Housing associations could launch legal challenge if forced to sell off houses

When the policy was initially floated housing associations said that it would financially cripple them and that they would be forced to fight it in the courts if necessary.

The Independent is quoting a story from three months ago in trade publication Inside Housing. In it Tony Stacey, chair of a group of 100 housing associations and chief executive of South Yorkshire Housing Association,said that he would “definitely” launch a challenge.

“I would definitely challenge it legally. This is so fundamentally critical to us. It would shoot up to the top of our risk map if it was confirmed. We are duty bound morally to fight it in any way we possibly can,” the Placeshapers chair told the publication.

Other housing association chief executives are quoted as saying they “would be surprised” if a legal challenge did not happen because the policy would risk the viability of the entire social housing sector.