Shapps to Tackle Underoccupancy

Grant Shapps has pledged to help the 1.8 million families on the housing waiting list by tackling underoccupancy in social homes. Speaking to the CLG Select Committee Mr Shapps outlined his concerns about people who live in larger homes than they need. When challenged on whether it is right to coerce people to leave their homes, he said: ‘It shouldn’t mean that… None of us have a right to live in any street in any city that we choose. All of us have to make those decisions. ‘Underoccupancy has a cost to it, and the cost is to the 1.8 million families languishing on the housing waiting list. ‘The 430,000 people in social accommodation who are underoccupying by two or more rooms are in some cases being funded by the tax payers.’ Mr Shapps also hinted at a move to local decisions on housing benefit. He said: ‘Part of the advantage of doing it locally is that you get local discretion’. Read comments on this story on Inside Housing.