Right to Buy, time to move? Moving behaviour & desires

This research uses longitudinal data to study moving behaviour and moving desires of those who bought their homes under the Right to Buy compared to social renters, traditional owners and private renters. One stated aim of the Right to Buy legislation, introduced in the early 1980s, was that it was expected that freeing up the housing market, by removing the debilitating effect of social housing, would help to reduce constraints on inter-regional mobility. This would give people more freedom to move between regions for labour market, family and environmental reasons. Despite this clearly stated goal of the Right to Buy policy, there has been no research on whether social renters became more mobile over long distances after buying their house. This research is the first study to examine rigorously whether the Right to Buy legislation did 'free-up' people to move inter-regionally. An investigation of moving behaviour will be presented using two longitudinal survey data sources for differing time periods: the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) from 1991 onwards and the National Child Development Study (NCDS) from when the Right to Buy was introduced. To compliment the research on moving behaviour, the moving desires of those who bought under the Right to Buy are also considered. An investigation of people's desire to move (or the lack of this desire) may provide an insight into the factors that influenced people's decisions to purchase their homes.