Right to Buy 'deepens housing crisis'

18 January 2007

The boom in house prices has speeded up the sale of council properties under the Right to Buy scheme and added to the housing crisis, MPs were told during a Commons debate on affordable housing on 17 January.

Bolton MP Dr Brian Iddon said a third of the social stock in his area had been lost through Right to Buy and other areas reported similar falls as a result of the scheme.

'The overwhelming majority of sales have been two- or three-bedroom homes, which are the highest demand of housing,' he declared.

'Many end up in the hands of private landlords who charge at least twice the rents of social landlords.'

The sales meant fewer homes were available for families in need. Dr Iddon quoted Shelter figures showing that nationally, one in seven, or 1.6 million children, and their families,are either homeless or badly housed.

Stafford MP David Kidney said the lack of affordable homes was being felt nationally and hit families in his area, the Midlands, particularly hard.

The government had proposed a target of 200,000 new homes a year by 2012. But the local government select committee had endorsed Shelter's call for an increase in the supply of housing and especially social housing.