The UK government set out proposals on 20 October 2026 intended to protect domestic abuse survivors in social housing without requiring them to leave home, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. A measure tabled for the Social Housing Bill would mean survivors no longer have to prove abuse again where a protection order is already in place, the department said. The reforms also aim to shield joint tenancies from abusive partners, so the perpetrator rather than the survivor can be required to leave.

The package includes a simpler Right to Manage for council tenants, longer notification periods for social housing disposals and more scope for councils to exempt eligible rural areas from the Right to Buy. The government said the reforms are expected to keep an additional 18,000 homes in the social sector over the next decade, backed by £39 billion of investment. Plans would also require councils and public bodies to identify households at risk of homelessness earlier, and a power is proposed so armed forces veterans can seek support from any council in England.

From April 2027, Tenant Management Organisations managing council housing would be brought under Freedom of Information rules, the department confirmed. The Social Housing Bill was introduced to Parliament on 14 May 2026, with amendments to be tabled as it progresses through its Commons stages.