Tuesday 28th March 2017
Like the 2011 Housing Strategy the White Paper contains a similar central thread, namely to get England building more and revisits some of its predecessors topics such as Planning Reform.
Praise
However unlike its forbearer the tone towards the Sector couldn’t be more different. There is no chapter targeted at Social and affordable housing reform or shocks like the creation of Affordable Rent.
Indeed the White Paper begins with praise for the Sector with quotes, which could equally be found in a National Housing Federation Press Release:
“Housing Associations have been doing well – they’re behind around a third of all new housing completed over the past five years”
“Investment in affordable housing is a tried and tested way of getting new homes built and is normally more resilient than market house-building to changing housing market conditions. 193,000 homes were built under our Affordable Housing Programme – exceeding its target by 23,000. Building new affordable homes also helps kick start other house-building, as it can help make sites viable and bring in investment”.
The document makes it very clear that Housing Associations are part of the solution to the Housing Crisis being specifically mentioned within the paper’s key four step proposals, and they will be provided government support.
Warnings
However this does come with a warning “that in return for grant flexibility [the government] expect [Housing Associations] to build significantly more affordable homes over the current Parliament”
Additionally there are further warnings for non-developing Housing Associations who the government “expect to make the best use of development capacity they help meet local housing need”
Naturally the White Paper continues with the predictable efficiency and merger paragraphs, but there will be no withdrawal of the 1% rent reductions which will remain in place until 2020.
Future
Tim Miles
[email protected] – 023 8085 7395
About the author
Tim Miles, Blake Morgan
Tim is nationally recognised within the Social Housing Sector and described by the Independent on Sunday as a "Social Housing Specialist"