Social Housing 2021-04-19
2021-04-19
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question stems from a need to address the gap between social housing demand and supply, with constituents unable to afford private homes and facing barriers in accessing that market.
What recent estimate has been made of the number of additional council and housing association homes required to meet demand for social housing?
Planning policy is clear: it is for local authorities to identify the size, type and tenure of the housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing. We are committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and are investing over £12 billion in the affordable housing programme over the next five years, the largest investment in affordable housing in over a decade.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific estimate requested was not provided.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The question addresses the issue of constituents unable to afford private homes due to various devices used by landlords, leading them to seek social housing options which are insufficient in supply.
Many of my constituents cannot afford to buy a house of their own and are finding that private sector landlords are using various devices to block access to that market as well, such as through guarantees and bond requirements, so council housing or social housing is the only option, but demand is outstripping supply, and according to the Chartered Institute of Housing, outside London only a third of all the social housing needed will actually be built in the next five years. So what does the Minister say to my constituents who find themselves with no housing options at all at the moment?
Over the last 10 years around 150,000 new homes for social rent have been built. We have made it easier for local authorities to build their own council homes by changing the rules around the housing revenue account and by making it easier for them to get cheap loans through the Public Works Loan Board. Our new affordable homes programme, investing £12 billion-plus in new homes over the next five years, will double the number of socially rentable homes built to 32,000.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific concerns about constituents' lack of housing options were not directly addressed.
Response accuracy