Bosses say that progress is being made to tackle major problems in Newcastle’s council homes, 12 months on from a major housing shakeup.
It is now a year since Newcastle City Council abolished management organisation Your Homes Newcastle and took back direct control over around 25,000 local authority-owned properties on Tyneside.
Regulators have since found “serious failings” in that housing stock, including fire safety hazards and hundreds of overdue repairs for complaints including damp and mould, and ordered local officials to make improvements.
The council confirmed on Tuesday that, as of the end of the 2024/25 financial year, it still had 2,734 properties classified as non-decent – 11.08% of its total, though that has improved from 14.78% a year ago.
All but 285 of those are homes marked as potentially having a category one health and safety hazard, due to an ongoing issue with the possible presence of ‘ranch style’ staircases which have been reported as a precaution before full inspections can be carried out to confirm if there definitely is a danger.
The council also confirmed that the number of overdue fire safety remediation works had been cut from 850 to 696 by the end of March.
It also said that the repairs were now being carried out much faster – with 89.3% of non-emergency jobs and 87.4% of emergency jobs completed within the council’s target times in June 2025, compared to only 37% last September.
And, of a backlog of 2,199 damp and mould cases from January 2024, the council said all of those have now been either resolved or have been offered an appointment, adding that the only outstanding cases “are where we have made contact but been unable to get access to the property to resolve the issue”.
Labour cllr Paula Maines, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “Everyone in our city deserves a safe, warm and secure home. Our plan for social housing has always been focused on the needs of our residents. We’re committed to not only improving the homes we already manage but helping to tackle the pressing need for more affordable housing in Newcastle.
“We know we have a long way to go, but by working together with our residents and partners, and by being transparent with the Regulator, we are building a housing service that truly puts people first.”
The council said it had invested £50 million into improving its housing in the past year and a further £33.3 million in the repairs service, as well as completing 6,000 condition surveys so far and launching ‘Getting to Know You’ to all tenants.
Last week, it also announced a measure had been introduced to prioritise armed forces veterans for council housing.
Cllr Maines added: “The scale of housing need in Newcastle is clear. That means not only maintaining and improving our current housing stock, but also building new council homes that meet the needs of our residents today and in the future.
“By continuing to listen to our residents, we are taking bold steps to improve council housing and deliver better outcomes for all.”
