There is significant reporting on the announcement of new social housing reforms to make the system fairer and not available to those who abuse it.
The measures proposed in the new DLUHC consultation could ban those who blight communities and repeatedly make their neighbours’ lives hell through anti-social behaviour or evict them through a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy.
The proposals also prioritise households who have a close connection to the UK and their local area.
The Telegraph, Mail, the Evening Standard, PA and ITV have all picked up on the announcement, with the Telegraph and Mail pieces focusing on the plans to ban anti-social tenants from applying for council housing and evict them for persistent offending. Meanwhile the ITV, PA and Evening Standard pieces lead on people with “close connections” to the UK and their local area being favoured for social housing.
Alongside a press notice, the Housing Minister Lee Rowley appeared on today’s morning broadcast round. The Minister spoke to GB News, Times Radio, Sky, Radio 4’s Today programme, ITV’s Good Morning Britain, ITN and Bauer. He was asked about the department’s social housing reforms announcement, amongst the other news issues of the day.
Housing Minister Lee Rowley said:
Today we are proposing further steps to make the allocation of social housing fairer for people. If you abuse the system, making peoples’ lives a misery or actively work against our British values, you are making a choice – such choices will have consequences and our proposals seek to stop such people getting a social home.
The message is clear: play by the rules, pay in and we will support you. If you choose not to, this country is not going to be a soft touch.
The public want to know decent and hardworking people that have contributed to this country will be prioritised for new social tenancies. People already living in social homes want to know that anyone moving near them will be respectful of their neighbours with their communities protected from those who persistently break the law.
That is why it is right that the finite resource of social housing is allocated fairly and local law-abiding citizens in need have more access to a home in their own communities.
The Government is seeking views from the public, councils, social housing tenants and providers and wants to bring forward the reforms as soon as possible. The consultation will run until 26 March and can be accessed via an online survey.