Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to ensure that a home is built to replace every house sold through the Right to Buy scheme.

Brandon Lewis

Over 2 million tenants in England have already realised their aspiration of owning their own home, and the voluntary agreement between the Government and the housing association sector will extend this opportunity to a further 1.3 million families the chance to purchase their home at Right to Buy level discounts – unlike Scottish residents who will not be able to benefit at all thanks to the Scottish government’s decision to put an end to Right to Buy as of August this year. Under the terms of the agreement for every home sold housing associations will deliver an additional home nationally, through new supply.

Under the reinvigorated Right to Buy we are firmly committed to making sure that for every additional home sold an additional one will be provided. There is a rolling 3 year deadline for local authorities to deliver additional affordable homes through new build or acquisition under the reinvigorated Right to Buy, and so far they have delivered well within sales profile. By March 2013 after the first year of reinvigoration there had been 3,054 additional sales and by December 2015 there had been 4,594 starts and acquisitions, meaning councils are delivering within this 3 year profile.