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Furniture Poverty

Asked by Bell Ribeiro-AddyLabourMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 11 July 2025UIN 65860

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she will take to tackle the impact of furniture poverty on children in low-income families; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of furnished tenancies in social housing on reducing the impact of furniture poverty.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

On 2 July, the government opened a consultation on a reformed Decent Homes Standard (DHS) for the social and private rented sectors. It seeks views on a range of issues including whether landlords should provide suitable floor coverings in all rooms at the start of every tenancy. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here.

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