Section 27A — Housing Act 2004: Grants to bodies other than registered social landlords

Grants to bodies other than registered social landlords 27A 1 The Relevant Authority may make grants under this section to persons other than registered social landlords.

2 Grants under this section are grants for any of the following purposes—

a acquiring, or repairing and improving, or creating by the conversion of houses or other property, houses to be disposed of—

i under equity percentage arrangements, or ii on shared ownership terms;

b constructing houses to be disposed of—

i under equity percentage arrangements, or ii on shared ownership terms;

c providing loans to be secured by mortgages to assist persons to acquire houses for their own occupation;

d providing, constructing or improving houses to be kept available for letting;

e providing, constructing or improving houses for letting that are to be managed by such registered social landlords, and under arrangements containing such terms, as are approved by the Relevant Authority;

f such other purposes as may be specified in an order under subsection (3).

3 The Secretary of State may by order make such provision in connection with the making of grants under this section as he considers appropriate.

4 An order under subsection (3) may, in particular, make provision—

a defining “ equity percentage arrangements ” for the purposes of this section;

b specifying or describing the bodies from whom loans may be obtained by persons wishing to acquire houses for their own occupation;

c dealing with the priority of mortgages entered into by such persons;

d specifying purposes additional to those mentioned in subsection (2)(a) to (e).

5 As regards grants made by the Housing Corporation, an order under subsection (3) may also require the imposition of conditions in connection with such grants, and for this purpose may—

a prescribe conditions that are to be so imposed;

b prescribe matters about which conditions are to be so imposed and any particular effects that such conditions are to achieve.

6 The Relevant Authority shall specify in relation to grants under this section—

a the procedure to be followed in relation to applications for grant, b the circumstances in which grant is or is not to be payable, c the method for calculating, and any limitations on, the amount of grant, and d the manner in which, and the time or times at which, grant is to be paid.

7 If, by virtue of subsection (5), an order under subsection (3) requires conditions to be imposed by the Housing Corporation in connection with a grant to a person under this section, the Corporation in making the grant—

a must provide that the grant is conditional on compliance by the person with such conditions as are required by the order;

and b if it exercises its power to impose conditions under subsection (8), must not impose any that are inconsistent with the requirements of the order.

8 In making a grant to a person under this section the Relevant Authority may provide that the grant is conditional on compliance by the person with such conditions as the Authority may specify.

9 The conditions that may be so specified include conditions requiring the payment to the Relevant Authority in specified circumstances of a sum determined by the Authority (with or without interest).

10 An order under subsection (3) shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

11 In this section— “ disposed of on shared ownership terms ” has the meaning given by section 2(6); “ letting ” includes the grant of a licence to occupy.