Social housing providers in Dorset urged to stop selling former council properties
Councillor Louie O’Leary is urging housing companies to prioritize local needs
Social housing providers in Dorset are facing criticism for selling older former council properties, with concerns that some are becoming second homes or holiday rentals.
Weymouth councillor Louie O’Leary called for Dorset Council to do what it can to help keep local social housing homes for local people.
The Conservative councillor for Littlemoor and Preston described the motion as “highly personal” having been born in social housing and living in a community which was founded on social housing.
“I believe in council housing, in social housing, it’s what builds really good strong communities when you have good community housing,” he said.
He said he was upset that social housing providers who had been entrusted to look after former council homes were now off-loading them as they became expensive to maintain, pointing out that the Aster group, which has many local homes, last year made a profit of £21million, yet had been selling homes in his area.
He said he wanted the registered housing providers to review their policies and prioritise local need.
“This for me is about looking after local assets, it’s really damaging socially…
“It’s no good selling off a house in Littlemoor and building another one in Gillingham because you haven’t replaced it where I am… it’s about keeping community housing in the hands of the community,” he said.
Swanage councillor Chris Toms (Con) seconded Cllr O’Leary’s motion: “Social housing is not a disposable commodity, it’s a lifeline, a vital anchor that keeps local families connected to the places they love and the places they serve… it’s a public asset held in trust for the people of Dorset” he said.
He said homes were deteriorating because of a lack of maintenance by registered housing providers who then argued that selling them off was the only solution.
Lib Dem portfolio holder for housing Cllr Gill Taylor (Chickerell) achieved an amendment to Cllr O’Leary’s motion which would encourage housing providers, where they were proposing sales, to offer the homes to only local residents, who intended to live in the homes, rather than become second homes or holiday lets.
Her motion also called on the providers to replace any disposed stock within an equivalent home within the same community.
Cllr O’Leary complained that the amended motion simply watered down his request.
Cllr Taylor said the bottom line was that the council had no right to tell an independent business what to do.
Cllr Ben Wilson, Purbeck, who represents Corfe Castle said the village had recently seen homes sold by registered providers, larger scale landlords and the National Trust.
“We need to understand that we cannot legally prevent these sales… but should press for homes to be replaced and increased,” he said.
“We don’t want to see communities hollowed out by second homes and AirB&B’s,” he told the February Dorset Council meeting.