Let councils have 'right to buy back'

'First refusal' to alleviate housing crisis

- BY ALEXANDER BROWN Assistant Political Editor

COUNCILS must buy back more properties they originally sold off to tenants, say campaigners.

A think tank is calling for local authorities to get more power and resources to snap up homes to increase the supply of social housing.

It would include giving town halls the right of first refusal when ex-social homes or private rental homes come up for sale.

Over two million council-built properties have been flogged off since the controversial “right to buy” policy started in 1980.

Think tank Common Wealth claims 41% of those are now in the hands of private landlords.

Housing campaigner Kwajo Twen-eboa said: “Homes that were once publicly owned are now profit-generating assets for private landlords.