A Revised Decent Homes Standard Consultation

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Proposals for a Revised Decent Homes Standard (DHS), recognising that reform is long overdue and that existing standards in Northern Ireland now lag behind those in other UK jurisdictions.

We support the addition of an extra Pillar in the DHS, that “A home should be safe, secure, sustainable and promote wellbeing”. We also outline support for the introduction of robust timeframes for investigating and resolving damp and mould hazards, at least equivalent to those introduced under Awaab’s Law in England.

We call for stronger measures in the standard, including introducing mandatory Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the social rented sector.