HO702 Self-determination will be encouraged by conferring new legal rights on tenants and their associations. Housing associations will be democratised and their size restricted. The Green Party supports tenant managed estates and housing cooperatives as ways to enable people to take control of their own housing. Some areas have acute housing problems which demand more resources from national government. In particular, the lack of affordable housing in many rural areas seriously undermines those communities.
Additional investment is required.
The Green Party will give priority to provision of homes for local people before permission for second homes. All tenancies will be subject to a standard tenancy agreement. In long term tenancies, this will include provision for the sale of property after six months' notice, with tenants having the right to opt for local authority purchase, retaining sitting tenants. HO802 Rents will be set by rent officers with the objective of keeping increases lower than the rate of inflation, to diminish the proportion of tenants' incomes needed to cover housing costs. HO803 Comprehensive housing advice centres will be established.