Access to Information (STAIRs)
STAIRs makes it easy for you to find information about whg, the homes we manage and the services we provide.
What is STAIRs?
STAIRs stands for Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements. It is a new government standard that gives social housing customers more access to information about how their landlord manages homes and services.
We have brought this information together below, so you can find what you need in one place. This is called our Publication Scheme.
From 1 April 2027, you will also have the right to request information we hold about how we manage social housing. We will explain how to do this before the new requirements begin.
STAIRs Publication Scheme
The Publication Scheme makes it easy for you to find information about how we operate, spend money and manage homes and services, as well as how we are performing.
Choose a section below to find the information you need.
Governance and decision making
We provide affordable homes for rent, shared ownership and sale across the Midlands. We work in partnership with our customers to keep their homes safe, secure and comfortable. We create sustainable and resilient communities through investment in people and places. Find out more about us.
Merger
whg and Aspire Housing are joining together to create a new organisation, whg aspire. Read about the merger and what it means for our customers.
We will provide updates as the merger progresses. Some information cannot be shared yet while the merger is ongoing. We will also publish information about the merger each year in our Group Financial Statements. You can find these on our publications page.
Our boards, committees and Executive team make sure that whg is well run, accountable and able to make confident, informed decisions.
Terms of reference
Each of our boards and committees works to terms of reference, which set out the areas that they’re responsible for monitoring, as well as other important considerations like the skills required for members.
Companies House
You can find more information about whg’s formal publications, including our Articles of Association, which are the rules about how whg is governed, at GOV.UK: Companies House.
Board meetings
We publish a summary of discussions and decisions after each board meeting – this information will be published soon.
We work closely with customers across Walsall and beyond to make sure the services we provide meet the needs of our customers.
Customer Voice
Customers can get involved in shaping our services in a number of ways. Find out how customers get involved and have their say.
You can find our Customer Voice strategy on our publications page.
Customer news
We send customers a monthly email newsletter with our latest news, useful information and updates. For customers who cannot access information online, we also produce our printed newsletter, Round Your Way, twice a year.
You can find previous editions of Round Your Way on our publications page.
Service Improvement Group (SIG) Communications
Our SIG brings customers and colleagues together to look at how we can make our services better.
The group looks at customer feedback and experiences, identifies where things could be improved and helps shape changes to the way we deliver our services.
By involving customers in this work, we can make sure their views and experiences are at the heart of the improvements we make.
Spending and finance
Financial statements
Our annual group financial statements include our audited accounts and information about rent arrears, value for money and how we manage risk.
Find out more about our rents in the managing our homes section below.
Value for Money Strategy
You can find our Value for Money Strategy on our publications page.
When we buy items or services from other companies, we try to get the best prices and the best quality by using a clear purchasing (‘procurement’) process. We have a dedicated Procurement team who support managers from across whg to achieve value for money and quality of service in all our contracts.
Procurement Strategy
You can find our Procurement Strategy on our publications page.
Procurement and Contract Management policy
You can find our Procurement and Contract Management policy on our publications page.
Contracts register
When we need to choose a company for a new contract, we go through a tender process. This gives companies the opportunity to apply for the work and explain how they would deliver the service and how much it would cost.
We consider a range of factors before choosing a company, including quality, value for money and the service it will provide to customers. This helps us spend money responsibly and choose companies that can provide a good service.
As whg is a public authority under the Procurement Act, we publish contract tenders worth more than £30,000 on GOV.UK: Contracts Finder. This government website allows companies to find opportunities to work with us and view information about contracts we have awarded.
Managing our homes
Our strategies
The following strategies explain how we manage our homes. You can find all our strategies on our publications page.
Overview information
We publish clear and accurate information about our homes. We also share this information with the Regulator of Social Housing, as required.
Find out more about the regulator on the Regulator of Social Housing website.
Our data
The data below relates to the year ended 31 March 2026 unless stated.
We send an annual update to the Regulator of Social Housing that gives information on:
We own and directly manage 21,326 low-cost rental homes (as of 31 March 2026).
We do not own any low-cost rental homes that are managed by another organisation. We also do not manage any low-cost rental homes on behalf of other organisations.
| Type of housing | Owned and directly managed by us | Owned by us but managed by another organisation | Managed by us for another organisation |
|---|---|---|---|
| General needs | 18,094 | 0 | 0 |
| Supported housing | 93 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing for older people | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Intermediate rent | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| Affordable Rent general needs | 2,798 | 0 | 0 |
| Affordable Rent supported housing or housing for older people | 295 | 0 | 0 |
| Care homes | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21,326 | 0 | 0 |
The tables below show the number of homes by tenure type and their average weekly rent. Net rent is the charge for the home itself, while gross rent includes any service charges that apply.
