New Building Programmes

HC Deb 15 February 1988 vol 127 cc456-7W

Mr. David Evans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what incentive there is for(a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) private landlords to invest in new building programmes to house homeless and low income families.

Mrs. Roe

Subsidies are payable to local authorities' housing revenue accounts, and to registered housing associations through housing association grants. In each case, our policy is that subsidies should be paid only where rents would be insufficient to cover costs. In the allocation of resources, local authorities and the Housing Corporation give priority to areas of housing shortage.

Powers in the Local Government Bill will also enable local authorities to provide subsidies to private landlords. Low-income families are of course eligible for housing benefit.