Housing and Planning Act 2016

CHAPTER 1 Implementing the right to buy on a voluntary basis

Funding of discounts offered to tenants

64 Grants by Secretary of State

(1) The Secretary of State may make grants to private registered providers in respect of right to buy discounts.

(2) A grant under this section may be made on any terms and conditions the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(3) See also section 47 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (which would allow the Secretary of State to direct the Homes and Communities Agency to use its powers to make grants of the kind mentioned above).

65 Grants by Greater London Authority

(1) The Greater London Authority may make grants to private registered providers in respect of right to buy discounts for dwellings in London.

(2) A grant under this section may be made on any terms and conditions the Greater London Authority considers appropriate.

Monitoring compliance

66 Monitoring

(1) The Regulator of Social Housing must, if requested to do so by the Secretary of State, monitor compliance with the home ownership criteria.

(2) “The home ownership criteria” means criteria, specified in the request, that relate to the sale of dwellings by private registered providers to tenants otherwise than in exercise of a right conferred by an Act.

(3) The criteria may be expressed by reference to other documents.

(4) On making a request under subsection (1) the Secretary of State must publish the home ownership criteria specified in the request.

(5) The Regulator must provide such reports or other information as the Secretary of State may request about compliance with the home ownership criteria.

(6) The Secretary of State may publish information about a private registered provider that has not met the home ownership criteria.

Amendments to other legislation

67 Consequential changes to HCA’s duty to give grants

(1) Section 35 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (duty to give financial assistance in respect of certain disposals) is amended as follows.

(2) For subsection (1) substitute—

“(1) The HCA must exercise its powers under section 19 to give financial assistance by way of grant to a relevant provider of social housing in respect of any discount given by the provider by virtue of a person exercising the right to acquire conferred by section 180.”

(3) Omit subsection (2).

(4) In subsection (3), for “(1)(a)” substitute “(1)”.

(5) In subsection (5), omit paragraph (b).

Interpretation

68 Interpretation of Chapter

In this Chapter—

• “dwelling” has the meaning given by section 275 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008;

• “private registered provider” means a private registered provider of social housing;

• “right to buy discount” means a discount given to a tenant of a dwelling on the disposal of the dwelling to the tenant otherwise than in the exercise of a right conferred by an Act.