You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
1,000-home threshold for Right to Buy extension pilot
Housing associations with fewer than 1,000 homes will not be asked to take part in the Midlands pilot of the Right to Buy extension, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has said.
But smaller associations will still be able to participate in the regional trial if they wish, Inside Housing understands.
The threshold is not mentioned in government guidance for housing associations involved in the pilot published last week.
Boards are currently deciding on whether to sign up to the Treasury-funded pilot, due to start in August.
A full list of participating landlords will be published “in due course”, according to the government guidance.
READ MORE
The pilot is intended to test key elements of the policy such as one-for-one replacement of units sold and portability, which allows tenants to use discounts to purchase an alternative housing association property if their home is excluded from the scheme.
Warwickshire Rural Housing Association, which owns around 550 homes, actively sought advice about taking part in the pilot – but dismissed the idea after being told it would have to offer portability across its stock.
“The rural associations across the country have got a big issue about portability and therefore, although there was this threshold, we sought legal opinion because we felt there would be a benefit for rural associations to be involved,” said Derrick Dyas, chair of Warwickshire Rural Housing Association.
“But when we were informed that by joining we would have to accept that all of our units could be thrown into the mix we decided against it.
“That would be sending the wrong message to the rural communities that we work with. We guarantee when we work with parish councils that we will build the homes for local people in perpetuity only and that they would never be sold to people without a connection to the area.”
Inside Housing is not aware of any housing associations with more than 1,000 homes which have declined to be in the pilot.
James Prestwich, head of policy at the NHF, said: “We welcome the Voluntary Right to Buy pilot that will begin in the summer.
“This is a vital opportunity to test key aspects of the deal in the real world, and will provide a vital insight into how it can work at a national level.
“The deal we negotiated with the government can provide a real opportunity for thousands of social housing tenants to buy the home that they have lived in for many years.
“At the same time, it addresses the major problem with Right to Buy for council housing, allowing housing associations to fund replacement affordable homes through sales.”
