Press release: RSH publishes analysis of Value for Money metrics

To help registered providers understand their relative performance on the Regulator of Social Housing’s Value for Money metrics, RSH has today (27 September 2018) published an analysis of the last 3 years of annual accounts data.

The Value for Money report is part of the regulator’s continuing work to help the sector contextualise the performance of individual providers more easily. It aims to help boards compare themselves to organisations with similar business models and geographical locations. The summary report is accompanied by a detailed Value for Money metrics – Technical regression report, which explains the analysis in greater depth.

The reports are based on electronic Annual Accounts returns submitted to the regulator for financial years from 31 March 2015 to 31 March 2017 by private registered providers with more than 1,000 homes. The regulator has also carried out additional analysis at a sub-sector level to provide more detailed insight into the differences between different types of registered provider.

Some of the main findings include:

• Supported housing and housing for older people are associated with higher costs, and lower operating margins with fewer resources likely to be available for new development – this is likely to be linked to the broader scope of activities undertaken by providers with a specialised focus.
• London based providers also face higher costs, but this is partially compensated for by higher rents and scope for sales revenues – providers in this high demand area are therefore still able to develop social housing at a rate slightly above the sector average.
• Landlords in their first seven years following a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer are characterised by high levels of reinvestment in existing stock, but have little capacity for investment in new supply – this could be as a result of the higher costs associated with completing major repair commitments made at the time of transfer from the local authority
• The analysis shows that there is not a statistically significant relationship between the size of provider and either costs or the level of new supply of sub market homes – it is important to bear in mind that the analysis covers a limited time period and with many of the sector’s most significant mergers having only recently taken place, the picture on supply and longer-term business performance may change in the years following merger.

Fiona MacGregor, Director of Regulation said:

Our regression analysis provides useful insight into the factors that impact on registered providers’ performance across the suite of VfM metrics. It also informs the important debate about the potential to deliver greater value for money in the sector: whether that is improving services to existing tenants, building much needed new homes or working to improve the areas in which they operate. However, the analysis can only provide a partial picture, and cannot substitute for an organisation’s own understanding of its operating environment and its use of resources and assets.

The real question for boards is how to maximise the delivery of their strategic objectives and how they measure and demonstrate that they are doing so to key stakeholders including tenants, local communities and others.

The Value for Money – Summary report and the Value for Money metrics – Technical regression report can both be found on the RSH Gov.uk website.

Further information

1. The VfM metrics set out by the regulator focus on seven financial metrics using existing regulatory data to minimise interference and potential burdens on providers.
2. The regulator’s purpose is to promote a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants.
3. For more information visit the Gov.uk website

Our About the Regulator of Social Housing page has contact details for media enquiries.

For general queries to RSH, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.