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Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Good news:
Welsh government slashes Right to Buy discount
3 June 2015 | By Emily Twinch - INSIDE HOUSING
'The Welsh government is to halve the Right to Buy discount in the country from this summer and has started to develop legislation to end the policy in Wales.
Council tenants in Wales who want to buy their home will have a discount of up to £8,000 rather than up to £16,000.
The legislation to end the Right to Buy in the country will be prepared for consideration by the Welsh government in the next Assembly term, following the elections in Wales on 5 May next year.
Lesley Griffiths, the minister with responsibility for housing in Wales, has made the decision following a consultation which found 76% of respondents including councils, housing associations and social housing tenants supported a reduction in the sales discount. Seventy-three per cent were in favour of developing legislation to end the Right to Buy in Wales.
The Welsh government published a white paper at the start of the year setting out its intention to reduce the discount and draw up legislation to end the policy in the country.
'The consultation on our proposals has brought to the fore some interesting views on Wales' housing needs and demonstrated people's support for protecting our social housing stock,' Ms Griffiths said.
'The decisive action we are taking will go some way towards easing the pressure on our housing supply and protecting our social housing stock.'
Forty-five per cent of the social housing stock in Wales has been depleted since the policy was introduced in 1981, the Welsh government said.
Ninety-four per cent of the respondents to the consultation thought the Welsh government should help people whose needs could not be met by the housing market, and three-quarters believed action should be taken to protect Wales' social housing stock.
The Welsh government move is contrary to the direction of travel in Westminster, where the new Conservative government is pressing ahead with its plans to extend the Right to Buy to housing associations. Discounts on council properties are £77,000 in England and £103,900 in London, and increase annually with the Consumer Price Index inflation level.
Scotland MSPs voted to scrap the Right to Buy last year with an overwhelming majority. The policy will end in Scotland on 1 August next year'.
Meanwhile Cameron plans to give Eric Pickles a knighthood for the 5 years of disastrous housing policy he oversaw from 2010 -15 (before being dumped after the election). The flagship policy was pushing up Right To Buy discounts in England to £75,000 (£100,000 in London) and (like his successor Greg Clark and the Housing Association RTB) blatantly lying about building a new home for every one sold under the RTB.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
More dogmatic views. There is no change on the housing stock under either policy so bring for or against it doesn't make sense.
Incidentally, how many of the respondents were tenants? The reason I ask is that turkeys (councils and housing associations) don't vote for christmas
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Wed, 03 June 2015 17:37
More dogmatic views. There is no change on the housing stock under either policy so bring for or against it doesn't make sense.
This government is making us look like a shop with a closing down sale, anything that isn't nailed down is being flogged for less than it is worth.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Well that really is wonderful news for tenants of Council houses who gave any aspirations to own their own home.
Rejoice.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Wed, 03 June 2015 17:37
More dogmatic views. There is no change on the housing stock under either policy so bring for or against it doesn't make sense.
Anyway, that is my considered opinion Feedy. I'm not going to get into another 20 page slug fest with you about it.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Tenants aren't likely to be turkeys as thry would like to be given the chance to purchase their own home.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
You say this policy increases the housing stock but are against it. Weird. Perhaps we should have policies that reduce existing stock to rubble. You base this on supposed higher rents.
Do you have any evidence to show that RTB homes are used by landlords rather than owner occupiers?
I would also dispute your claim that few people support this policy. Based on the number of RTB homes sold I'd say your claim is wholly without merit.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Wed, 03 June 2015 19:23
Tenants aren't likely to be turkeys as thry would like to be given the chance to purchase their own home.
You support it because you support anything that involves the transfer of power/money away from central and local government. Then you have the cheek to refer to the views of your opponents as 'political dogma' or 'ideological'. Everything you say aims to further this agenda and often (as in the previous thread) the hypothesis is massively flawed.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
I don't want a biased report. I just disagree with the findings that there is universal support because councils and housing associations are in support.
I also disagree the general public are against this. Do you gave any evidence to support your claim.
As for RTB I'm ambivalent to it. It doesn't increase or decrease the housing stock, it merely changes ownership (I'm not against ownership and neither is the majority of the uk). What I am against are serfs paying rent to a feudal Lord acting on behalf of the state which is exactly what council housing is.
I'd rather see government policies that build new houses rather than dogmatically argue over the pros and cons of RTB as it's akin to two bald men arguing over a comb
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Wed, 03 June 2015 20:32
I don't want a biased report. I just disagree with the findings that there is universal support because councils and housing associations are in support.
