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Shared Ownership Schemes

Volume 491: debated on Monday 27 April 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many properties bought through shared ownership schemes have been repossessed in the latest period for which figures are available; (270280)

(2) what assistance her Department provides to owners of a property bought through a shared ownership scheme who are at risk of repossession.

Data on the number of shared ownership properties which have been repossessed are collected by individual housing associations and are not held centrally.

The Government are determined to do everything possible to ensure families facing possible repossession have the chance to remain in their homes, and that repossession is always the last resort. The £280 million Government Mortgage Rescue Scheme was rolled out across England at the beginning of this year. The scheme will help up to 6,000 of the most ‘vulnerable’ households (families with dependent children, or those containing elderly, ill or disabled people) who would be entitled to homelessness assistance, if repossessed.

Shared owners do not generally have the need for assistance from this programme because housing associations were able to reinvest capital grant held in their recycled capital grant funds for the priority purpose of helping shared owners at risk of repossession. This help includes the option of a lower level of home ownership or a rental option.