EFP News Update August 2025

Decent Homes 2 Consultation

In July, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government revealed the long-awaited renewed Decent Homes Standard. This will go alongside the Renters’ Rights Bill, which aims to improve the quality of housing across tenures.

This updated standard includes a proposal for flooring to be provided in all habitable rooms and a series of best practice guides, including one focusing on furniture provision. The addition of these policies is a tremendous step forward in our goal to end furniture poverty.

If implemented effectively and landlords are actively encouraged to furnish their properties, we believe that this updated guidance can serve to eventually end ‘deep’ furniture poverty for social housing tenants – those who are missing three or more essential furniture items.

To ensure that this key provision remains within the standard, End Furniture Poverty will submit a detailed consultation response, whilst also encouraging our supporters to use our template, found here, to answer the questions in a way that is most persuasive to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This submission includes key stats regarding furniture provision and flooring to show that provision is not only the right thing to do morally, but it is the right thing to do financially.

Update on EFP’s Latest Crisis Support Research

Projected to be released in early October, EFP’s flagship report looking at Crisis Support, both Local Welfare Assistance and the Household Support Fund, is well underway. With a response rate of over 90% so far, from a combined 308 FOI requests, this extensive collection of data will provide a crucial insight into the provision available across England.

Included within this report will be the amounts spent by local authorities on Crisis Support, the amount of HSF spent on free school meal holiday vouchers, the availability of furniture provision through schemes across England, and much more.

Ahead of the introduction of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) in April 2026, the report will also include recommendations for updated and strengthened guidance which gurantees that the importance of furniture provision is recognised and encouraged.

The Crisis and Resilience Fund will, for the first time, incorporate both Discretionary Housing Payments and Free School Meals Holiday vouchers within crisis funding. Based on End Furniture Poverty’s early estimates, this will mean over 50% of the CRF nationally, over £500 million, will be used on FSM Holiday vouchers.

This should not be the remit of a crisis fund – the inability to afford food for children is not a ‘crisis’, it is a systemic issue that should be supported by the existing social safety net, such as Universal Credit, or through the Department for Education budget.

The funds allocated for the CRF should be used exclusively for those in a position of crisis, not propping up an inadequate social safety net. Our sixth annual crisis support report will explain why this is the case.

End Furniture Poverty at Conferences – Housing 2025 and Local Government Association Conference

In recent months, End Furniture Poverty have attended both the Manchester Housing 2025 conference and the Local Government Association conference to strengthen existing relationships and forge new partnerships across the social housing sector and local government base.

At these events, EFP met with dozens of key figures from Leaders of Local Authorities to senior housing professionals and have developed working partnerships that we hope can contribute to our long-term goal of ending furniture poverty across the UK.

Whether a local authority with housing stock or a social housing provider, the implementation of furnished tenancies across their general needs stock would lift hundreds of thousands of people out of the worst form of material deprivation.

At Housing 2025 in Manchester, the Director of End Furniture Poverty, Claire Donovan, was invited to speak on a panel focusing on the need for flooring in all habitable rooms of properties. During this discussion, Claire highlighted the importance of providing people with homes, not just an empty box. This initiative extends beyond flooring and is linked to EFP’s goal of ensuring that at least 10% of all social homes are let furnished.

Following this conference, the Decent Homes Standard consultation was released, showing that this is an issue being closely considered in government policy.

End Furniture Poverty in Parliament

In June, End Furniture Poverty organised a roundtable event in Portcullis House, Westminster, (pictured above), focusing on the impact of furniture poverty on those who have experienced Domestic Abuse.

Hosted by Paula Barker, MP for Liverpool Wavertree, the event was attended by a number of Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum as well as experts from the Domestic Abuse Sector. This event allowed EFP to explore the impact of furniture poverty on vulnerable groups and share expert testimony as well as potential solutions.

Survivors of Domestic Abuse have ‘priority need’ status when seeking housing after fleeing an abuser. As a result, many move into social housing, and many have no possessions and little to no financial savings. Due to this, survivors move into empty properties, which exacerbates their plight and reduces their ability to start life anew.

EFP argue that the use of Furnished Tenancies can ensure that those coming from a precarious situation have access to essential items which will allow them to effectively settle into a new environment and become a proactive member of their local community. And, most importantly, will allow them to leave their tumultuous past behind, free from the financial worries that many experience when trying to furnish a full property.

In recent months, EFP have also met with several MPs, including Baggy Shanker, MP for Derby South, Zoe Franklin, MP for Guildford, Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North, and Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon. In addition, we have had numerous questions asked to Matthew Pennycook regarding furniture poverty, the Decent Homes Standard and the support available for vulnerable groups.

This engagement has continued to grow support within parliament as EFP push to Make a House a Home by ensuring that at least 10% of all social housing properties are let as furnished.

As we approach conference season, the introduction of CRF and the conclusion of the Decent Homes Standard consultation, EFP will continue to work with key political stakeholders to improve the lives of those experiencing furniture poverty, no matter where you are in the UK.

Updated Blueprint for Furniture Provision in Social Housing

End Furniture Poverty’s vital guide for all social landlords interested in furniture provision is being updated with the latest guidance, statutory requirements, case studies and lots of information about our furniture rental service, Furniture Flex.

The Blueprint, originally funded by the Fusion 21 Foundation, has been updated by one of our new team members, Ange Rochford-Briggs, who has helped dozens of social landlords set up furnished tenancy schemes. Her role is co-funded by the Fusion 21 Foundation, demonstrating their firm commitment and support for our work.

We will be launching the updated Blueprint at the Housing Community Summit in Liverpool on September 8^th and 9^th, and our Director Claire, will be speaking about it at a Fringe event on Monday 8^th at 2.30pm.

We are also continuing to work directly with social landlords across the UK, on a one-to-one basis and through our Housing Summit model, bringing groups of social landlords together and working with a key local partner. The success of this approach is clear in Liverpool where our work with the local authority has meant nearly all of the main social landlords in the city are now providing or about to start providing furnished tenancies to their tenants.

We are working towards further summits with activity in Greater Manchester, Norfolk, the West Midlands, Derbyshire, South Gloucestershire, and Blackpool.

Together we will End Furniture Poverty.