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Morning Briefing: time to abolish Right to Buy?
Council tenants should no longer be allowed to purchase their homes under the Right to Buy in order to solve the housing crisis, a top planning consultant writes in The Guardian this morning
In the news
Jonathan Manns, director of planning at global real estate consultancy Colliers International, has published an opinion piece today calling the famous Thatcherite policy “absurd, bereft of logic and utterly irresponsible”.
He claims that the Right to Buy flipped more than 80% of subsidies being supply-side in 1975 to more than 85% of subsidies being demand-side by 2000 as local authorities have stopped building and government has pursed homeownership schemes.
Also this morning, former senior government official Jonathan Portes and academics from University College London have said a £42bn “universal basic services” fund is needed to offset future job losses, The Guardian reports.
The academics’ recommendations include doubling Britain’s social housing stock, with 1.5 million new homes offered free to those in greatest need.
On social media
Luke Barratt, Inside Housing’s business reporter, was at a Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea scrutiny committee meeting last night, which looked at the council’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire.
At Kensington Council scrutiny committee, which will be looking back at decisions made in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. pic.twitter.com/NQePTbYrDU
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt)At Kensington Council scrutiny committee, which will be looking back at decisions made in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire. pic.twitter.com/NQePTbYrDU
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt) October 10, 2017
Councillor Judith Blakeman, who has often spoken up for survivors, says she’s been suspended by Kensington TMO & was "tried in her absence".
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt)Councillor Judith Blakeman, who has often spoken up for survivors, says she's been suspended by Kensington TMO & was "tried in her absence".
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt) October 10, 2017
Council says its policy for rehousing survivors of tee Grenfell Tower fire has "probably not" been successful.
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt)Council says its policy for rehousing survivors of tee Grenfell Tower fire has "probably not" been successful.
— Luke Barratt (@lukewbarratt) October 10, 2017
Take a look at Mr Barratt’s Twitter profile for more as-they-happened updates.
What’s on
Communities secretary Sajid Javid and housing minister Alok Sharma will give evidence to the Communities and Local Government Committee at 4pm today.
