Plans to extend right to buy lack support from housing sector
0Housing bodies and charities have reacted negatively to suggestions that the government intends to revive the right to buy by allowing people to purchase the properties they rent from housing associations.
Plans to extend right to buy were reported in the Telegraph, with the suggestion that the 2.5m households in England who rent properties from housing associations would have the opportunity to purchase their homes at a discounted price.
However, the National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents housing associations in England, pointed out that proposals to extend right to buy had originally been part of an agreement between the NHF and government in 2015.
“Our agreement with the government at that time was based on a clear set of principles, our red line being that every single social home sold would be replaced. Recent pilots have demonstrated how difficult this is to achieve, as there is not enough money from sales to build new social homes,” said Kate Henderson, NHF chief executive.
Henderson said that since that agreement had been made, the housing crisis had worsened, particularly for low-income families. Recent NHF research showed that there are 4.2m people in need of social housing in England today.
“Every social home sold will make that waiting list longer. Housing associations are also facing new financial challenges, including the urgent need to make all their buildings safe and decarbonise homes. Our priority is to continue our partnership with government to increase the supply of good quality social housing.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, added that an extension of right to buy was a “hare-brained idea” and the “opposite of what the country needs” as the cost-of-living crisis pushes more people to the brink of homelessness.
“There could not be a worse time to sell off what remains of our last truly affordable social homes,” Neate said.
“Right to buy has already torn a massive hole in our social housing stock as less than 5% of the homes sold off have ever been replaced. These half-baked plans have been tried before and they’ve failed.”
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