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The Government's recent £1.5bn Housing Pledge has catapulted council house building back on to the local government agenda, as John Healey explains With a secure tenancy and affordable rent, the offer of a council property can make a real difference to a family's prospects. "With so many households on waiting lists, people must be confident that those who get council housing are both entitled to it and abiding by the same rules as everyone else." It's more than just a roof over their heads. It's a chance for people to put down roots and take up job, training and other opportunities which might otherwise elude them. That's why, since becoming housing minister, I have made council housing one of my biggest priorities. Within weeks of getting this job – and following the Government's extra £1.5bn Housing Pledge – I announced the largest council house-building programme for almost two decades. Having given the green light to £141m to 49 councils to build 2,200 homes, I've recently kicked-off a second round that will mean more local authorities across the country can start building homes again. Plans have also been put place to radically overhaul the current system for council housing finance – something I want replaced with a clearer, more transparent way of working. As part of this, and in exchange for a one-off allocation of housing debt, councils will get more independence and freedom over their own rents and revenues. With so many households on waiting lists, people must be confident that those who get council housing are both entitled to it and abiding by the same rules as everyone else. Last week, therefore, I launched the first-ever national crackdown on tenancy cheats – those who, rather than live in the council house they have been given, rent it out for a profit, while living elsewhere. A nationwide drive, this anti-fraud measure has the backing of almost 150 councils, including 90% of the largest metropolitan boroughs and a 100% reach in Greater London. Along with a share of £4m to establish hotlines and crack squads to investigate allegations, I've handed over more than 8,000 hot leads for councils to pick up, with – as The MJ revealed last week – a second wave to follow early next year. For those authorities which have already taken action against cheats, this will boost their efforts. For those which have previously treated the issue as less of a problem, it will get their local initiatives off to a flying start. Half of all council houses recovered from unlawful sub-letting follow information received from the public. That's why I'm offering rewards of £500 to the first 1,000 members of the public whose tip-offs lead to the recovery of a home. Over the next two years, our crackdown could free up as many as 10,000 homes for those who really need them. In building homes again and recovering tenancies from cheats, councils should also have greater flexibility over the management of their waiting lists and allocations policies. That's why new statutory guidance, published last week, makes clear that, while those in greatest housing need must still be given priority, councils should also take greater account of local needs and circumstances. In some cases, this might major on families who have spent a long time on the waiting list. In others, it may focus on helping people into work or attracting particular skills to an area. In anticipation of all of this, councils have been planning how they will make the most of their new freedoms. Manchester City Council plans to prioritise those in work, volunteering or taking up training opportunities, while Newham LBC hopes to tackle overcrowding. In Test Valley BC, meanwhile, staff are examining whether to set aside a quota of the stock for those who live, work or have family locally. I want all councils to do more to keep local people informed of how the decision is made about who is given council housing. Under the new guidance, authorities are required to consult local communities on how they are managing their waiting lists and prioritising applicants. But, crucially, on top of this, they must also provide information to residents about how their allocation policies work. How councils consult will vary from place to place. Sunderland has held online surveys of members of the public and council staff, parallel to consultations with housing associations and voluntary groups. South Cambridgeshire DC has delivered a questionnaire to housing register applicants and new tenants asking what they considered important in an allocation scheme. And at my own local authority, Rotherham MBC residents' surveys have been used as part of a review of ‘choice-based lettings' policy. Whichever way a council approaches consultation, the aim for all should be to involve and inform local people, and dispel the misunderstandings and myths – sometimes poisonous – which can cause resentment and anger across a community. Our town halls now have the freedom, flexibility and funding to build more homes, allocate according to local need and circumstance, and tackle those abusing the rules. But pivotal to these measures is a drive to ensure the system as a whole is clear, transparent and understood by the public. In short, the system must be both fair and seen to be fair. John Healey is minister for housing and planning

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The estates we're in

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