The Housing Act: A Neoliberal Policy Too Far?

There are examples of government policies and initiatives that unravel almost before they’re unveiled. The Housing and Planning Act could soon be added to the list. This ill-conceived, iniquitous legislation could collapse under the weight of its own nonsense and our refusal to accept yet another attack on public services and working-class communities. According to the government’s timetable, the Act should be implemented next April. It’s not going to happen. Amid political turmoil, the legislation is due to return to Parliament, but not until after the summer recess. Pressure inside and outside the Commons brought some concessions to the original Bill, but privately, local councils, including Tory-controlled authorities, are describing the policy as an “administrative nightmare” and are very worried about its potential impact. Read more on the Morning Star website.

The Housing And Planning Act Is A Direct Attack On Local Government

Back in 2009, David Cameron said his party would give local councils much more power and responsibility. This agenda was the basis of the 2011 Localism Act. But those reforms have been shattered by the 2016 Housing and Planning Act. The end to lifetime council tenancies, the pay-to-stay rule increasing rents for council tenants earning more than £40,000, and provisions to force local authorities to sell off their high-value homes, will effectively kill off council housing. The extension of right-to-buy privileges to housing associations also threatens to cause a wider decline in affordable housing. But this is not just about housing. The new Act also has immediate implications for local democracy, by giving no fewer than 32 new powers to the secretary of state for housing. This means local authorities face further financial pressures and will lose vital powers once granted by the Localism Act. Read more on the Guardian website.