Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists – Parliamentary Written Answer

Emily Thornberry:   To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children are registered on waiting lists for social housing.

Brandon Lewis: In 2013-14, there were around 91,000 single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children on at least one social housing waiting list in England. This is down from 124,000 in 2004-5 and 110,000 in 2010-11. (Source: English Housing Survey, Department for Communities and Local Government).

Housing Benefit – Parliamentary Written Answer

Emily Thornberry:  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 1.126 of Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, what funding for Discretionary Housing Payments he plans to provide to local authorities in addition to that announced in Summer Budget 2015.

Justin Tomlinson: In the Autumn Statement it was announced that additional Discretionary Housing Payment funding will be made available to Local Authorities, including those in supported accommodation. A further £70 million will be made available on top of the Summer Budget announcement across 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Social Rented Housing: Rents – Parliamentary Written Answer

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to Clauses 19 to 22 of the draft Welfare Reform and Work Bill, whether the compulsory one per cent annual reduction of rents in social housing will apply to housing association tenants on affordable rents.

Brandon Lewis: Clause 19 of the draft Welfare Reform and Work Bill requires registered providers of social housing in England to reduce the rents payable by their individual tenants by 1% per annum for four years from 1 April 2016. The reductions will apply to rented social housing, including Affordable Rent properties. Exceptions are set out in clause 20 and in subsequent regulations. We intend to clarify how rents for new tenancies starting after 1 April 2016 will be set, and how the reductions will apply to these tenancies.  

 

Help to Buy Scheme – Parliamentary Written Answer

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the average cost of homes sold to first-time buyers under the Help to Buy scheme in (a) England, (b) London, (c) London Borough of Islington and (d) Islington South and Finsbury constituency in each of the last four years.

Brandon Lewis: Information on the average cost of homes sold to first time buyers under Help to Buy is not currently published. However available figures show the average cost of all homes sold under the Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme as £163,921 for England and £287,109 for London. Available figures for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme show the average cost of all homes was £212,932 for England.