Tough New Housing Rules to Control Immigration

New measures to ensure fair play in taxpayer-funded social housing and stop rogue landlords cashing in from renting homes to illegal migrants have been set out by the Prime Minister.  Ministers want to tackle the widespread perception that the way social housing is allocated is unfair and favours foreign migrants over local people and the armed forces.  Almost 1 in 10 of all new social housing tenancies across England are given to foreign nationals.

So new rules will ensure that councils give priority to local people when allocating their social housing. Ministers will introduce new statutory guidance for councils, requiring them to amend their allocation policies to ensure only those with a well-established local residency and local connections will go on the waiting lists and qualify for a taxpayer-funded social home.  Read more on the GovUK website.

Local Homes for Local People

Only people with a five year local connection to Hammersmith and Fulham (HandF) will be able to apply for a council house there from April.  Last month, HandF Council also stopped issuing lifetime social housing tenancies for new applicants, in one of the biggest housing policy shake-ups in living memory. The council will also be prioritising those making a significant contribution to the community, for example ex-service personnel and foster carers. At the same time, households earning above £40,200 will be prevented from accessing the housing register and instead directed towards low-cost home-ownership options.  Read more on the HandF website.

PM Warned That 'Local Homes for Local People' Could Backfire

The Prime Minister wants to make it far harder for migrants to get social housing and is calling on councils to prioritise "local homes for local people". One landlords' group has warned this could lead to migrants being exploited by 'criminal' landlords. In reaction to the Prime Minister's comments, the body representing private sector landlords has warned that restricting access to social housing by migrants will force many into the hands of 'criminal' landlords.  Alan Ward, Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association, warned: "These measures will put extra pressure on the private rented sector and provide opportunities for low-grade landlords and criminal elements to exploit immigrants.’ Read more on 24dash.