In this article, we’ll adress new challenges that face the social hehabilitation. With the introduction of Awaab’s Law in October 2025, the UK social housing sector faces the most significant regulatory change in decades. This landmark legislation, born from tragedy and driven by the urgent need for safer homes, fundamentally transforms how social landlords must approach property maintenance and tenant safety, creating unprecedented implications for social housing rehabilitation programmes across England.
The Link Between Awaab’s Law and Social Housing Rehabilitation
The introduction of Awaab’s Law creates a direct and urgent connection to social housing rehabilitation programmes, transforming how housing associations and local authorities approach building maintenance and improvement strategies. This connection operates on multiple levels, from immediate compliance requirements to long-term strategic planning.
Building Rehabilitation: Definition
What does rehabilitation consist of? This term describes a set of technical works aimed at transforming an aging building by equipping it with comfort features and systems that meet current standards (such as energy performance), as well as those required to comply with existing safety regulations.
According to official UK government statistics, the social housing sector in England includes:
- 9.3 million tenants (16.6% of population)
- 4.3 million social housing units
- 1,600 registered social housing providers (including 229 local authorities and 1,284 non-profit organizations)
- 6 million people supported by housing associations
The major trend in real estate is no longer new construction but rather renovation or rehabilitation of existing buildings, which significantly impacts the construction industry.
This trend is confirmed by the UK’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026. This program includes £8.6 billion for housing delivery, with plans to deliver 119,000 homes including rehabilitation and regeneration. The government’s £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2025-2035) aims to deliver 300,000 new social and affordable homes, with significant focus on estate regeneration and retrofit programmes
Whether from the government’s or the real estate actors’ perspective, the conclusion is clear: rehabilitating social housing is more beneficial than building new, both ecologically and economically!
Social Housing Construction and Environmental Challenges
Building a new structure undoubtedly involves a higher economic cost than a renovation, but also an ecological cost that cannot be ignored!
In the UK, construction materials consumption is approximately 370 million tonnes annually, with construction projects requiring an average of 60 bricks per square meter for wall construction. UK renovation and retrofit projects require significantly fewer materials compared to new construction, with construction waste management showing 63 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste generated in England in 2022
UK construction industry waste costs an estimated £11 billion per annum and emits 3.5 million tonnes of CO2e. The UK’s Zero Avoidable Waste in Construction roadmap aims to eliminate avoidable waste by 2050, with targets to reduce construction costs by 10% through waste reduction by 2030 and eliminate non-hazardous construction waste to landfill by 2040
On top of depleting our natural resources, land is also being swallowed up by the appetite of new development projects. And it’s not just the buildings themselves, all the infrastructure needed to support these projects eats up space too: power grids, water networks, and even roads, especially when projects are located on the outskirts of cities.
The rehabilitation of social housing no longer feels like an option, it’s becoming a necessity.
To encourage rehabilitation, the UK government has allocated £500 million additional funding to the Affordable Homes Programme in 2024, with a total investment of over £5 billion in housing supply. The government also announced £39 billion over 10 years for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, alongside £150 million from the National Wealth Fund for social housing retrofit projects
Another question arises: renovation or demolition of a social housing building?
The decision is complex, and sometimes even contentious.
From an environmental perspective, renovation works remain far more sustainable than demolition. Most demolitions involve buildings constructed 20 or 30 years ago, even though the lifespan of concrete or steel is much longer, and a large part of the structural components will never be reused. Not to mention that demolition often leads to rebuilding the housing supply that has now disappeared, whereas modern renovation techniques can now ensure high levels of energy performance.
But the importance of rehabilitation goes well beyond purely technical concerns.
Beyond the ecological stakes, as mentioned above, social considerations also come into play. Rehabilitation often improves the architectural and aesthetic appeal of a building, which tends to enhance its social image in the eyes of residents, often resulting in a significant increase in its value.
Rehabilitation Works: Which Tools Should You Use?
How Can Audits Address Environmental Challenges?
In the UK, Site Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) are required by law for all construction projects in England with an estimated construction cost of over £300,000. Under the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011, construction sites must apply a waste hierarchy, and the Environmental Protection Act of 1990 establishes a legal duty of care for waste management in construction projects
Before choosing between demolition or rehabilitation, a pre-works audit (including a resource audit and technical assessment) must be conducted. Then, to properly address environmental challenges, you’ll need to carry out either a selective deconstruction audit or a detailed assessment as part of the rehabilitation process.
When buildings are occupied during renovation works, things get even more complicated due to resident availability and access constraints. These various audits often lead to more complex processes: multiple tools on-site, data analysis requiring cross-referencing from different software… In short, wouldn’t it be simpler to manage everything with one single solution for all audits and diagnostics?
