Is Government approach to housing short sighted?
Maybe Government should focus on only two things to solve the Housing crisis:-
- That supply meets demand
- Available housing is lived in
Instead, Government seems to be obsessing about ownership.
No, no, no, no, no!
In my opinion focus should be to incentiving the building of new housing and empty housing to be sold or rented to people in need of living in it.
Government seem to view housing providers as a cash cow to fund HM Treasury but that is stifling supply, which many think is a very short sighted approach.
So what could Government to to reverse current trends?
First, they could discourage investment strategies which leave housing empty and treat it as an investment as opposed to its primary purpose of providing shelter for human beings.
Second, Government could make more grants available to bring empty housing into use.
Third, is that Government should incentivise new development of all tenures. It doesn’t matter whether housing is built for owner occupation or the rental market because once supply matches demand the pressure on prices will stabalise.
To achieve the above the whole system of planning and taxation needs a complete re-think.
Anything you would like to add?
Please comment below.
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Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 1121
10:00 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Many years ago in a previous career I went on a course entitled “The Hierarchy of Objectives” in which the ultimate aim was placed at the top of the page and every step or action that would bring that about underneath. Now if we adopt Mark’s objective(s) of
“Supply meets demand;
Available housing is lived in”
Then we would get a whole raft of sub- objectives ranging from “help for housebuilders and first time buyers”
to ” encouraging landlords to provide safe comfortable and affordable rental property”
It would not have “tax landlords to the hilt” or “remove the ability of agents to charge fees so rents increase” The reason being that the objectives at the top of the government’s Hierarchy of Objectives are:
1. Generate more tax from landlords;
2. Get more votes from Generation Rent;
This pale imitation of a Tory government has no interest in solving the housing crisis. It wishes to exploit it for its own financial and electoral means.
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
10:07 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Gary Nock at 16/09/2017 – 10:00
Hi Gary.
Could you do me a favour and post that comment (omitting the bit about Mark as it wouldn’t make sense) on my article on conservativehome? You’ve expressed it really well and it would look good over there and would also get a wider readership. The link is:
https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2017/09/rosalind-beck-homelessness-report-dodges-the-immigration-issue.html#idc-cover
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
10:08 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Hi Gary.
Could you do me a favour and post that comment (omitting the bit about Mark as it wouldn’t make sense) on my article on conservativehome? You’ve expressed it really well and it would look good over there and would also get a wider readership. The link is:
https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2017/09/rosalind-beck-homelessness-report-dodges-the-immigration-issue.html#idc-cover
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 1056
10:49 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 16/09/2017 – 10:07
I agree with your final paragraph: the government is exploiting the housing crisis for its own financial and electoral ends and their actions are spectacularly backfiring on them. They have managed to marginalise the poor and penalise the young, the two groups who most need affordable housing while alienating the landlords who, treated fairly, could provide it. It’s a gift to the Corbynistas who have not been slow to exploit it.
Member Since January 2011 - Comments: 12208 - Articles: 1403
10:59 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Old Mrs Landlord at 16/09/2017 – 10:49
That is another excellent comment which I think ought to be posted on the Conservative Home discussion thread linked below.
https://www.conservativehome.com/localgovernment/2017/09/rosalind-beck-homelessness-report-dodges-the-immigration-issue.html#idc-cover
We know the MP’s and their influencers read this so please get stuck in.
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
11:03 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Mark Alexander at 16/09/2017 – 10:59
Yes. Especially as a comment has just been posted there from an alleged tenant calling for the end of all ‘tax relief’ and calling landlords ‘a scourge.’ Obviously an HPC troll. No tenant in their right mind would support s24.
Member Since June 2013 - Comments: 1121
11:16 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Dr Rosalind Beck at 16/09/2017 – 10:08
Done Ros.
Member Since February 2016 - Comments: 1056
11:35 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Sorry, my comment was in response to Gary Nock’s final paragraph, I must have clicked on wrong ‘leave a reply’.
Member Since September 2016 - Comments: 2533 - Articles: 73
11:40 AM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Gary Nock at 16/09/2017 – 11:16
Great. Thanks Gary. I just saw it.
Member Since January 2011 - Comments: 12208 - Articles: 1403
7:01 PM, 16th September 2017, About 9 years ago
Over o the Conservative Home discussion “Dorkins” has just posted …
“Since the early 2000s homeownership has been falling in every region of the UK. Since the early 2000s BTL has risen massively. Every property that comes up for sale can either be bought by someone who wants to live there or someone who wants to rent it out. Of course landlords and FTBs are in competition.”