Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether almshouse charities will continue to be exempt from the Right to Buy as part of the review on extending that policy to housing association tenants.
Answered by Marcus Jones - Treasurer of HM Household (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Commons)
This Government is committed to the Right to Buy, which has helped nearly two million social housing tenants to realise their dream of home ownership. The Prime Minister announced on 9 June 2022 the intention to extend the Right to Buy to housing association tenants.
We will be working closely with the housing association sector as we develop the new scheme, including on the homes which will be eligible for sale. Under the 2015 voluntary agreement with housing associations, certain types of homes including alms houses and housing cooperatives were excluded from the Voluntary Right to Buy scheme and consideration will be given to this and other possible exemptions under a forthcoming scheme.
More details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department took to engage with the social housing sector whilst devising its guidance for delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities worked with a range of local government, devolved government and sector specific stakeholders when developing the fund. Places are encouraged to work with a diverse range of local stakeholders, appropriate groups and organisations to develop their investment plan.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the task force on older people’s housing announced in his Department's Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper plans to explore appropriate tenure models for housing-with-care.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up White Paper will include a focus on housing options which include CQC-regulated care provision onsite.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the Levelling Up White Paper, we announced a new taskforce to look at ways we can provide more choice, better quality and greater security of housing for older people, and support the growth of a thriving older people's housing sector. This includes considering how to increase the supply of a range of specialist housing, including housing with care, across the country.
This work will be taken forward in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, building on the commitments set out in their recent white paper on adult social care reform.
The taskforce will examine barriers to increasing the supply of older peoples housing, as well as the issues older people face when it comes to considering their housing options in later life. This includes the role of the planning system in ensuring new development caters for a diverse range of housing needs. Further information on the taskforce will be announced soon.