New housing strategy is welcome - but it's not just about ownership

Thursday 24th November 2011

The Government's new housing strategy will kick-start house building, but does not offer an affordable alternative to home ownership, says Karen Armitage, Chief Executive of Stafford and Rural Homes.

Karen said it was a real concern that the strategy published on Monday focused on home ownership, rather than a mix of housing options that respect choice, affordability and sustainable communities.

"Home ownership is once again the central theme with support to be provided to those who maybe cannot afford to buy houses at the inflated prices they are for sale at or to maintain them," said Karen.

"The strategy doesn't 'kick start' an affordable solution outside of home ownership in any meaningful way.

"That needs to be facilitated by encouraging local housing associations and local people to commit to rented and owned housing in mixed communities."

She welcomed the strategy as a step forward in addressing the supply of affordable homes and blockages to development, but said selling off homes through the revived Right to Buy scheme was not the solution in a time of short supply.

"It is impossible to understand how a 'house for a house' will result from the discounted Right to Buy sale of a socially rented house," she said.

"Landlords losing their stock will undoubtedly not be able to provide a house for the sale price and certainly not one for social rent in the same area as the one sold.

"On a visit to some Right to Buy houses today the poor quality of some was astounding as people cant afford to look after them.

"Interestingly in the last set of deprivation indicators produced by a well respected statistical body a new category has been added - 'Right to buy owners'."

Karen believes the new strategy is not a solution on its own and there is still much work to be done.

She said: "A strategy is welcomed which focuses on housing for a middle group that currently is struggling to access their first home, and addressing the lack of affordable housing for them is a key issue in 'Mending Broken Britain'.

"But it is important that this is not seen as the solution but the 'laying of a foundation' with a lot of work yet to come that could be more area focused and responsive to different communities in different ways.

"Employment is currently not there and we need to be generating lasting solutions not raising aspirations that can't be sustained."

Posted by 0 for Stafford & Rural Homes Ltd.