At the launch of the Affordable Homes programme recently, Grant Shapps, the minister for housing, said: "With some 4.5 million people on social housing waiting lists, it's clear that not only do we need more homes, but we also need a complete overhaul of the system, to one that offers much more flexibility than the current 'one size fits all' approach."
And a "complete overhaul" it is indeed. A raft of proposals have come from the housing ministry in the past few months, including the New Homes Bonus and the National Home Swap Scheme. Meanwhile, changes to the rules regarding security of tenure found the government defending a Thatcherite policy to a left-wing audience.
Suffice to say, response to the proposals hasn't exactly been enthusiastic. The National Housing Federation questioned the viability of the affordable rent scheme and raised concerns that in some areas, the benefit cap would struggle to cover the 80% rents proposed. While councils seem equally unimpressed. Maria Caulfield, the Conservative cabinet member for housing at Brighton and Hove, said there would be no change to current lifetime tenancies and that instead, the council would look at downsizing tenants to free up homes for others on the waiting list.
It seems that despite Shapps's assurances that changes to social housing will foster social mobility, the housing sector is sceptical. So we've invited him to take part in a live Q&A answering your questions on the changes to social housing and hopefully addressing your worries. He'll be on the site on Wednesday 9 March from 3pm – 3.45pm. We'll be opening the blog for comments half an hour beforehand, so be sure to join us then.
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