A million homes by 2020 to deal with Britain’s housing crisis – that was the government commitment made just last month in the Queen’s Speech. But what chance now?
Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) ministers say it is business as usual – but it plainly isn’t.
The controversial Housing and Planning Act, which gained Royal Assent just a few weeks ago, still needs both Houses of Parliament to give “affirmative approval” to rules on the sale of high-value council properties to fund right to buy.
Parliamentary and ministerial time is going to be at an absolute premium as departments try to deal with the massive fallout from Brexit.
And even if the DCLG pushes ahead with the policy, some are asking what’s the point?
If rents continue to climb faster than incomes (and it looks very likely they will in much of the country), and if the opportunity to buy is reduced by lack of finance and supply, then senior figures in the housing sector are arguing it makes sense to look at some sort of emergency house-building programme underpinned by the Treasury.
Councils could have their borrowing rules loosened, allowing them to get capital for sub-market price homes.
Housing Associations could be promised extra grants.
And central government could even start building houses directly – as the previous coalition began to do in a very small way at Northstowe in Cambridgeshire.
It is not business as usual.
It is it not even just a bit different.
The economic and political rulebooks have been torn up.
There is an opportunity for the kind of radical thinking that many in housing have been demanding for many years.
Read full article: read more
