DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS 2

9 March 1999

MINISTERS WELCOME HOUSING POLICY GREEN PAPER

The Government is to publish a Housing Policy Green Paper later this
year, aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity of a decent
home.

Announcing the Green Paper, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said:

    "Britain's current housing system is failing those in need.  It
    is time we modernised housing policy to ensure the opportunity of
    a decent home for everyone and promote social cohesion, well
    being and self reliance. We will consult extensively on any
    proposals in the Housing Policy Green Paper. It is important that
    any reforms help make the housing market and labour market fairer
    for all concerned."

The Government has already taken significant steps to improve
housing.  It has agreed to reinvest more than #5 billion of capital
receipts in housing and regeneration in the United Kingdom. The
Comprehensive Spending Review provided an extra #3.9 billion for
housing in England over the next three years. The Government is
currently consulting on plans for fundamental change to the financial
framework for local housing authorities and involvement of their
local communities. These will enable councils to manage their housing
in a more business-like manner. Proposals to reform the home buying
and selling process, and to give leaseholders the same control over
their homes as other owner-occupiers, are also out to consultation.

The Green Paper will look at options for:

-   giving tenants real choice over their housing;

-   restructuring social rents in order to strengthen links with 
    size, location and condition of properties;

-   and the possibility of wider reforms to the system of personal 
housing support. The Government will also be publishing an Urban 
White Paper which will set out a comprehensive approach to improving
the quality of urban areas.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, announced:

    "The Government's ambition is to modernise housing policy. We are
    investing heavily to improve the social housing stock and to
    tackle the particular problems of the most deprived communities.
    But the extra money must go hand in hand with better management
    of social housing and reforms to personal housing support."

Welcoming the intent to publish the Green Paper, the Secretary of
State for Social Security, Alistair Darling, said:

    "It is clear that the current housing system has weaknesses, and
    we must address them. This Green Paper will provide the
    opportunity to discuss and consult widely on proposals for
    reforming housing policy together with personal support for
    housing. This will ensure our objectives both for welfare reform
    and housing are met."


NOTES FOR EDITORS

The announcement of the intention to publish a Green Paper was made
in the Chancellor's Budget on 9 March 1999. Further details can be
found in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report.


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