Regional contractors key to social housing revolution
The government has taken the first step towards delivery of its Social and Affordable Homes Programme by announcing £10bn of investment into building more than 70,000 quality social and affordable homes.
Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “The announcement is well overdue and begins the long journey of tackling the housing crisis.
As an early action, we would encourage the government to focus on asset conversions, such as office to residential, as they offer quick delivery, lower costs and can attract institutional funding partners. As one example, NFB member Equans is already working with several councils to deliver these types of projects and would be a font of knowledge about what works, what needs greater consideration and where the opportunities are.
Delivering these homes will be a challenge but in regional contractors and SME housebuilders the government and its 33 strategic delivery partners have a key ally. These businesses not only deliver the social homes of today but were core to the post-war housing boom.”
The provision of quality housing for the most vulnerable in society has been a defining feature of prime minister Andy Burnham’s premiership thus far, asserting in this announcement that ‘everything starts with a good home’ and families living within temporary accommodation, or on housing waiting lists, will be prioritised in the allocation of these homes.
The funding will be spread across ‘strategic partners’ including councils, housing associations and private registered providers that have the capacity to deliver homes at scale.
Over £2bn of the announced funding is expecting to be spent in areas outside of London, overseen by Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to ensure that investment ‘reflects local priorities’.
Rico Wojtulewicz, director of policy and market insight, said: “The 70,000 social homes must broadly be in addition to planned market housing. What the funding must not do is purchase vast numbers of vacant properties on large sites, a practice which may be viewed as propping up the biggest builders.”