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The solution to affordable housing?

Given that the Assembly has formed a specific committee to look at affordable housing (eight years too late), it is worth noting that the real reasons behind this problem are down to the simple econ omics of supply and demand, as leading figures in the housing industry have been saying to the Assembly since god knows when..

As reported in Contract Journal.

"The number of homes being built in Wales has fallen to its lowest since World War II, according to the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

Over the past decade, between 9,500 and 10,000 new homes have been built on average each year – the lowest since the 1940s. HBF Wales planning and policy advisor Richard Price said the country was facing a housing crisis, with a backlog of 40,000 homes and no plans to increase building levels.

He said low earners faced massive strife as demand quickly outstripped supply. Price added: “We have been in a crisis for a while now and it will be very difficult to completely get rid of that backlog. At the moment some local authorities seem to be making it worse year on year.

“The Welsh Assembly must make a commitment to deliver more housing and in turn release more land for development. It must allow local authorities to increase targets in their local development plans.”

Price said there was also a shortage of HBF Wales members to commit to building new homes because of delays in the planning system. Nick Bennett, chief executive of Welsh housing association body Community Housing Cymru, said waiting lists for social housing had soared as fewer units came to market. Bennett said: “There has been a crisis in Wales for a while and it has been further complicated by the credit crunch.”

Comments

Anonymous said…
you say eight years to late, I would go further than that, but what makes us think that Rhodri and his Minister will actually do something about this mess in the housing market, were not asking them to split the atom are we, just build houses.
April 25, 2008 1:02 pm
Anonymous said…
yes build houses but how about some affordable ones.I see headlines for £1M ones in Cardiff, in Merthyr they are building all over the place with prices starting at £200K and they aint selling, the offers are ludicrous just to get rid of them.
People and young people need affordable houses or flats.Not just to but to rent too.
Housing Associations and Housing Co-ops need supporting to do this
Its not rocket Science is it and this has been said for 15 years that I know of
April 26, 2008 2:29 pm
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