Lawyers Question Cameron’s Pledge to Housing-Association Tenants

Cameron’s pledge to offer a right to buy to all housing-association tenants has been questioned by housing lawyers. A briefing note accompanying the Queen’s speech stated that a forthcoming Housing Bill would “enable the extension of right- to-buy levels of discount to housing association tenants”. Lawyers say that the wording of the pledge would allow the Government to widen access to home ownership by extending the “right to acquire” rather than introducing a new right to buy. Extending the right to acquire would limit the sell-off. It would allow housing associations to protect properties that are specially adapted or designed for sheltered accommodation, and they could make a strong legal case for exempting all properties built before 1997, many of which were never funded by government. Read more on the Independent website.