Councils may be required to publish details of what their social housing stock is worth each year, under new measures to increase transparency.
Under the plans, members of the public will be able to see the value of the assets held by councils for the first time. The plan is for residents to use this information to question whether councils are effectively managing their social housing stock.
Housing minister Kris Hopkins said: ‘I want people to have confidence that their councils are managing the valuable resource of social housing properly, and ensuring the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities are being met.
‘Councils are already required to make public how they allocate their council homes, and since 2010 have received £19m to combat social tenancy fraud. Under these plans people would be able to see the value and numbers of properties councils hold and challenge councils to use this stock in the best possible way for the local community.’
The consultation on the proposals also calls for evidence on what local authorities are already doing to use their public assets to deliver more homes.