Solving The Housing Crisis

If for nothing else, George Osborne will certainly be known for shaking up the property market with his attack on landlords through Clause 24 and the increase of SDLT.

Many of the British public have completely accepted the ‘spin’ about it all helping to level the playing field and think it is going to be the basis of some miracle to get aspiring first time buyers on to the property ladder.  Of course the Government are also purporting themselves as ‘the builders’ and how housing is a major priority for them.  It is interesting though that under the Coalition, the role of Housing Minister was downgraded and removed from the Government, yet now the Conservatives are fully in power they have not re-instated it.

It is true that the Tories have issued statements that promise to deliver a modicum of new-build houses.  Unfortunately the numbers barely scratch the surface of what is needed and the price brackets that are suggested as ‘affordable’ will not do much for those on average wages across the country, let alone those below them.

What is sadly lacking is a coherent and workable plan to really tackle the issues wrapped up in house prices, deposits needed, immigration and the balance of home-ownership against tenant demand.  If the Government was truly committed to the housing crisis we face then they clearly must have a strategy to deal with these problems.

There could even be multiple strategies run in parallel but so far there is nothing being offered to appease an increasingly angered younger generation, other than placating them with the attack on the private rented sector (PRS) which by its very nature will make it even harder for them to get on the ladder.

Therefore the people behind the website ‘Say No To George’ have put together a plan that could produce thousands of truly affordable houses.  It highlights why we have such a problem and why the attack on the PRS is going to make things even worse, as is some of the current Government strategies in selling off land to builders.

You can find the article at http://saynotogeorge.co.uk/how-to-solve-the-housing-crisis/