Social Landlords to Foot £123m Tenure Reform Bill

Councils have condemned a ‘scandalous’ multimillion pound bill for overhauling their allocations and tenure policies. The government has revealed that it could cost local authorities £56 million to implement its plans to reform tenure and up to £3.7 million to close their waiting lists to accept only people they define to be in housing need. Housing associations will foot a £63 million bill. Councils said the cost, revealed in a series of CLG impact assessments on the Decentralisation and Localism Bill, would squeeze resources at a time when their budgets are being slashed by central government. The total £123 million cost, split between strategic local housing authorities, local authority landlords and housing associations, includes a £54 million bill for reviewing tenancies and £5 million in court fees to remove tenants who refuse to leave their homes as a result of the reforms. Read more on Inside Housing.