Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what eligibility criteria local authorities may use for the First Homes scheme; and whether his Department has oversight over those criteria.

Local authorities are required to apply the national eligibility criteria set out in the relevant guidance published on gov.uk here. They may also introduce local eligibility criteria at their discretion. However, any such criteria must be based on local evidence of housing need and should be justifiable and proportionate to local circumstances.

While my Department does not directly approve each local criterion, it maintains oversight through the policy framework, ensuring that local approaches remain consistent with the overall aims of the scheme.