All change for social housing?

A recent government announcement to make illegal subletting of social housing a criminal offence (CLG announcement, 10 January 2012) has attracted much publicity. What has received far less publicity, until now, at any rate, are the housing law and policy changes introduced by the Localism Act 2011 (LA 2011) which had Royal Assent in November 2011 and which are more far-reaching in their effects on social housing. 

Some of the housing provisions under the new Act came into force on 15 January 2012 (under the Localism Act 2011 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provision) Order 2012 (SI 2012/57 (C.2)). The remainder are expected to come into force in April 2012. One principle underlying LA 2011, according to government, is to decentralise political decisions, and this informs many of the housing law changes in Pt 7 of LA 2011. Another principle is to allow local housing authorities the option of granting a secure tenancy for a fixed term