The National Housing Federation is in talks with the government in an attempt to secure more flexibilities under the Right to Buy extension to housing associations.
Inside Housing last week annouced information on the latest discussions.
This could involve a plan under which associations pledge to build more low-cost homeownership properties – a key priority of the Conservative government – in return for Right to Buy being adopted voluntarily.
This would reduce the risk of the Office for National Statistics reclassifying housing association debt as public.
Other items understood to be under discussion are possible exemptions for certain types of properties and the idea of a ‘portable’ discount, under which tenants can use money to buy a property other than their current home.
Landlords are hopeful that communities secretary Greg Clark will announce the outcome of the discussions at the NHF conference in Birmingham on 24 September.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) confirmed last week that undefined “local areas” will decide on the tenure of replacement affordable Right to Buy properties, raising the prospect they could be built for shared ownership and have promised more information in the autumn