The government has published a social housing Green Paper today that seeks to “rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords”.
Almost 1,000 tenants shared their views on social housing with government ministers at 14 events across the country, with more than 7,000 submitting their opinions, issues and concerns online.
The proposals include introducing a more efficient complaints process and publishing league tables to indicate the performance of landlords.
The Green Paper also incudes a scheme to offer tenants the right to buy 1% of their home each year.
Responding to the plans, David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents social landlords to around 6m people, said:
“Today’s long awaited launch of the social housing Green Paper is welcomed by housing associations. For 40 years we have failed to build anything like enough social housing. It is time the country had a proper conversation about the role and importance of social housing in ending the housing crisis.
“Our members fully share the government’s commitment to ensuring tenants get the quality services they need – and that they can hold their landlords to account if they don’t.
Paul Hackett, chair of the group and chief executive of housing association Optivo, added: “We welcome that the government is putting social housing tenants first in this Green Paper.
“Social housing plays a vital role in our society and it’s right that government takes seriously the unfair and completely inaccurate stigma that our tenants have suffered from in the past.”
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