I want to see as many new houses built as possible, if we are going to do that then we need to sell the current stock at the market rate.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
The market rage is only what someone is prepared to pay for them. If tenants can't buy at the rate you like but can buy when offered a discount (based on rent previously paid), then that is the market rate, unless you're advocating putting the house on the open market and turfing out the incumbent
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 09:17
The market rage is only what someone is prepared to pay for them. If tenants can't buy at the rate you like but can buy when offered a discount (based on rent previously paid), then that is the market rate, unless you're advocating putting the house on the open market and turfing out the incumbent
That isn't a good enough reason to sell something for less than it's worth. You really love twisting words don't you...Clearly I would rather hang onto them and leave the tennant where they are than sell.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
I'm not twisting words at all. The only way you will get what you consider market rate is by putting them up for sale on the open market.
If the incumbent could afford to acquire a similar property at the price you think the property is worth then they would do so. Usually they can only do this when a discount is offered.
Mass Social housing programs are usrgil and even necessary in times of great national need (like aftet tge second world war), but the aim should be to give each family unit their own home that they own and are responsible for. Serfs fought the feudal system and the right to own the land without having a feudal Lord, yet you advocate a system no different from that - a tenant tied to the state. It's bizarre left wingers would think that way.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 09:43
I'm not twisting words at all. The only way you will get what you consider market rate is by putting them up for sale on the open market.
There are millions of people who can't afford a house (me included), who have also been forced to pay signficantly higher private rents because of the lack of affordable rental properties. I advocate a system of fairness, not a system which gives a freebie to a few people and forgets about the rest.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
the lack of affordable rental properties is due to the state stopping development of the land by placing an archaic, outdated and quite bureaucratic planning system in place which stifles development of much needed homes for those who are either homeless or have to rent because there aren't enough properties to buy at the right price. Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
We can start by freeing up planning and removing the micro management and control the state currently has over planning. the needs of the people should come before the need to complete paperwork.
land without planning is so much cheaper than land with planning and there is a reason for that.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Planning eh?
It wasn't planning constraints that stopped Councils building affordable homes for rent for over 25 years (up to 2010 when the coalition allowed the Labour changes to Council housing finance to go through). It was central government policy on Council housing finance and the Right To Buy.
The Right to Buy meant that even if Councils could build (without being penalised through the national redistribution/subsidy system) they faced losing an expensive asset within a few years and getting less in capital receipt than the build cost.
I know private developers have used Council planning requirements as the reason they can't build volume homes for sale and rent - but that is (mostly) a smoke screen. Many of them have been land banking for years, waiting for a time when they can get the maximum possible profit out of development - and hoping not to have to give anything back to local communities through s106 or similar 'oppressive' planning regulations.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:17
the lack of affordable rental properties is due to the state stopping development of the land by placing an archaic, outdated and quite bureaucratic planning system in place which stifles development of much needed homes for those who are either homeless or have to rent because there aren't enough properties to buy at the right price. Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
In my experience, housing development decisions usually favour bigger houses and more money being spent whether it is good for the surrounding area or not.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by surge wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:49
the lack of affordable rental properties is due to the state stopping development of the land by placing an archaic, outdated and quite bureaucratic planning system in place which stifles development of much needed homes for those who are either homeless or have to rent because there aren't enough properties to buy at the right price.
Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:17
We can start by freeing up planning and removing the micro management and control the state currently has over planning. the needs of the people should come before the need to complete paperwork.
In my area we see 2 bedroom flats and 4 bedroom houses, nothing else. I am guessing this is meeting some kind of demand but I imagine a lot of that is down to some kind of profit/space ratio.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:17
Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
I fear that we have perpetuated this bubble for too long for this to happen. How many people would it potentially ruin if house prices were to take a sudden dive due to a mass house building project.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by Eric Cartman wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 11:14
Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:17
I fear that we have perpetuated this bubble for too long for this to happen. How many people would it potentially ruin if house prices were to take a sudden dive due to a mass house building project.
the needs of those without homes is far greater than those who wish to maintain an illusion of wealth. **** 'em.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by jon1959 wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:34
Planning eh?
more dogmatic bollocks i'm afraid. you seriously expect developers to hold on to land for years and year in the the hope that land prices rise whilst in the meantime missing the opportunity to make money sooner by making and selling property.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
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Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 14:33
Planning eh?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jon1959 wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:34
It wasn't planning constraints that stopped Councils building affordable homes for rent for over 25 years (up to 2010 when the coalition allowed the Labour changes to Council housing finance to go through). It was central government policy on Council housing finance and the Right To Buy.
There are 507,000 sites with planning permission, with building due work started on just over half of them.
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Re: Right To Buy - WAG slash discounts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 14:31
Flood the market with good quality affordable homes and house prices fall along with rents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Cartman wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 11:14
I fear that we have perpetuated this bubble for too long for this to happen. How many people would it potentially ruin if house prices were to take a sudden dive due to a mass house building project.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Local Boy wrote on Thu, 04 June 2015 10:17
the typical UK householder is far too interested in the value of their home. the value of your home should only be of interest when (i) you are buying or (ii) when you are selling.
It isn't their illusion that I fear will be crushed but their finances when the value of their recently purchased house tumbles. Surely a risky policy for an incumbant government.