2025 – 2026
| Tenure type | Number of homes | Average net rent | Average gross rent |
| Affordable Rents General Needs | 2,798 | £147.42 | £151.34 |
| Affordable Rents Supported Housing | 295 | £161.32 | £194.71 |
| General Needs | 18,094 | £110.04 | £115.74 |
| Intermediate Rent | 46 | £154.97 | £155.04 |
| Supported Housing | 93 | £103.60 | £121.52 |
| Total | 21,326 | £115.72 | £121.61 |
2024 – 2025
| Tenure type | Number of homes | Average net rent | Average gross rent |
| Affordable Rents General Needs | 2,703 | £143.27 | £146.78 |
| Affordable Rents Supported Housing | 288 | £155.94 | £187.44 |
| General Needs | 18,113 | £106.87 | £112.04 |
| Intermediate Rent | 44 | £149.11 | £149.17 |
| Supported Housing | 97 | £98.68 | £114.90 |
| Total | 21,245 | £112.22 | £117.57 |
The Decent Homes Standard applies to 21,326 homes at 31 March 2026.
Of these, 13 homes fail one or more of the standard’s four criteria. The breakdown is shown below.
The total excludes 117 homes where an individual tenant did not want work carried out in their home.
Homes failing the Decent Homes Standard
| Reason for failure | Number of homes |
|---|---|
| Criterion A: It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing | 2 |
| Criterion B: It is in a reasonable state of repair | 5 |
| Criterion C: It has reasonably modern facilities and services | 3 |
| Criterion D: It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort | 3 |
| Total homes failing one or more criteria | 13 |
Homes excluded from the figures above
| Reason for exclusion | Number of homes |
|---|---|
| An individual tenant does not want work carried out in their home (tenant refusal) | 117 |
How often we check the condition of our homes
Our most recent stock condition survey was carried out in 2025/26. We inspected 3,961 homes and found that 3 did not meet the Decent Homes Standard at the time of inspection.
All 3 homes failed Criterion C, which assesses whether a home has reasonably modern facilities and services.
Over the last five years, we have physically inspected 92% of our current homes to assess whether they meet the Decent Homes Standard.
Survey information
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Year of most recent stock condition survey | 2025/26 |
| Homes inspected in the most recent survey | 3,961 |
| Homes identified as failing the Decent Homes Standard at the time of inspection | 3 |
| Current homes physically inspected over the last five years | 92% |
Reasons homes failed the standard
| Criterion | Number of homes |
|---|---|
| Criterion A: It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing | 0 |
| Criterion B: It is in a reasonable state of repair | 0 |
| Criterion C: It has reasonably modern facilities and services | 3 |
| Criterion D: It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort | 0 |
| Total homes failing one or more criteria | 3 |
The most recent stock condition survey may be a one-off exercise or the latest stage of a rolling survey programme. The number of homes inspected may include historic stock. The five-year inspection figure includes current homes only.
Lettings
We made 2,864 lettings between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
This included 2,738 general needs lettings and 126 supported housing lettings. No lettings were made for housing for older people.
| Type of housing | Number of homes/bedspaces let |
|---|---|
| General needs | 2,738 |
| Supported housing | 126 |
| Housing for older people | 0 |
| Total | 2,864 |
General needs homes do not include additional support.
Supported housing provides some support to help customers live independently.
Housing for older people is for customers aged 55 and over.
How many evictions we carry out and why
We have an ambition not to evict anyone into homelessness and provide our own support services to help our customers sustain their tenancies. Eviction is always a last resort, with enforcement action taken only after other interventions fail.
We carried out 14 evictions during the year to 31 March 2026. This included 13 from general needs homes and 1 from supported housing or housing for older people.
Of the 14 evictions, 9 were for rent arrears, 1 was for anti-social behaviour and 4 were for other reasons.
| Reason for eviction | General needs | Supported housing or housing for older people | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent arrears | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Anti-social behaviour (ASB) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rent arrears and ASB | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other reasons | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 13 | 1 | 14 |
‘Other reasons’ includes any other ground for eviction such as tenancy fraud and other breaches of the tenancy agreement.
Disposals
Every three months, we tell the Regulator of Social Housing about homes we have sold or transferred. These are called ‘disposals’.
Disposals are homes that leave our ownership or are no longer used as social housing. This can happen when an eligible customer buys their home through Right to Buy or Right to Acquire, through a shared ownership sale, when a home changes use or when we sell an empty home that is particularly expensive to maintain so we can invest the money in other homes.
| Disposal type | 1 April to 30 September 2025/26 | 30 September to 31 March 2025/26 | 1 April to 30 June 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right to buy | 40 | 33 | 15 |
| Right to acquire | 15 | 11 | 8 |
| Shared ownership | 3 | 11 | 8 |
| Voids | 10 | 11 | 3 |
| Change in use | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 70 | 66 | 34 |
Performance
Inspections
Read our latest regulatory judgement from the Regulator of Social Housing.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures
Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures show how well we are delivering services to customers. They include information about repairs and how satisfied customers are with our services. View our latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures performance.
