With the government consulting on proposed reforms to the Right to Buy scheme, London Councils says that reforming the Right to Buy could help “lay the foundations” of a better future for social housing in the capital."
The latest data released by government shows 336,366 households on London local authority waiting lists for social housing in 2024 - the highest figure for more than a decade, and a 32% increase since 2014.
London Councils is calling for Right to Buy policy to be
devolved to a local level. More than 316,000 council homes have been sold in London since the Right to Buy was introduced in 1980. Boroughs want to build new affordable homes to replace these properties, but strict government rules on the use of Right to Buy sales receipts were in place for many years.
London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, Cllr Grace Williams, said: “While [Right to Buy] has brought benefits to many Londoners, it has also driven a depletion in London’s social housing stock. The figure of 316,000 council homes sold in London is startlingly close to the figure of 330,000 households stuck on social housing waiting lists in the capital. In the context of London’s worsening homelessness emergency and desperate need for affordable housing, boosting the number of homes for social rent must now be the priority.
“Giving councils control over Right to Buy means we can ensure the scheme suits local needs. We’ve already seen positive changes to empower local authorities, with boroughs now able to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts so that every penny raised from a council house sale can go towards building a replacement home. We look forward to working with the government on further reforms to Right to Buy so we can achieve our shared goals of delivering more affordable housing and reducing homelessness.”
