§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the HOTCHA scheme to provide grants for house purchase for tenants of housing associations ceased; and what plans he has to replace the scheme.
§ Mr. ChopeThe winding up of the home ownership scheme for tenants of charitable housing associations—HOTCHA—was announced on 14 December 1988. No new applications were accepted by the Housing Corporation after that date but existing applications were honoured provided the applicant could secure the necessary approvals and exchange contracts by 31 March 1990.
568WThe Housing Corporation is in the process of introducing a new scheme, known as the tenants' incentive scheme—TIS—under which registered housing associations, whether or not charitable, may give grants to assist their tenants to move out and buy homes of their own. A total of £33 million is being made available for TIS grants in 1990–91 under the Housing Corporation's approved development programme. Of this, £12 million will be for tenants of charitable housing associations who applied under the HOTCHA scheme, but did not complete their purchase in time. The balance of £21 million will be for new applicants for TIS grants. In total up to 2,500 housing association tenants stand to benefit from the tenants' incentive scheme in 1990–91.