Right to Buy suspension plan to ease Cardiff house shortage

Council tenants in Cardiff could lose the right to buy their home under plans to address the shortage of rented homes in the city.

The council said there were 8,300 people on the waiting list for social housing - a figure set to increase further in the next five years.

It has 13,470 properties, which has fallen from 23,000 since 1985, largely due to the Right to Buy legislation.

The Welsh Government has already said it wants to abolish it in Wales.

Most council tenants have the right to buy their homes after five years and receive a discount of up to £8,000 on the value.

But the authority said there was a "very high level of housing need" in the city which needed to be addressed.

Families in need

Susan Elsmore, cabinet member for health, housing and wellbeing, said the council estimated it would need an extra 2,024 affordable homes each year for the next five years and research showed more than 5,000 families were living in overcrowded or unsuitable homes.

"Every month, 450 new applications for housing are received but only 860 council properties became vacant and available to let in the whole of 2015/16," she said.

"Every house sold through the [Right to Buy] scheme is a home that is no longer available to a family in need so for this reason, we will consider suspending the scheme and consulting with those who would be affected."

If the plans are agreed by councillors at a meeting on 10 November, a consultation will begin with the results considered in the new year.

Several other councils in Wales, including Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Flintshire have already approved plans to suspend the scheme.