Affordable Housing, Cartledge House Farm, Great Hucklow, SK17 8RG, United Kingdom
Social Housing
Social housing is low income housing that is let at low rents and on a secure basis to people in housing need. It is generally provided by local housing authorities and not-for-profit organisations such as housing associations.
A key function of social housing is to provide affordable housing to people on low incomes. Rents in the social housing sector are kept low through state subsidy. The social housing sector is currently governed by a strictly defined system of rent control to ensure that rents are kept affordable.
Unlike the private rental sector, in which affordable housing tenancies are offered according to the free choice of the landlord or existing household in question, social housing is allocated according to need.
Each social housing landlord operates an allocations policy, stating in advance what factors will be taken into account when deciding who gets preference for the limited amount of social housing on offer. These policies must include 'reasonable preference criteria' that are set out in law, but beyond this, allocations policies can be drawn up at the discretion of the social landlord.
Social landlords are the bodies that own and manage social housing. They tend to be non-commercial organisations such as local housing authorities or housing associations. Housing associations are independent, not-for-profit organisations that use any surpluses they generate to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones. It is now possible for commercial organisations to build and manage social housing, although this is not yet common practice.
Social housing and landlords are tightly regulated. The Government department currently responsible for overseeing the social housing sector is Communities and Local Government (CLG). CLG has direct oversight of local authority housing. Housing associations are funded by the Government through the Homes and Communities Agency, which is responsible for the construction of new social homes.
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