PEOPLE have one more week to have their say on plans to end Right to Buy before the consultation closes.

Earlier this year, the Welsh Government published a White Paper setting out the intention to end Right to Buy and Right to Acquire in order to protect Wales’ social housing stock.

Right to Buy and Right to Acquire allow eligible social housing tenants to buy their council or housing association home at a discount of up to £16,000. The consultation also sets out the Government’s plans to halve the current maximum discount to £8,000 from July 2015.

Over the past 30 years, Right to Buy has resulted in a significant reduction in social housing stock. Between 1981 and 2014, 138,423 council homes were sold – this is a 45 per cent reduction in the social housing available when the policy was first introduced.

Lesley Griffiths said: “Our supply of homes is under considerable pressure and we are still seeing social rented properties being taken out of our housing stock because of the Right to Buy, which is forcing many vulnerable people to wait longer for a home. This is why decisive action is needed to protect our social housing to make sure it is available for those who need it most.

“With a week to go until the consultation on the future of Right to Buy closes, I encourage everyone in Wales to take part and let us know their views.”

This week, the Minister also approved a request from Swansea Council to suspend the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire for five years to help tackle local housing pressures.

The consultation will close on 16 April. 2015 and is available at the following link: http://gov.wales/consultations/housing-and-regeneration/future-of-right-to-buy/?lang=en