Ministers Urged To Halt Right-To-Buy

Ministers are facing calls to shelve the right-to-buy scheme after a devastating analysis revealed that more than 40% of council houses sold under its terms in London are now privately rented. The damning findings of an analysis of Freedom of Information data also show that:

•             Tens of millions of pounds are being paid by local authorities to rent former council homes in order to house growing numbers of homeless families;

•             Some councils have bought back their former homes at more than six times the amount they sold them for;

·         Hundreds of private landlords now own five or more right-to-buy properties. 

Read more on the Observer website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/19/ministers-urged-halt-right-buy-council-homes-rented

Council Spending £500,000 Renting Back Homes Flogged Off Under Right to Buy

Harrow Council is paying nearly £500,000 a year renting back homes it used to own – a situation denounced as “utterly ludicrous” by the borough’s housing chief. The council has revealed it is leasing 35 properties sold under the right to buy (RTB) scheme, with landlords being paid up to £350 a week for a four-bed property. It means that Harrow people are effectively paying hundreds of thousands of pounds a year to put tenants into houses the authority was forced to sell. Read more on 24dash.