The Issue: Should Right to Buy be extended to the tenants of housing associations?

Conservative councillor and Leader of Vale of White Horse District council Matthew Barber

Since the original Right to Buy was introduced in 1980 about 1.5m households have benefitted from what most people take for granted: the ability to own their own home.

The Government’s plans to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants creates a level playing field for all of those in the public rented sector.

In the Vale of White Horse there are many people who have benefitted from the scheme in previous years, but many more who are currently barred from taking advantage of the Right to Buy, simply because their home is a housing association property rather than a council-owned property.

No one is forced to buy their house, but it gives people the right to do so if they wish.

The Government plans that the discounted sale to tenants will be subsidised by the sale of other properties and the proceeds invested in new properties.

There is much concern about the loss of rented properties, but of course this ignores the fact that most of the tenants would otherwise remain in those homes for most of their lives.

The Right to Buy only applies to tenants who have had a property for several years and is in fact weighted in favour of longer-term tenants.

The properties with a higher turnover remain with housing associations to help service the immediate need, while the new houses being built will provide homes for the next generation of tenants.

Oxford City Council is seeking to make a special case for political gain.

The fact is that the vast majority of publicly rented property in the city is owned and operated by the city council. Its tenants already benefit from the Right to Buy and have done for the last 35 years.

The new legislation would apply only to tenants of housing associations, a minority in the case of Oxford.

There is undoubtedly a housing problem in Oxford and the surrounding county.

Given the inability of many people to get a foot on the housing ladder in Oxford, the council should welcome this policy as much as the residents who will benefit from it.

NO

Tessa Jack, who is 32 weeks pregnant and has been on the housing waiting list for the last three years

In all honesty, as much as I understand that a person or family may have lived in a property for a substantial amount of time, the right to buy discounts available to council tenants should not be extended to housing association tenants.

My reasons for this are that Oxford is already very poor at housing its current tenants that are in need, to the point where they are having to force vulnerable people and families out to areas where they have no connection of any sort.

As someone who has recently been fighting to stay in the area I know, this can be both mentally and emotionally distressing, as well as unfair, especially when Oxford is all most of us know.

The council waiting list is already at a ridiculous state and will only get worse if this goes ahead.

It’s crazy to even think that they are OK with leaving thousands of people with uncertainty as to when, where or if they will be housed.

Housing associations offer low-cost accommodation for those particularly in need.

If we allow this accommodation to be bought, where does it leave all those less fortunate people?

We can’t all afford to buy a house or secure private housing, especially with how expensive the Oxford area is.

And as much as people from political parties make out it is possible, there are always going to be less fortunate people and that is an issue that needs to be taken into consideration when decisions like these are being made.

So no, I don’t not believe that it should be extended to housing association tenants.

Unlike a lot of people in our community, I am quite fortunate to have help from the staff of my current supported accommodation, as well as people who work alongside me.

Although it is still a very stressful process, I can only be grateful that I have that kind of support.

One of my closest friends has been fighting a battle to secure a council home, something that is nearly impossible without help and support.

She has been on the housing register for nearly five years, sharing one bedroom with her partner and two kids.