Social Housing Bill proposes major Right to Buy reforms and domestic abuse protections

The government’s Social Housing Bill introduces a significant overhaul of the Right to Buy scheme, alongside new protections for victims of domestic abuse.

The legislation proposes a series of reforms designed to stem the long-term decline in social housing stock while maintaining a pathway to home ownership. Under the plans, tenants would need to have lived in social housing for at least 10 years before becoming eligible for Right to Buy, up from the current three-year requirement. Discounts would also be reduced, with a new maximum of 15 per cent of a property’s value, subject to cash caps.

Newly built social and affordable homes would be exempt from the scheme for 35 years, while many rural properties would no longer qualify. The Bill would also prevent tenants who have previously purchased a property through Right to Buy from using the scheme again, except in cases involving domestic abuse or irretrievable relationship breakdown. Councils would gain enhanced powers to buy back former Right to Buy homes and longer periods in which discounts must be repaid if properties are resold.

The government says the reforms are intended to address the loss of more than two million social homes sold since 1980, many of which have never been replaced, while supporting the delivery of new affordable housing through a £39 billion investment programme.

Alongside the Right to Buy changes, the Bill introduces new protections for victims of domestic abuse living in social housing. Landlords and courts would be given powers to evict perpetrators without requiring victims to leave their homes first.

The legislation would also prevent abusers from using joint tenancies to make victims homeless and allow courts to transfer tenancies into a victim’s sole name where appropriate. Ministers say the changes will help survivors remain in their homes and communities, close to support networks, schools and workplaces.

Social housing investment defies economic headwinds with £2.7bn funding boost

Investment across the social housing sector remained robust in the first quarter of 2026 according to a recent press release published on the government’s website, with providers continuing to secure funding for both existing homes and new developments, according to the latest quarterly survey from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

The survey, covering January to March 2026, found that housing associations and other registered providers raised £2.7 billion in new bank lending during the quarter, helping to support ongoing investment programmes.

Spending on repairs and maintenance reached £2.6 billion during the period, contributing to a total annual expenditure of £9.5 billion over the past 12 months – a 5% increase on the previous year. The RSH said this reflects the sector’s continued commitment to improving existing homes despite wider economic challenges.

While quarterly spending on new housing development fell slightly to £3.5 billion, forecast development expenditure over the next 12 months increased to £15.1 billion. Uncommitted development plans rose by 7% to £4.4 billion, the highest level recorded in 18 months.

The survey covers 197 private registered providers managing or owning more than 1,000 homes and provides a snapshot of the sector’s financial health as it balances investment ambitions with ongoing economic pressures.

Visit the government’s website for more information.

London plan to be streamlined to support boosted housebuilding

The London Plan is set for a major overhaul, with City Hall proposing a significantly streamlined version designed to accelerate housebuilding across the capital. Due to be published later this summer, the revised planning framework could be around half the length of the current 2021 plan, reducing complexity and making it easier for developers and local authorities to navigate.

According to the BBC, the Greater London Authority believes a simpler set of planning policies will improve the viability of development schemes, particularly on smaller sites, helping to unlock new housing delivery at a time when London continues to fall short of its housebuilding and affordable housing targets.

Officials say the revised plan will remove duplication and simplify policies that have been criticised for making development proposals costly and time-consuming. The changes are intended to improve the viability of housing schemes, particularly on smaller sites, and help increase the delivery of social and affordable homes.

The move comes as London continues to fall short of both government housebuilding targets and affordable housing goals. City Hall believes a more streamlined planning framework will encourage a wider range of developers to bring forward new housing projects.

The Greater London Authority also plans to take a more interventionist approach to planning decisions, using new powers to call in and determine housing applications that have been rejected by borough councils. development.

The updated London Plan is expected to be adopted in 2028 and forms part of wider efforts to address the capital’s housing shortage.