Social housing bodies call on Truss to fund energy efficiency measures

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22 figures sign letter calling for help for providers and residents on costs and retrofitting of homes

Social housing bodies and homelessness charities have written to Liz Truss calling for action on the cost-of-living crisis, including a call for more funding to retrofit homes.

The letter, signed by 22 senior housing figures, expresses “escalating concern over the impact that rising living costs are having on residents and housing providers”.

Energy efficiency

It calls on the government to “commit to bring forward additional funding for energy efficiency measures in homes”

Its signatories include Gavin Smart, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation and Geeta Nanda, chair other of the G15.

The UK Green Building Council this week also called on the government to lead a “major energy efficiency drive” in buildings including homes.

Simon McWhiter, director of communications, policy and places at UKGBC, said: ”The Prime Minister can fix many problems by announcing a national programme to upgrade our buildings and shift our heating systems from gas to renewable energy.”

The letter has been published amid concern about the appointment of Jacob Rees-Mogg as secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy. Rees-Mogg has in the past made comments seen as indicating climate change scepticism and earlier this year called for an increase in fossil fuel use. Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, described Rees-Mogg as the “worst possible candidate at the worst possible moment”.

The letter from the social housing sector also calls for changes to benefit rules to help people on low incomes with living costs. The full list of asks and signatories is below.

At-a-glance: Letter to Liz Truss

The letter calls on the government to:

Bring forward the planned uprating of benefits from next April to this October
Limit deductions from Universal Credit for prior overpayments/sanctions
Remove the benefit cap and two-child limit
Restore local housing allowance rates to at least the 30th percentile and return to annual uprating
Prevent energy companies from forcibly switching customers to prepayment meters
Commit to bring forward additional funding for energy efficiency measures in homes

It is signed by:

Gavin Smart, CEO of Chartered Institute of Housing
Matt Downie MBE, CEO of Crisis
Matthew Walker, chair of PlaceShapers
Kate Henderson, CEO of National Housing Federation
Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter
Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair and Chief Executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing
Andrew van Doorn, CEO of Housing Associations’ Charitable Trust
Paul Price, CEO of Association of Retained Council Housing
Jenny Osbourne, CEO of TPAS Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Link
Darren Hartley, CEO of TAROE Trust
Eamon McGoldrick, managing director of the National Federation of ALMOs
Tracy Harrison, CEO of Northern Housing Consortium (
Carol Matthews, Group CEO of Riverside Group and member of Homes for the North
James Francis, chair of Build East and CEO of Saffron Housing Trust
Matthew Bailes, chair of Consortium for Housing Associations in the South East (CASE) and CEO of Paradigm Housing Group
Stuart Ropke, CEO of Community Housing Cymru
Katie Dalton, director of Cymroth Cymru