Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new houses they expect to be built as a result of the additional £2 billion for council and housing association homes announced by the Prime Minister on 4 October; and whether the right to buy will apply to those properties.
Answered on
23 October 2017
The additional £2 billion funding for council and housing association homes, including for social rent, will increase the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 to £9 billion.
As set out at Autumn Statement 2016, the Affordable Homes Programme is flexible and sets no ringfences on particular forms of tenure. The amount of funding, the tenure types and the number of homes delivered will be dependent on bids received, reflecting on assessments of local housing needs. Funding for social rent will be focused on areas with acute affordability challenges.
The statutory Right to Buy will apply to tenants of local authority properties who have secure tenancies and meet the qualification criteria.