Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assistance his Department is providing for the re-housing of residents who are under-occupying their homes.
Andrew Stunell: This Department has allocated £13 million over the next four years to help local authorities support under-occupying social tenants who wish to move, as well as funding an action team within the Chartered Institute of Housing to work with all social landlords to help them promote moves. We are also making it easier for landlords to address under-occupation by increasing mobility, through changes to the allocation rules contained in the Localism Bill and the introduction of a national home swap scheme.

Social Housing – Parliamentary Oral Answer

Jonathan Lord (Woking) (Con): What steps is the Minister for Housing and Local Government taking to address under-occupation of social housing to promote social mobility?
Grant Shapps: In January, I announced a £13 million programme to address under-occupation by offering support to tenants who wish to move. Our radical social housing reforms will also involve introducing for the first time a national home swap programme. There is an extraordinary 430,000 people living in homes with two or more spare bedrooms, while nearly a quarter of a million people are living in overcrowded circumstances. None of this makes sense, and we have just announced a scheme whereby people are helped to move where they want to. There is no question of anyone being required to move, but assistance with utility bills and bank accounts being moved, for example, turns out to be one of the most useful things available, particularly for elderly people who are interested in moving home.

Ministers Take Next Steps towards Fairer Social Housing

Housing Minister Grant Shapps and Communities Minister Andrew Stunell have taken the next steps towards the biggest reforms to social housing for a generation, moving power from Whitehall to town halls. Ministers have set out proposals for how all social landlords will be required to show how their tenancy plans will provide for and protect the most vulnerable, including families with children. In these further details of reforms, Ministers also outlined the extra freedom from central control that councils will be given, so they can target help on the people in their communities who need it most. Ministers also confirmed that all tenants will have access to a National Home Swap Scheme, making it easier for them to move should their situation change. Read more on the CLG website.

Social Housing Budget 'To Be Cut In Half'

The social housing budget in England is to be cut by more than 50% in the Spending Review, the BBC understands.  Council housing "for life" will also be phased out, with the needs of new council tenants assessed over time.  Despite the cuts, ministers are likely to set a target of building 150,000 affordable homes, changing the way councils charge rent to finance them.  Tenants will be charged nearer the going market rate, to release cash for the building programme.  It claimed more than 360,000 jobs would be lost in the construction industry every year if cuts on the scale being proposed were introduced.  Ministers are expected to introduce a "flexible tenancy" for people who move into council housing for the first time.  Tenants will be checked over a period of time to see if they still require help with housing from their local authority.  Housing Minister Grant Shapps said he hoped to legislate later this year to create a National Home Swap Scheme, which would allow people in unsuitable accommodation - such as a pensioner who wants to move to a smaller home - to swap for something more suitable.  There are currently some eight million tenants in social housing in England.  More than 250,000 households live in overcrowded conditions while a further 430,000 are unable to easily downsize from larger properties they no longer need. Read more on the BBC website.

Government Commits to Protecting Security of Tenure

Heidi Alexander MP: What plans do the Government have to consult tenants groups on the future of secure tenancies in social rented housing?
Andrew Stunell MP: The Government are absolutely committed to protecting the security of tenure and rights of those currently living in social housing. With a record five million people on social housing waiting lists it is right that we should look at ways of improving the system for new tenancies, and consider how best to help the most vulnerable in our society. How we make best use of our social housing should be a matter for open debate and discussion, and we welcome the views of tenant groups as part of this. On 4 August, we announced our plans for a National Affordable Home Swap Scheme, which will allow social tenants to move-such as for family or employment reasons-without losing their footing on the social housing ladder, so increasing the tenure rights and opportunities of those in social housing.

Shapps Reveals Details of National Home Swap Scheme for Social Housing Tenants

The Government has given more details of plans to reform social housing. A national scheme is being introduced to connect tenants in different areas who are keen to swap properties for employment or personal reasons. Housing minister Grant Shapps said the initiative would help resolve the "contradiction" where a quarter of a million families lived in overcrowded accommodation, while more than 400,000 homes were larger than the occupants needed.
A number of councils already run successful exchange systems, but under the new proposals all eight million council and housing association tenants across England will be able to put their names forward for the National Home Swap Scheme. Shadow housing minister John Healey said: "I fear these measures could be taken as a green light by some to pressure people out of their homes - not least as the announcement follows David Cameron letting the cat out of the bag on the Tories' secret agenda to remove security of tenure." Read more on the CLG website by clicking on the logo below.