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Theresa May: ‘Social housing a victim of drive for homeownership’
Social housing has been a “victim of the single-minded drive for homeownership” under successive governments, Theresa May has said.
Speaking at the Housing 2019 conference, the prime minister, who will step down next month, defended her legacy on housing.
She singled out the coalition government, saying: “Too many governments, including, I’m not afraid to say, the one in which I served as home secretary, have concentrated solely on boosting homeownership, as if supporting those struggling to find a home to rent was somehow contrary to such an aim.”
Later in her speech, she widened her criticism, adding: “In recent decades and under successive governments, social housing became another victim of the single-minded drive for homeownership.”
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Ms May’s government, like many others, has been accused of an excessive focus on homeownership, to the exclusion of social housing.
The prime minister, however, defended her record, telling the conference: “First, we’ve moved to increase the supply of affordable rental properties in order to meet the rising demand.
“We’ve ended the forced sale of higher-value council properties, put £2bn of extra funding into the Affordable Housing Programme with an explicit provision for building homes for social rent and abolished the [Housing Revenue Account] cap so that local authorities are free to build once more.”
In her speech, Ms May also revealed that the government will in September publish an action plan and a timetable on its Social Housing Green Paper.
She also expanded on the government’s plans to end ‘no-fault’ evictions, saying that legislation will be brought in later this year.
She told the audience: “If you rent a property, it might not be your house but it is still your home. To me, that means that if you pay your rent, play by the rules and keep the house in good order, your landlord should not be allowed to throw you out on a whim. It is simply not fair.”
Responding to the prime minister’s speech, Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “We look forward to the Social Housing Green Paper action plan the prime minister announced today. The green paper covers issues that have a critical effect on the lives of millions of people, and it’s vital we maintain momentum.”
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