Today’s positive Housing White Paper announcements, combined with the Autumn Statement, point to a more comprehensive and strategic framework to fix the housing crisis — now it’s time to get on with the job says National Housing Federation.
Responding to the Government’s Housing White Paper announcement in the House of Commons, David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation said: “We welcome this Government’s ambition to tackle our broken housing market. Today’s positive announcements — combined with the Autumn Statement’s increased flexibility and extra investment — point towards a more comprehensive and strategic framework to fix the housing crisis. However, what the nation needs now is unwavering political will and courage to see this through. The public backs building more homes — it is time to get on with the job.
“Land remains a critical barrier; we know that brownfield land alone is not enough. We urgently need to have honest conversations about how greenbelt land is used.
“Measures to boost the scale and speed of supply — through planning mechanisms, tougher local targets and relaxed tenure restrictions — are all extremely positive steps towards ending the housing crisis. We look forward to exploring the detail in the paper itself.
“Encouraging private landlords to offer tenants more security and choice is absolutely the right thing to do. Housing associations share the Government’s commitment to improving life for all renters — across the private and social sector — and driving up standards, already offering 50,000 homes to rent on the open market.”
