Social Rented Housing: Overcrowding

(asked on 30th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take over the next 12 months to reduce overcrowding in social housing.


Answered by
Eddie Hughes Portrait
Eddie Hughes
This question was answered on 25th April 2022

The Government is committed to reducing overcrowding, by increasing the supply of affordable housing and enabling councils and other social landlords to make better use of their existing stock. As such, our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow.

Local councils are responsible for allocating housing through local schemes, and as such, are best placed to manage the demand for social housing. They are governed by a framework of rules set by central government which ensures that they must give ‘reasonable preference’ to specific groups including people who are in overcrowded housing. Building on this, statutory guidance recommends local authorities consider giving ‘additional preference’ (high priority’) to families in severe overcrowding which poses a serious health hazard.

Reticulating Splines