Friends back Charities Bill change
Quaker Housing Trust endorses an amendment to the Charities Bill
The Quaker Housing Trust (QHT) has endorsed an amendment to the Charities Bill.
QHT has joined other housing groups in backing a House of Lords amendment to the Bill. This will protect social housing homes under threat from government plans to extend the right-to-buy scheme to include housing associations.
Jenny Brierley, QHT clerk, said: ‘The effect of the amendment would be to prevent the forced disposal of a charity’s assets where that would go against the trust deed of the charity. This would be of considerable help in protecting homes created and provided by the kind of charitable projects that Quaker Housing Trust funds.’
Jenny added that the amendment also addresses concerns that some Friends have about whether extending the right-to-buy will reduce the value of giving money to QHT and other charitable housing funders in the future.
Jenny told the Friend: ‘It is a real concern that the benefit of those funds might pass into private hands at some stage, which was not what Friends intended. So, in its role as the Quaker housing charity, QHT is in a good position to give support to this amendment and to encourage other charities to join us.’
She also voiced Friends’ concern that right-to-buy will reduce the stock of available low rent housing.
‘QHT warmly welcomes the amendment and encourages Friends to support its retention when the Charities Bill goes to the House of Commons later this year,’ Jenny concluded.
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