This morning (June 9th 2022), the Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, described Housing Policy as a Mosaic as the Government announced several proposals, which have already been announced over the last 5 years – Listen here

These policies include the ability of those on benefits to access mortgages to purchase their homes and the extension of the Right to Buy scheme to properties owned by housing associations.

iHowz landlord association join Gavin Smart, of the Chartered Institute of Housing, in questioning whether offering buyers a subsidy of up to £70,000 to buy homes offers a solution to the current lack of affordable homes.

Housing associations are privately owned not for profit organisations intended to provide low-cost social housing. The Housing Acts of 1985 and 1988 facilitated the transfer of council housing to not-for-profit housing associations.

It is difficult to reconcile the proposed sale of these properties with the Government’s ambition to create 30,000 new homes for social rent, to help address the shortage of affordable housing, which was announced as part of an £8.6 billion package for affordable homes in August 2021.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/86-billion-for-affordable-homes-to-give-boost-onto-housing-ladder

Social rented housing (England): past trends and prospects – House of Commons Library