In a comment for i, the Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary says her life has been transformed by social housing. But a fairer and more sustainable right to buy system is now needed

November 20, 2024 2:00 p.m.(Updated 2:04 p.m.)

The mission of this government to build more social housing is one of my personal missions.

When I said I wanted to see a social housing revolution, I thought so.

Because I still remember the fear that the place where I was raising my young son could be taken away and the fact that a safe home was out of reach.

My life, like those of millions of others, has been transformed by social housing.

The council house I eventually moved into gave me and my family a chance. It’s something I will never forget. It was affordable and a first step toward the stable future I wanted.

Later, I became one of two million social tenants who bought their own home thanks to Right to purchase.

I have never made it a secret and I hope that people who have lived in their HLM will always have the opportunity to own it, as I did.

But today, the first life-changing step social housing Having affordable rent is a distant dream for far too many people.

Thanks to a series of misguided Right to Buy reforms dating back to 2012, millions of low-income families have been forced into insecure, poor quality and unaffordable housing.

More than 150,000 children participate temporary accommodation. Nearly 1.3 million people on waiting lists for social housing.

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Simply put, we are losing more social housing than we can build, at a huge cost to families, taxpayers and communities.

This needs to change – and as someone who owes so much to the helping hand I received from social housing, I am determined to do it.

That is why today we are consulting on the next steps in Right to Buy reform.

The principles guiding this reform are clear. We must build a fairer and more sustainable system that delivers value to the taxpayer. All with the aim of providing the biggest boost to social housing in a generation.

Council tenants who have built a place, a house and contributed over many years will still be able to own that house. But our reforms will protect social housing stock so more people can take the first step.

We seek input on eligibility criteria, protections for new constructed properties, and rules regarding replacement of sold homes.

These proposals build on the bold steps we have already taken. In the Budget we acted to ensure councils can keep every penny of sales revenue to build a new generation of social housing. And the Chancellor has brought maximum discounts back to pre-2012 levels, striking a fair balance for long-term tenants and those still on waiting lists.

And because we desperately need new homes, we have also taken the decision not to extend the right to buy to housing associations – another ill-advised and unachievable reform promised by the last government.

Our reforms aim to give more people the opportunity to access safe and affordable social housing, giving local councils what they need to build, while ensuring long-term tenants can still buy their own homes .

These right to purchase reforms constitute a crucial element of our ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes over the next five years and achieve the largest increase in social and affordable housing construction in a generation.

Because this Government understands that if we do not solve the problem of social housing in this country, we will not be able to solve the problem. housing crisis.

Our reforms recognize this reality and the housing need crisis – giving more workers the stability and security they need to succeed and plan for their futures.

They will ensure that municipalities have the housing they need to combat the housing shortage and alleviate the poverty of residents. homeless.

We will put the right of redemption on the right track, with a fairer and more sustainable system, so that it works better for everyone.