Social housing providers will gain powers to remove domestic abuse offenders under proposed legislation that also lengthens the qualifying tenancy period for the right-to-buy scheme from three to ten years in England. Officials stated the measure aims to reverse the long-term reduction in social housing and strengthen safeguards for tenants experiencing abuse. Campaign groups including the Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance welcomed its parliamentary progress as a necessary advance. The bill returns for its second reading after featuring in the King’s speech on 13 May. Government data showed roughly 15,000 English families last year sought new social homes due to domestic abuse. The legislation would let landlords and courts evict perpetrators while allowing victims to remain, avoiding the current requirement that victims first relocate. In joint tenancies victims would no longer need to surrender the entire agreement, which can lead to homelessness. If approved, courts could also assign sole tenancy to the victim or direct landlords to supply alternative accommodation. The bill closes a loophole permitting abusers to terminate joint tenancies during their own eviction cases. It further alters right-to-buy rules by requiring ten years of tenancy instead of three before purchase from councils or housing associations is permitted. New social homes would remain protected for 35 years, with exemptions for certain rural properties. Councils would receive stronger first-refusal rights to repurchase sold units. Outdated provisions from the 2016 Housing and Planning Act would be removed to give providers clearer long-term planning ability. The prime minister wrote that years of underinvestment and policy shortcomings had left families on lengthy waiting lists and forced abuse survivors from their homes, and pledged the largest expansion of social and affordable housing in a generation.
