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Welsh Government launches Right to Buy ban bill
The Welsh Government will put a new law banning the Right to Buy before the National Assembly today.
In addition to abolishing council tenants’ right to buy their home at a discount, the bill proposes ending the Right to Acquire and the Preserved Right to Buy, which extend the same opportunity to housing association tenants.
If approved by the Assembly, the Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Bill will come into effect for existing homes at least a year after receiving Royal Assent.
Inside Housing understands that the Welsh Government anticipates a spike in Right to Buy purchases during that period as people race to beat the ban, but considers it important that tenants are given time to adjust to the change.
As part of the legislation, social landlords will have to distribute information provided by the Welsh Government on the bill to every affected tenant within two months of Royal Assent being granted.
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For newly built homes, the ban will take effect two months after the bill gains Royal Assent, a move the Welsh Government claims will give providers confidence to build without fear of losing stock to tenant purchases.
“Our social housing is a valuable resource, but it is under considerable pressure,” said Carl Sargeant, Welsh Government secretary for communities and children.
“The bill supports the Welsh Government’s wider aims of a more prosperous and fairer Wales, helping to tackle poverty by protecting our stock of social housing from further reduction.”
Since the Right to Buy was introduced in 1980, 139,000 local authority and housing association homes have been sold in Wales – a 45% reduction in social housing stock.
The bill follows a consultation of the sector which found widespread support among landlords for the abolition of the Right to Buy and its associated legislation.
Several councils in Wales have already suspended the policy, including City of Cardiff Council last month.
Matt Dicks, director at the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru, said he supported any measure which preserves social housing numbers, but that the main issue was replacing lost stock.