The idea, designed to help “generation rent” and prove that the government is still committed to its conservative principles amid unrest by some supporters, is being worked out by officials in policy unit No. 10, with reports that up to 2.5 Millions of households could become eligible to buy their homes at a discount of up to 70%. However, housing experts warned that the policy was tantamount to selling off affordable housing during the cost-of-living crisis, and called for increased construction instead. Polly Neate, CEO of Shelter, criticized the “hare idea” as “the opposite of what the country needs”. Ministers are also considering whether to allow banks to take into account the taxpayers’ money received by those claiming a mortgage when seeking a mortgage. To help boost housing stock, the government is considering abolishing the rule that developers must build a fixed number of affordable housing to force them to pay into an infrastructure fund that city councils can then use to fund their own works. Housing reforms have fallen by the wayside since the government stepped down amid a huge backlash from Tory lawmakers over changes to planning rules. The Daily Telegraph quoted a source as saying that Johnson was “very excited” about the resurgence of Thatcher’s purchase policy, with the estimated 2.5 million households living in housing association properties having the right to buy their own homes. Lisa Nadi, secretary of the shadow Labor community, called the plan “desperate” and accused the “tired government” of repackaging a plan from 2015. He added: “Millions of families in the private sector with low savings rent and faced with high costs and rising bills need much more ambitious plans to help them buy their own home.” The right to purchase became one of Thatcher’s inheritance decisions and allowed city council tenants to buy their property at a reduced price. Critics, however, have rounded up the policy, which they say will only exacerbate the country’s lack of affordable housing. Shelter said that in the last three months of 2021, almost 34,000 households in England were left homeless, more than 8,000 of them families with children. Neate said: “There could not be a worse time to sell what is left of our last real financial social housing. The cost of living crisis means that more people are on the brink of homelessness than homeowners… “The right to buy has already ripped a huge hole in our social housing stock, as less than 5% of the homes sold have ever been replaced. “These microscopic designs have been tried in the past and have failed.” More than 1 million households have been stuck on social housing waiting lists in England, according to the charity, and at a time when bills were skyrocketing, Neate said the government “needs to build more social housing so we can have more and not less “. Housing expert Henry Pryor suggested the Conservatives were trying to bribe voters with a tax-subsidized sale of housing stock. About half of the homes previously purchased with the right to purchase are leased for higher rents in the private sector, with thousands of rents subsidized by taxpayers, he said. There were long waiting lists for social housing because the government failed to replace previous homes sold with the right to buy, he added. “It’s a social nuisance, luring people who have the opportunity to make a few bucks at the expense of the rest of us and, most importantly, those who really need affordable housing.” In 2015, the government of David Cameron returned to the idea of selling housing units. Johnson was mayor of London at the time and was lazy about politics. He told the London Assembly: “One of the issues ότι is that it would be potentially extremely costly for this body. We should cover the difference. Housing associations are private entities, as we all know. It would involve huge subsidies. We will have to find the funds to support it. “ A housing rights program was piloted in the Midlands in 2018, and the Conservatives’ latest campaign manifesto said they would consider new pilots, but no further action has been taken. Critics have said that many of the housing association’s decent properties have already been sold and the rest would not be a tempting purchase for today’s tenants. “Some new ideas are needed,” complained a Tories source. Given the cost of living crisis, it is also possible that housing prices for housing associations will remain very high for many troubled households. Contact the Upgrade, Communities and Housing Department for feedback.
