The Government has confirmed it will bring forward a green paper on social housing in England.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid said the green paper would be a ‘wide-ranging, top-to-bottom review of the issues facing the sector’.

As well as safety issues, the green paper will also explore the quality of social homes, the rights of tenants, service management, tackling homelessness, tackling illegal sub-letting and the wider issues of community and the local economy.

‘The green paper will be the most substantial report of its kind for a generation,’ Mr Javid said.

‘It will kick off a nationwide conversation on social housing. What works and what doesn’t work. What has gone right and what has gone wrong. Why things have gone wrong and – most importantly – how to fix them.’

The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the announcement, which it hopes will pave the way for a ‘renaissance in council housebuilding’.

Cllr Martin Tett, the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: ‘With huge pressure on existing housing stock caused by the lack of building enough homes over the past few decades, and with families having to spend more on rent or mortgages every month, we are keen to work with government to ensure that the green paper accelerates the actual building of new homes communities can afford.

‘The last time the country built enough homes councils built 40% of them. Our offer is pretty clear, give councils to powers to lead a renaissance in council house building by letting us keep 100% of the sales receipts, and give us the freedoms to borrow to invest and to set rents.’

Visit The MJ for an exclusive iterview with Javid about the rogress of devolution, future funding, and that speech at the LGA conference...