Site Supervision makes it possible to carry out different audits, separately but on a single platform, all mapped onto your project plans.
How to conduct a resource audit for social housing providers?
The Site Supervision software includes the Audit & Inspection module, designed to carry out condition assessments of social housing stock. This tool allows you to:
- Create customizable forms tailored to each inspected element
- Pinpoint the exact location on a plan, using points, measured surfaces (in m²), and linear measurements
- Export data for analysis
- Generate structured reports
Use cases:
- Conduct on-site audits of materials and equipment to list waste, recyclable items, or materials for reuse
- Simplify appointment scheduling in occupied housing and establish a detailed inventory of elements that need repair or replacement
- Monitor work progress throughout the project
Successful Rehabilitation Works: Our Practical Tips
Rehabilitating social housing is a complex project that requires careful preparation and flawless execution. To ensure the success of such initiatives, you need to be thoroughly organized and aware of potential risks from the outset.
Start with a detailed technical assessment of the buildings, inspecting the structure, mechanical systems, and electrical networks to identify defects and improvement opportunities.This evaluation will enable the architect to define the scope of works based on the identified constraints.
Next, develop a clear project plan that includes:
- A realistic budget
- A detailed work schedule
- Key milestones to follow
Maintain open and transparent communication with all stakeholders, including tenants. Keep them informed about potential impacts, expected benefits, and any temporary disruptions to daily life.
Whenever possible, integrate sustainable and energy-efficient solutions into your rehabilitation works: Install high-performance energy systems, use high-quality insulating materials, adopt green technologies. These measures not only enhance tenants’ comfort but also help reduce long-term operating costs.
Once the work is completed, assess its impact by monitoring energy performance and collecting tenant feedback. This will help identify both the project’s successes and areas for improvement on future rehabilitation projects.
Finally, consider actively involving tenants throughout the rehabilitation process. Their insights can be invaluable for adjusting the work to better meet their real needs. Providing temporary relocation options or support during critical phases of the work can also greatly contribute to tenant satisfaction.
Minimizing the Social Impact of Social Housing Rehabilitation
As previously mentioned, rehabilitating a social housing building can increase its value and, more broadly, improve residents’ quality of life. However, rehabilitation works are often carried out while tenants are still living on-site. So how can you minimize disruption to their daily lives? The key lies in adopting an inclusive and well-planned approach. Start by conducting a comprehensive building assessment to identify existing issues.
This will allow you to prioritize necessary interventions and seize opportunities to enhance occupants’ comfort and safety. Throughout this process, don’t hesitate to actively involve tenants through surveys, consultation groups, or feedback sessions. Give them a chance to voice their concerns, so you can better address their expectations and contribute to improving their living conditions.
During the rehabilitation works, and even beforehand, focus on clear and regular communication. For example, provide residents with a detailed work schedule and keep them updated on the project’s progress. Transparent communication helps reduce anxiety and allows tenants to better plan around the disruptions.
Rehabilitation Works: Everything You Need to Know
What’s the Difference Between Rehabilitation and Renovation?
Rehabilitation involves deeper, more structural work. Its main purpose is to restore a building that may be deteriorated or no longer compliant with current safety, accessibility, or functional standards. This often includes:
- Ensuring compliance with current regulations
- Completely restructuring interior spaces
- Strengthening the existing structure to guarantee its stability
Renovation, on the other hand, focuses more on improving, updating, or enhancing a building without altering its fundamental structure or intended use. Renovation works typically aim to:
- Refresh the building’s aesthetics (painting, flooring, finishes)
- Upgrade modern comfort features (electrical systems, plumbing, heating, ventilation, insulation)
- Restore original features while improving energy efficiency
How Does Social Housing Rehabilitation Impact a Neighborhood’s Property Value?
Social housing rehabilitation can have a significant positive effect on a neighborhood’s property value. By enhancing both the aesthetic appeal and functionality of buildings, as well as improving residents’ quality of life, these projects can, attract new investment to the area, revitalize public spaces, foster stronger community ties and social cohesion
What Are the Specific Challenges of Rehabilitating Social Housing While Occupied?
Rehabilitation in occupied social housing presents unique challenges, primarily the need to minimize disruption for tenants while carrying out necessary works.
This requires meticulous planning, constant communication with residents, and often the implementation of temporary measures to ensure their comfort and safety. Challenges also include managing noise and dust, movement of workers and materials, scheduling work periods to reduce impact on residents’ daily lives.
