The Northern Irish Department of Social Development has moved to allay registered social landlords' fears over reforms that will extend the right to buy.
RSLs in the area are concerned because they have not received details of the changes, which will give their tenants the right to buy their rented homes at a substantial discount.

Weeks after the new system became law, RSLs are still in the dark, fearing they will struggle to cope without guidance and will be left grappling with a rush of applications.

Denis Bleakley, director of Belfast Community Housing Association, said: "We don't know what's happening. We don't know what the cap on discounts will be or what stock we will be required to sell."

Tony Ruddy, director of Ark Housing Association, said: "The house sales policy has not been thought through properly. Associations' stock is now of a relatively good standard.

"If it's all sold off, it's just going to come back and haunt us."

The policy hasn’t been thought through properly. The viability of a lot of RSLs could be at risk

Tony Ruddy, director, Ark Housing Association

Earlier this month the Housing (Northern Ireland) Order came into force, giving tenants of RSLs the same rights as Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants.

But a date has yet to be set for the changes to be introduced and a spokesman for the Department for Social Development told Housing Today that RSLs would be consulted before the new law took effect.

He said: "It won't happen that quickly because the intention is to base it very closely on the Housing Executive's scheme, but taking account of some proposals to modernise the right to buy."

There are around 25,000 housing association homes in Northern Ireland, compared to 120,000 controlled by the Housing Executive.

Source

Housing Today