New bill targets domestic abusers and overhauls right to buy in England

A new bill in England would empower social housing landlords to evict domestic abuse perpetrators and overhaul the right-to-buy scheme, aiming to protect victims and stem the loss of affordable homes [1]. The legislation, set for a second reading in the House of Lords, is designed to close a legal loophole that currently allows abusers to make victims homeless by ending a joint tenancy early [1]. Last year, about 15,000 families in England were forced to find a new social home because of domestic abuse [1]. The bill would enable courts to transfer a tenancy solely to the victim or require a landlord to provide alternative accommodation, preventing survivors from being displaced [1]. Concurrently, the bill significantly reforms the Right to Buy policy. The qualifying tenancy period will increase from three to 10 years, and newly built social homes will be protected from sale for 35 years [1]. This addresses long-standing criticism that the policy, introduced in the 1980s, depleted social housing stock without replacement [1]. Councils will also gain a stronger right of first refusal to buy back properties [1]. Housing policy experts note that securing stable accommodation is a foundational step for vulnerable populations. The 'Housing First' model, which offers permanent housing as a precondition for addressing other issues, has been shown to effectively reduce homelessness and use of emergency services [8]. The new bill's focus on keeping abuse victims in their homes aligns with this principle of housing stability as a primary need [8]. The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance has welcomed the bill as "an important and long overdue step forward" [1]. In a statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "Families were left in limbo on waiting lists for years … and incredibly, domestic abuse survivors found themselves forced out of their homes because landlords lacked the powers to make their abuser the one who must leave" [1]. The government stated the changes would fix the "long-term decline in social housing" and remove outdated requirements from the 2016 Housing and Planning Act [1].