The Tories Killing Off "Right to Buy"
The Tories Killing Off "Right to Buy"
Via The Back Door
Government brings in five-year limit on new secure tenancies with local authorities forced to review contract at end of term
This initiative kept Maggie and the Tories in clover for years , now with the "Ponzi scheme" of over-inflated house prices continually on an ever upward curve this change will close the door on some of the poorest ever getting a foot on even the lowest rung of the housing ladder.
In the meantime buy to rent landlords get richer and richer while rents get ever higher and higher. Alas it is all about supply and demand. The only hope is a return to what would be considered normal low interest rates ie. 3, 4, 5 % . At that point the bubble will well and truly burst. It is believed over 1,000,000 people have bought houses since the interest rate hit rock bottom in 2009. Can you imagine the carnage should that be allowed to happen ??
In The Meantime
16-17th century coat of arms produced from the masonry of Eton College building.
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Here is what the Guardian have to say on the subject.
Council tenants lose lifetime right to live in property
People will no longer have the right to live in their council home
for life in future after ministers moved to impose a five-year limit on
new tenancies.
In a move condemned by Labour as likely to break up communities, the
government has quietly tabled an amendment to the housing and planning
bill that sets a maximum of five-year terms for new secure tenancies.
The policy brings an end to the principle of council tenancies for
life in which people were sometimes allowed to pass on the right to live
in the property to their next of kin. Although it does not apply
retrospectively to current contracts, those who inherit tenancy of
council housing will be subject to the new regime.
In an explanatory note to the bill, Brandon Lewis, the housing
minister, said: “A secure tenant can currently live in a property for
life. This amendment phases out lifetime tenancies.”
David Cameron first signalled he would like to make such a move as long ago as 2010, when he suggested it could help increase social mobility.
While admitting that “not everyone will support this and there will
be quite a big argument”, he said at the time: “There is a question mark
about whether, in future, we should be asking when you are given a
council home, is it for a fixed period? Because maybe in five or 10
years you will be doing a different job and be better paid and you won’t
need that home, you will be able to go into the private sector.”
But the plan was never implemented under the coalition, with Grant
Shapps, then housing minister, eventually unveiling plans to let tenancy
limits be set in each local area.
The new legislation forces councils to offer all new tenants
contracts of between two and five years. At the end of the fixed term,
local authorities will have to carry out a review of the tenant’s
circumstance, and decide whether to grant a new tenancy, move the tenant
into another more appropriate social rented property, or terminate the
tenancy.
Where the local authority decides to terminate the tenancy, they will
be required to provide advice to support the tenant into home ownership
or to help them access other housing options, whichever is appropriate.
The new move has already been criticised by John Healey, Labour’s shadow cabinet minister for housing, who said people would be “astonished that ministers are legislating to deny families a stable home”.
“Councils are already able to decide on the length of tenancy they want to offer according to local needs,” he said. “Margaret Thatcher passed the law to give council tenants secure tenancies which David Cameron is now tearing up. This generation of Tory ministers seem to have a vendetta against council tenants and council homes.”
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said the changes would “improve local authorities abilities to provide social housing for those who need it most, as long as they need it”.
The new move has already been criticised by John Healey, Labour’s shadow cabinet minister for housing, who said people would be “astonished that ministers are legislating to deny families a stable home”.
“Councils are already able to decide on the length of tenancy they want to offer according to local needs,” he said. “Margaret Thatcher passed the law to give council tenants secure tenancies which David Cameron is now tearing up. This generation of Tory ministers seem to have a vendetta against council tenants and council homes.”
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said the changes would “improve local authorities abilities to provide social housing for those who need it most, as long as they need it”.
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