Millions of less well off families on the waiting list for social housing will be dealt a “devastating blow” by the “catastrophic” combination of government cuts and changes to the planning system, according to a new report from the National Housing Federation.
The NHF, which represents housing associations in England, predicts that measures introduced by the new Conservative-Liberal Democrat government will cut the number of affordable new homes built in England by as much as 65 per cent – the lowest total since 1990 – to just 20,390.
NHF chief executive David Orr said: “The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have repeatedly said that public spending cuts will not disproportionately hit the most vulnerable, but that is exactly what the impact of these catastrophic measures will do. If the number of affordable homes drops by the extent highlighted in our study it would be dire news for 4.5 million on waiting lists and 2.6 million people living in overcrowded conditions.”
The Federation has written to Housing Minister Grant Shapps to urge the government to honour its spending commitments on new housing schemes and to halt further changes to the planning system, which the Federaton feels will make it “almost impossible” to build new homes.
Meanwhile, the pressure group Defend Council Housing has called a national meeting in Sheffield on July 10 to discuss how campaigners can keep up the pressure on the government after Mr Shapps said money for council housing has “run out”.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has called for a new housing and regeneration body to be set up by merging the London Development Agency and the capital’s part of the Homes and Communities Agency under the auspices of the Greater London Authority.
