Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Affordable Housing

Monday 16 November 2020 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government is investing 12.2 billion in affordable housing over the next five years
  • Current definition of affordable homes includes options at 80% of average market value
  • Minister did not commit to revising the definition of affordable homes

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Laurence Robertson Con
Housing
Context

There is a concern about the availability and affordability of housing in many areas.

Question

What steps are being taken to improve the supply of affordable housing? The Government's investment in affordable housing is significant, but there may be room for revisiting definitions to ensure homes truly meet the needs of those who cannot afford market rates.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

The Government is investing £12.2 billion in affordable housing over the next five years, including a new £3 billion affordable homes guarantee scheme and an existing £3.24 billion scheme. The current definition includes social rent options for local authorities and a first homes programme providing discounts of at least 30% on homes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the specific suggestion to revisit the definition of affordable homes, instead summarizing existing definitions and programmes.

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Q2 Laurence Robertson Con
Housing
Context

There is a concern about the availability and affordability of housing in many areas, particularly given that current definitions may not align with what people can actually afford.

Question

Does the Minister think it might be useful to revisit the definition of affordable homes? In the past, we used 80% of average market value, which is often still unaffordable. Will he consider this?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

The Minister noted that the current affordable homes definition includes housing for sale or rent at 80% of average cost, with a social rent option and first homes programme providing discounts of at least 30%. He did not explicitly commit to revising the definition.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a direct commitment to reconsider or revise the definition of affordable homes.

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