Feature
Housing Bill: summary Camden is strongly opposed to the Government’s Housing Bill. We want Camden to be an affordable place to live, but we’re concerned that current Government plans will make the housing crisis worse. The most damaging parts of the Housing Bill and policy changes are set out below:
Pay to stay
Right to Buy
Social tenants with a combined household income of more than £40,000 to be charged market rent for their properties. In Camden, this could mean a rent hike of up to £15,000 a year.
Right to Buy to be extended to housing association tenants, who will be able to buy their homes at a discount. This will reduce the stock of social housing.
Ending secure tenancies
Levy on high value council homes
New council tenancies to be limited to between two and five years. This would make social tenants less secure in their housing in the future.
Local councils to pay an annual levy to Government based on high value social housing in their area. Councils will be encouraged to consider selling high value council homes when they become vacant, to pay this levy. As properties in Camden are expensive, much of the Council’s housing could be classed as high value. We could have to sell, or pay for the equivalent of, up to 300 properties a year. This will also reduce the stock of social housing.
Starter Homes Starter Homes to be for sale to first time buyers under the age of 40, at a discount on the market rate. However, the likely price of a Starter Home in Camden will be £450,000, so they’ll still be unaffordable for many people. Starter Homes could also replace other types of more genuinely affordable housing in new developments.
12 | Camden | May 2016