Tory Right to Buy plan could cost taxpayers £20bn

Published on

The Conservative Party manifesto will be launched today, with a headline pledge of extending Right to Buy to housing association tenants.

The extension of the flagship Thatcherite policy is expected to see housing association tenants qualify for a discount on buying a housing association property that will be capped at just over £102,700 in the capital and £77,000 for the rest of England.

However, Ruth Davison, director of policy for the National Housing Federation, told Radio 4’s Today programme that the organisation had previously researched such a move and come up with a conservative cost of £5.8bn, as housing associations would have to be fully recompensed for any shortfall. However, she added that briefings in today’s newspapers said it could cost £20bn of taxpayers’ money.

“It won’t help the millions of people in private rented homes who are desperate to buy but have no hope of doing so, nor the three million adult children living with their parents because they can’t afford to rent or buy,” Davison told the Guardian.

“To use their taxes to gift as much as £100,000 to someone already living in a good quality home is deeply unfair. Little wonder then that 60% of the public believe that it would be unfair for social housing tenants to get a discount to buy their home while private renters do not.”

Latest POLL

COMMENT ON MORTGAGE SOUP

We want to hear from you!
Leave a comment and get the conversation started.
You need to register to post, so please login or sign up below.

Latest articles

Spring surge in property listings creates market opportunities

The average asking price for newly listed properties has risen by 1.1% (+£3,876) this...

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance appoints senior portfolio director

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance (STB CF) has announced the appointment of Carl Pykett...

Inflation expectations rise slightly as BoE releases latest survey

Public expectations for inflation and interest rates have edged higher, according to the Bank...

£1 billion lost annually as 50,000 London social homes used fraudulently

A shocking new report reveals that around 50,000 social housing properties in London are...

Other news

Spring surge in property listings creates market opportunities

The average asking price for newly listed properties has risen by 1.1% (+£3,876) this...

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance appoints senior portfolio director

Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance (STB CF) has announced the appointment of Carl Pykett...

Inflation expectations rise slightly as BoE releases latest survey

Public expectations for inflation and interest rates have edged higher, according to the Bank...