Brighton Council Reclaims Homes in Bid to reverse Decades of Housing Loss
Brighton adn hove City Council is actively reversing the effects of Right to Buy, acquiring properties to bolster its social housing stock and combat a spiraling crisis in temporary accommodation costs. The move comes as councils nationwide grapple wiht the legacy of large-scale housing privatization and escalating financial strain.
Decades after Margaret Thatcher’s Right to Buy scheme transferred council homes to private ownership, Brighton is attempting to rebuild its social housing capacity.The policy, which began in the 1980s, resulted in the loss of an estimated 2.5 million social homes across the UK, costing taxpayers almost £200bn in what critics describe as a massive transfer of public wealth. The resulting decline in council housing stock has simultaneously increased demand and driven up costs.
The impact is acutely felt in Brighton, where the council anticipates a £3.8m overspend on temporary accommodation this year – funds flowing directly to private landlords. Nationally, spending on housing has ballooned to over £30bn, with approximately 90% allocated to housing benefit.
“It’s all a outcome of Thatcherism, plus austerity, and not being able to turn the tide on it properly,” says council leader Bella Taylor.”Our aim is to accelerate the increase in stock of social housing, but also to directly reduce the extreme costs of booking temporary accommodation with private landlords, which is pushing us to bankruptcy.”
Brighton’s acquisition program, currently adding around 100 homes annually, marks the first growth in the city’s social housing stock in decades. The council is investing £50m over two years to purchase 200 homes. While acknowledging the slow pace of progress, taylor emphasizes the need for increased financial support from a potential Labour government, which has pledged to build 1.5m new homes nationally.
Concerns remain that national targets could prioritize areas with lower development costs,potentially disadvantaging cities like Brighton,constrained by geographical limitations and high land values situated between the sea and the South Downs national park. However, the council’s efforts represent a tangible shift, attempting to counteract the long-term consequences of Right to Buy and address the urgent need for affordable housing.
