Petition to Allow Family Members to Take on Tenancy Agreements from Housing Associations to Help Care for Relatives 

To: Platform housing 
From: Concerned Residents, Families, and Supporters 

We, the undersigned, call upon Platform Housing to review and amend current housing association tenancy rules to allow family members to take over tenancy agreements when providing essential care and support for relatives. 

Why this matters: 

1. Supporting Family Care:
Many people rely on close relatives for daily care and companionship. Allowing family members to succeed or take on a tenancy ensures that vulnerable residents receive consistent support from those who know them best.

2. Preventing Homelessness & Insecurity:
When tenancy agreements end upon a tenant’s death, illness, or move to residential care, relatives who have been living in and caring for them are often left facing eviction and homelessness. This is both destabilising and deeply unfair.

3. Protecting Community Stability:
Families who have already established roots in the community contribute to local life. Forcing them out disrupts community ties and places additional pressure on already stretched housing and social care services.

4. Fairness and Compassion:
Housing associations are designed to provide security and stability. Policies that prevent family members from succeeding tenancies run counter to these values and fail to reflect the realities of modern family life.

 

What we are asking for: 

A clear and fair succession policy that allows immediate family members (children, siblings, carers, or others with demonstrable care responsibilities) to take on new tenancy agreements or in cases where they have been living in the property and providing care. 

Flexibility for housing associations to assess cases on compassionate and practical grounds, rather than applying rigid rules that put families at risk. 

Assurance that tenancy succession will not contribute to unnecessary homelessness, financial hardship, or the breakdown of vital caring arrangements.

Our shared belief: 

Families should not be punished for stepping up to care for their loved ones. Housing policy must reflect compassion, fairness, and community wellbeing. 

We urge Platform Housing to take action to update tenancy succession rules and safeguard families who dedicate themselves to providing care. 

Signed,
Tammy White