiftly. There are signs of progress. According to the council:
- The number of outstanding repairs has plummeted from 5,400 in May 2024 to under 300 by the end of March 2025
- Around 85% of homes have now received electrical condition reports within the last 10 years
- The remainder are on track to be inspected by June 2025
Cllr Young highlighted that the goal isn’t just catching up—it’s ensuring long-term safety. “We know we got this wrong, we absolutely know we got this wrong – this is an opportunity for us to put this right and we’re already starting to put this right.”
Newham Council owns roughly 16,000 properties and manages around 14,000 of them. In an effort to improve transparency, the council has rolled out a dedicated housing bulletin and website named ‘Improving Your Homes’ to keep residents informed about ongoing changes and improvements.
Residents are encouraged to visit the website for updates and further details.
