The latest updates and insights from RIAMS Chief Editor Jeremy Manners.

Three new subscribing organisations have joined RIAMS Libraries, and Communities continues to thrive, with conversations around private water supplies, housing and environmental protection. 

The Housing Roundtable returned on 23 September, with guest speaker Paul Oatt, exploring the growing skills and knowledge shortage in PSH enforcement. The event was attended by 250 local authority colleagues from all over the country, who benefited from hearing about Paul's work, and contributed to a lively chat about the challenges and solutions facing the profession. The roundtable resources can be found here. 

Parliament returned from recess, allowing legislation in the pipeline to start making some progress before being abruptly paused again for party conference season. Steve Reed is the new secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with a focus very much on building new homes.

There have been a number of housing-related stories in the news over the past few weeks. Following a recent report about a giant cat-sized rat found in a house in North Yorkshire, the BBC published a further article on the impact of empty homes, featuring an example in Bristol. It also highlighted the positive work carried out by South Gloucestershire Council in bringing 47 empty homes back into use this year. 

Another BBC News story highlighted the danger of children falling from windows, especially those in tower blocks, and the rise in hospital admissions and deaths from these falls: Thirteen children died after falling from windows in six years. The Government is seeking to address this through the revised Decent Homes Standard, with the requirement for child-resistant window restrictors on all windows that pose a risk of falls to children, in order for the home to be considered decent.  
 
Alan Davies, Director of Housing for RHE Global, appeared on Listen Up Landlords, the National Residential Landlords Association’s official podcast. Alan shared his thoughts on the Government’s proposed Decent Homes Standard and its potential impact on the private rented sector. Find the key takeaways from Alan’s appearance here. 

Jon Williams, RHE Global’s Sales Director, attended a regional Preparedness Workshop on the Renters’ Rights Bill, organised by Operation Jigsaw. Jon demonstrated how The Housing App can support local authorities in investigating complaints, transforming housing inspections and enforcement. The central theme of the presentation was that fundamental to positive outcomes are consistency, knowledge and training, together with technology that can save time and reduce uncertainty. Jon and I look forward to presenting at a national webinar next month, on 1 October.