Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on the promotion of social mobility through reducing levels of under-occupation of social housing.
Andrew Stunell: In January the Minister for Housing and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) announced a £13 million programme to help under-occupying social tenants who wish to move. While no tenant will be forced to move, many tenants welcome the offer of support to find a home that better suits their needs. Helping under-occupiers to move will often free up a larger home for other tenants, including those who have been overcrowded. Our radical reforms to tenure, mobility and the rules on allocating social housing, together with the introduction of a national home-swap scheme, will provide local authorities with tools to address under-occupation and to help support greater mobility among social tenants.