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A government green paper has pledged that social housing tenants will be given new powers to tackle rogue landlords and work towards property ownership, but critics are already pouring cold water on the proposed strategy.
They say with no new funding on the table, the ideas don’t have a hope of succeeding.
Shared Ownership Schemes
The government is proposing that social housing tenants can work towards home ownership. New shared ownership schemes will allow tenants to buy a percentage of their home – as little as 1% at a time – until they own it completely. The Department of Housing is keen to challenge stereotypes whereby social housing tenants are stigmatised in the community.
“Providing high quality and well managed social housing is a core priority for this Government,” says James Brokenshire, Secretary for Housing.
“Our green paper offers a landmark opportunity for major reform to improve fairness, quality, and safety for residents living in social housing across the country.”
Other Strategies
Other steps included in the Green Paper include:
- A new, faster complaints process, which gives tenants access to effective dispute resolution processes.
- Giving local councils greater powers over fixed-term tenancies, so they can give tenants more security in their rental properties.
- The introduction of a new league table to reduce bad practices
- Giving the regulator more powers
The Local Government Association’s spokesperson for housing says the green paper is a step in the right direction, as the government tries to reverse the decline in social housing. However, Shelter doesn’t believe the policies will work due to a lack of funding.
