A listening government?

Whisper it quietly but, just occasionally, the coalition government listens to criticism over housing. Last month, it backed down over plans that would have meant people claiming job seeker's allowance saw 10% of their housing benefit deducted it they did not find a job within a year.

Now it looks as if plans to radically change the terms under which families rent social housing are being quietly revised. Last year, you may recall, there was a huge fuss when David Cameron questioned whether, in future, council tenants should automatically get a home for life.

By the time proposals were published a few months later, social landlords were given the option of letting homes to new tenants for as little as two years, but there was no requirement. This week it was revealed that most councils and housing associations have no intention of offering such short tenancies.

As a result, the government now says that, while two-year tenancies remain an option, it expects tenancies will be for longer in most cases, especially where households include children or vulnerable people. Common sense, you might say?

Well, organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Housing are continuing to lobby for a minimum fixed term of five years. Others will say that is too short. The point is that, so long as it is left to the discretion of social landlords, it seems unlikely that any changes will be as Draconian as first seemed.

Some would argue that a council home should always be for life. But the fact is that social landlords offer a range of accommodation and will increasingly do so, especially if it becomes the norm to let newly-built properties at 80% of market rents.

In many cases, mobility has to be encouraged. Getting the balance right is going to be tricky, but at least the government appears to be leaving decisions to those that, in the main, understand and respect the needs of families on the housing waiting list.