Support with Housing Costs: Developing a simplified and sustainable system

The emergency budget on 22nd June 2010 coincided with the first day of a Consultation at St George’s House, Windsor Castle on support with housing costs, coordinated by BSHF.

This report on the findings of the Consultation offers a wide, structural view of support with housing costs. It comprises the following sections:

• Historic development of support with housing costs. This section provides background on how the current system of support with housing costs has developed. 
• The current system of support. A summary of the current system of support with housing costs. It focuses on the three main areas of support, which are Housing Benefit, provision of social housing at below market rents and favourable taxation of owner occupation.
• A coherent vision for support with housing costs. This section looks at basic objectives for a system of support.
• Options for reform. This section explores both short and long term options for reform of different types of support with housing costs.