Awaab’s Law
Under Awaab’s Law, our Board reviews how quickly we respond to emergency and urgent hazards in our homes. Awaab’s Law compliance as at Q1 2026/27.
Reviews and audits
We carry out audits and reviews each year to check how well our services are working. These include:
- External audits – carried out by our external auditors, Menzies. Their findings are published in our financial statements.
- Internal audits – carried out by KPMG and reviewed by our Audit and Assurance Committee.
- Compliance reviews – carried out by our Governance team and reviewed by our Executive team.
- External reviews – we sometimes ask independent specialists to review our services.
Health and safety
Find out how we keep customers living in high-rise blocks safe, including information about fire safety in taller buildings.
You can also find our building safety information on our publications page.
Information requests
From 2027/28, we will publish information about requests we receive under the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs). This is explained in our STAIRs Policy.
Decants
Sometimes, we may need to arrange for customers to move out of their home temporarily while repairs are carried out, or if their home is not safe to live in for a short time.
We will only ask a customer to move temporarily when it is necessary to keep them safe. Wherever possible, we will work with customers to help them stay in their home safely. Between April and September 2026, we temporarily moved 13 customers because it was not safe for them to stay in their home.
Our latest news
We publish a complaints report every year. You can read our latest reports:
Housing Ombudsman Service self-assessment
Every year, we carry out a self-assessment to check how we are performing against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. You can read our latest self-assessments:
Our complaints process
Find out more about our complaints process.
The Housing Ombudsman publishes decisions about complaints involving housing associations. You can read decisions about whg on the Housing Ombudsman’s website.
Housing services
Lists and registers
We keep records to show how we meet health and safety requirements as a landlord. We also carry out internal audits each year to check we are meeting these requirements.
We publish information about how we are meeting our health and safety targets through our Tenant Satisfaction Measures. We also report on how we are meeting Awaab’s Law for hazards in customers’ homes, and publish safety information for customers living in high-rise blocks.
You can find this in the performance section above.
Estate inspections
View our upcoming Neighbourhood Estate Walks. You do not need to book to take part.
Aids and adaptations
2025/26 performance
Our aids and adaptations help customers live safely and independently in their own homes for longer.
At a glance
| Customers who benefited | 1,070 |
| Aids and adaptations | 1,213 |
A customer may have made more than one request.
Requests by type
| Type of adaptation | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor adaptations | 272 | 722 | 165% |
| Major adaptations | 172 | 199 | 16% |
| Disabled Facilities Grant adaptations | 170 | 292 | 72% |
| Total | 614 | 1,213 | 98% |
Adaptation requests by type in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
Funding and delivery
| Major adaptation requests above whg’s £1,500 financial threshold | 70 |
| Additional funding provided by Walsall Council to help ensure adaptations could be made | £212,260 |
| Disabled Facilities Grant work carried out in whg homes | £1,619,356 |
High rise register
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) holds information about high-rise residential buildings in England: GOV.UK: Search the high-rise residential building register.
EPC register
Search for an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for a property: GOV.UK: Find an energy certificate.
Social housing management – our policies
Our customer policies explain how we provide services and make decisions that affect you. They set out what you can expect from us and, where relevant, your responsibilities as a customer. They help us provide services fairly and consistently and meet legal and regulatory requirements.
You can find all our customer policies on our publications page. We review each policy every three years, or sooner if needed.
About our Publication Scheme
We publish the information on this page as part of the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs). Find out more about STAIRs on the UK Government website. We are committed to providing clear, accurate and accessible information for all our social housing customers.
STAIRs policy
Read our STAIRs policy for more information about how we make sure our customers have access to information.
Frequency
We review all information published under STAIRs every six months. We publish updated policies and strategies as soon as possible after they are approved.
Consultations
We ask customers for their views on the information we publish and how we share information about our services. You can join a customer group to have your say.
Request a review of our Publication Scheme
If you are a whg customer and you believe that we have not published enough information, or that we have not published information in the right way, you can request a review of our Publication Scheme.
Accessibility
If you are a whg customer and need information from this publication scheme in a different format, or to authorise another person to submit requests on your on your behalf, please contact us.
You can also visit our Hatherton Street office to view information online using a tablet in our reception area.
Privacy
To make a STAIRs request, you will need to provide your name and contact details. If someone is making a request for you, we will need your authorisation unless they are already registered with whg to act on your behalf.
Please contact us if you do not want an existing authorisation to apply to STAIRs requests.
If you need the information in another format, please tell us about your access needs. Read our Privacy Policy to find out how we use and protect your information.
Information requests
The second element of the STAIRs scheme is that the government requires that all housing providers implement processes to respond to information requests from their tenants by April 2027. whg is currently developing these processes and will publicise them when they are introduced.