Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has welcomed proposed reforms to the social housing system that will ensure fairness and benefit ‘hard-working families and individuals’. A consultation was launched this week on the proposed reforms to determine who qualities for social housing, and how local authorities decide to allocate social housing stock where demand exceeds supply.
The local MP said: “The proposed reforms to the social housing system will introduce a new set of tests, which will allow for the allocation of more social homes to those with the strongest connection to the UK and their local community. In addition, the introduction of an anti-social behaviour test would disqualify people from social housing for a defined period.”
He continued: “It’s right that our social housing system promotes fairness for hard-working families and individuals in West Dorset. Those who repeatedly commit acts of anti-social behaviour or have unspent terrorism offences should not be able to continue to access social housing, when there is an extensive waiting list for decent, hard-working British citizens.”
Reforms based on the consultation responses will ensure that waiting lists are managed effectively and that more social housing is allocated to those with the closest connection to the UK and their local area. Changes will be delivered by secondary legislation at the earliest opportunity.
