RICS unveils its manifesto and calls for more homes to rent

RICS unveils its manifesto and calls for more homes to rent

0:04 AM, 29th September 2023, About 7 months ago 1

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The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched its manifesto for the built environment in the run-up to the next UK General Election, calling for more homes to rent in a bid to slow down rent rises.

They also want action on climate change, housing affordability, skills development and fire safety.

The manifesto, entitled ‘Empowering a Sustainable Future’, outlines the challenges and opportunities facing the built and natural environments, which account for around 40% of global carbon emissions, according to the United Nations.

RICS says it is leading the industry in the response to climate change by introducing new standards, guidance and toolkits that will help decarbonise the sector and improve its resilience.

‘RICS advocates policies with solutions’

Justin Young, RICS’ chief executive, said: “As a leading representative of the built and natural environment sectors in the UK and globally, RICS advocates policies with solutions to some of the most critical challenges of our time.

“The public needs safe, sustainable, energy-efficient, and affordable homes; businesses need high-quality commercial spaces that align with the decentralised digital economy, while the industry needs a more robust pipeline of diverse talent that fulfils the skills demands of the sector so that it can deliver its goals.”

He added: “The RICS manifesto provides food for thought for the parties as they develop their policy platforms for the next General Election, and we look forward to engaging with their policy teams at the upcoming party conferences.”

Increased demand for rented homes

The manifesto also highlights the impact of the pandemic on the housing market and the workplace, which have seen increased demand for rented homes, flexible working arrangements and digital skills.

RICS says it has a duty to advocate policies that provide solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time, such as the cost-of-living crisis, the skills gap and the building safety scandal.

The manifesto sets out a 10-point roadmap, which includes:

  • Increasing the supply of rented homes to meet demand and slow rent rises
  • Deliver a joined-up quality and sustainability strategy
  • Review skills shortages to tackle targets
  • Hit housing targets with a housing delivery strategy.

A senior RICS delegation will present the manifesto and its key messages at the upcoming Conservative Party and Labour Party conferences on 1 – 4 October and 8 – 11 October, respectively.


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Comments

moneymanager

15:58 PM, 29th September 2023, About 7 months ago

‘RICS advocates policies with solutions’

On the 9th January RICS announced to the nation that it had agreed with six major lenders thhat the latter would lend on properties in the absence of an EWS1 under certain criteria, as of this date, valuers, members of RICS, continue to refuse providing any valuation suitable for lending.

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