‘Senseless failure’ leaves 17,000 affordable homes unsold | Politics | News
There is an “acute” housing shortage in England but affordable homes are not being sold due to “pointless, wasteful system failure”, the government has warned.
At least 17,000 affordable housing units built under deals negotiated between developers and planning authorities have gone unsold, the Federation of Home Builders has told MPs.
Developers are relying on offers from social housing providers to buy properties, but a report from Westminster’s public accounts committee warns the system is not working.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, who chairs the powerful committee, said: “This country is in the midst of a serious housing shortage, and as a result families across the country have been unable to access the homes they have long needed. In this context, it is a pointless, wasteful systemic failure to see any affordable home sitting empty.”
The government has launched an “exchange service” aimed at helping developers sell affordable homes by connecting buyers and sellers. But only around 800 unsold homes are listed here.
Sir Geoffrey said: “This situation must not be allowed to continue.”
Another issue affecting the supply of affordable homes highlighted by MPs is the lack of planners in local authorities. He warns that these people are put off by the working environment, workload and pay due to more attractive opportunities in the private sector.
More than half of English councils are struggling to recruit planners.
Sir Geoffrey warned: “Without a working pipeline of highly skilled planning professionals, councils will continue to have the upper hand in any negotiations with developers on affordable homes.”
The Federation of Home Builders warned this month that around 8,500 affordable homes planned to be built in the next 12 months were at risk as housing providers backed out of contracts. It is claimed that the construction of at least 700 houses has been delayed in the last three years due to “lack of commitment from social housing providers”.
Meanwhile, in London, it has been reported that builders’ affordable housing requirement could be reduced from 35% to 20% by an urgent measure to start construction.
