THE Welsh Government has put forward new measures to protect Wales’ social housing stock.
Communities and tackling poverty minister, Lesley Griffiths, has published a White Paper setting out plans to end Right to Buy and Right to Acquire, which allows eligible social housing tenants to buy their council or housing association home at a discount of up to £16,000.
Over the past 30 years, the policy has resulted in a significant reduction in social housing stock. Between 1981 and 2014, 138,423 council homes were sold; this is a 45 per cent reduction in the social housing available when the policy was first introduced.
The minister has also set out plans to cut the current maximum discount from £16,000 to £8,000.
The Housing (Wales) Measure 2011 allows local authorities to apply for permission to suspend the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire locally to help tackle housing pressures.
The White Paper consultation seeks the public’s views on the proposals. The consultation will close on April 16.
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