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Council tenants face losing their right to a 'home for life'
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent10.11.08
COUNCIL tenants may lose their right to a home for life under reforms being considered by ministers.
People would instead be allocated social housing on a fixed-term contract with regular reviews every few years.
They could also be required to work or seek a job in order to benefit from a council home.
The shake-up of the rules would aim to use social housing as a stepping stone for many people to find a property in the private sector, buy a share in their current property under a part-ownership scheme or pay higher rent.
The system at present is unpopular as council tenants can enjoy their subsidised accommodation for life and many are able to pass flats or houses on to their children.
In some cases, people initially granted social housing because of financial hardship are able to retain the subsidised homes after becoming wealthy.
The reforms would also aim to deal with the huge waiting list, of 1.6 million households or four million people, for social housing. The backlog has built up as only 170,000 homes with subsidised rents become available each year.
Whitehall officials are examining the proposals to end life tenancies put forward by the Chartered Institute of Housing, which represents housing officials, according to The Times. The idea is understood to have gained favour under former Housing Minister Caroline Flint. But her successor Margaret Beckett has ordered further analysis of proposed new policies and has delayed the publication of the Government's Green Paper on social housing, which had been expected this month.
A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We recognise that housing professionals like the CIH have made a case for reform in the social housing sector.
"As new Housing Minister, Margaret Beckett is currently considering all the evidence and arguments in favour of changes to the current system.
"However, she has not taken any decisions on measures that may form part of a reform package. We expect to signal how we intend to take this forward in the new year."
Reader views (7)
Hello!Can i get any cheap flat or house,if i got one kid? My dauther is 9old of age. And im single mm,but im inLondon stdent.We cant live with her in one place with druck people.I dnt asked about free house,or flat,i need jst place,were i can stopped scare about my baby. thanx.
- Leopatra, London, wood green
Sad. There are millions, perhaps a billion of "needy and worthy people" that need free homes in the UK. They just haven't arrived in-country yet. But we're on the way, so get ready.
- Trunk, US
If the government would do more to evict council tenants who rent their flats out privately, this all would not be necessary. Just imagine you have got a council flat in which you were living for 10 years and out of a sudden you have to move out because the council thinks you earn to much? You lose your home, the kids probably have to go to a new school and you have so much hassle because you've been in need in the past? I think that's terrible. And you always get distressed when it's time to review your housing and you know how terrible the council works. They always get it wrong. They should rather ask for more rent if the tenants earnings exceed a certain amount so the tenant can decide if he wants to stay or move and if they move, they shouldn't be entitled to another council flat because they are no longer in need. Why is it wrong to pass on the flat to the kids if they still live with me? They've lived their all their life and now they loose it all because I died? If they earn enough, let them pay more rent but don't let them loose everything. It's already hard enough to loose their parents. Just because you were poor in the past, you shouldn't be forced to move out of your beloved home. What motivates me to get a job if I loose my home and the kids probably can't go to their usual school anymore. It's not just the house, it's the whole environment you have to give up not because you want to but because you earn too much? That's just stupid. That's harassment.
- I., Walworth
This sounds very logical to me. I used to live in social housing (have now moved out), I lived in a particularly nice estate in Islington which was well looked after and very convenient. There was a severe problem with sub-letting, many tenants realised that they could let out their Islington council flat at a much higher rate to someone looking for a private sector flat. Even some of the proper tenants were relatively affluent judging by their cars, dress etc and many had good jobs in offices, I used to see many of them leaving early in the morning "suited and booted". Hardly the needy individuals one may expect.
I realise that this may be the exception and there were certainly needy people living there too but now that there is a severe shortage of social housing, particularly in London, why should people be given homes for life when their circumstances may change? And indeed if you have a beautiful flat in Islington at dirt cheap rates, what incentive is there to improve your situation?
There were certainly more needy people out there than some of my neighbours on that estate in Islington.
- Mcw, London
About time too. I thought council housing was for the less well off but where I live there are many homes with two working parents and sometimes even 2 children of working age in council owned properties when they could easily afford a mortgage. Which is where the crunch comes too. They just jump on the right to buy scheme and the community housing just disappears, unless you are an immigrant of course, then you get everything for nothing and do not even have to go to work.
- Anon, UK
While I agree that social housing is needed to assist those who earn too little to pay for their own accommodation, the fact is that too many have chosen to let society look after them. If you can afford to rent privately why should you be able to remain in a council house? Just because you parent had council accommodation it is not your birth right to be given on too. I can’t afford to buy, but no one is offering me a cheap flat.
- Gary, London
This is yet another cynical attack upon those less able to fend for themselves, while failing totally to address the problems that have caused the housing shortage in the first place: e.g. encouraging property speculation and the social blight of "Buy to Let". One can only assume that Mr. Brown & co. feel that they no longer require the votes of the lower classes or the disadvantaged. They have certainly lost mine for good.
- Antony Clark, Woking, England
