Working in housing can be extraordinarily rewarding but it’s never been easy. We have always struggled in an environment where demand massively outstrips supply. We have rarely, if ever, had the resources to do everything we know needs to be done. Too often we have had to ration that which we know people need. Nearly every day we have faced moral hazards.
The housing market is broken so it’s encouraging to see the government getting on the front foot. Putting social housing at the top of the agenda is a welcome move from the secretary of state and the sector will await the green paper with interest.
“The launch of the Land Release fund is a welcome move from the government. We need to build 250,000 new houses a year to meet demand and making use of available land of all sizes is essential to achieving that. The 160,000 homes that the scheme intends to help deliver is a firm step in the right direction."
What’s needed now is consistency rather than upheaval. A government must be formed as quickly as possible so that we can continue to build on the progress made in recent years in supporting the housing and housebuilding sectors. It was a good sign for the sector that all major parties recognised the need for a focus on housing in their manifestos...
Private finance has become increasingly vital to housing. More could be done to help investors understand and continue to support the sector
The most pleasing aspect of the manifestos is that the major parties appear to recognise the scale of the housing crisis facing the UK and particularly the problem of affordability. They have put forward some bold ideas to tackle these issues.
As with every budget, the Chancellor’s speech last week was followed by a flurry of reaction and views about how it helped or hindered different sector.
The white paper includes some very encouraging proposals and we’re pleased to see the government widen out the starter homes policy to include shared ownership, which should encourage more developers to build more homes for this crucial tenure.