The Latest Breaking News from Richard Blakeway

Tenants’ complaints about poor social housing in England jump 43% in a year

Ombudsman made 26,901 interventions to put things right, including child’s bedroom window boarded up for four years

The Guardian - UK · Sep 23, 2025

The Guardian view on social housing: invest boldly to tackle ‘simmering anger’ about substandard homes

Editorial: Two weeks before the spending review, the housing ombudsman has issued an important warning about a deepening crisis and growing human misery

The Guardian - UK · May 29, 2025

'Simmering anger' over poor social housing conditions could lead to 'disquiet', warns watchdog

Complaints to Housing Ombudsman about substandard living conditions are more than five times higher than they were five years ago

Evening Standard · May 29, 2025

UK’s biggest housing association fined over four-year failure to fix window

Clarion case among several ‘severe maladministration’ examples highlighted by housing ombudsman

The Guardian - UK · Aug 12, 2024

Outrage as residents in England’s ‘affordable’ housing forced to pay thousands of pounds extra in service charge

Pressure on Michael Gove to act as householders see bills rise 40%, with many saying that they cannot afford to pay

The Guardian - UK · Mar 30, 2024

Housing ombudsman in England calls to re-establish link between housing and health

Exclusive: Richard Blakeway says parts of social housing sector have reached breaking point

The Guardian - UK · Jan 22, 2024

‘I considered putting my kid into care’: one London family’s fight against mould

Natasha La’Bow says she and her six-year-old son have faced serious health problems caused by mould and damp in their council flat

The Guardian - UK · Jan 10, 2024

Tenant killed himself after landlord failed to resolve repeated noise complaints

Ombudsman orders UK housing association Clarion to apologise to family in ‘deeply distressing’ case

The Guardian - UK · Nov 2, 2023

Housing association slammed as tenant takes own life after 18 noise complaints

Clarion Housing Association has apologised for its failings over what Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said was a ‘deeply distressing’ case

The Independent UK · Nov 2, 2023

Social housing complaints probed by ombudsman hit record high

Property condition remained the leading category as to why complaints were being made, followed by complaints handling, and health and safety.

The Independent UK · Oct 16, 2023