Think tank wants ‘positive’ behaviour rewarded by extra help in buying council home
Council house tenants should be rewarded for good behaviour with help buying a stake in their homes, a new report has urged.
Right-leaning think tank the Centre for Social Justice says that those who make a “positive” contribution to society and come off benefits should be rewarded with property discounts.
The organisation, set up by former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, argues that home ownership could help break the “vicious cycle” of unemployment, poverty and family breakdown.
Smith said: “Housing policy must be seen as part of a broader social policy which aims to get people back to work and in a position to help themselves.
“We need to find a way to end the cycle of destructive behaviour on our social housing estates. This must involve fostering a real link between aspiration and behavioural shift.”
Waiting lists for housing are notoriously long, with more than 4 million people waiting for accommodation and just 170,000 properties coming free each year.
The government has promised to build 3 million new homes by 2020, but many have cast doubt on the prospects of achieving this.
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