Home ownership down,

[observer]

Didn't see any implications of "force" in that Asp;  if homeowners are daft enough to stay in overly large properties and turn down market price offers in exchange for smaller rented accommodation, fine - but some would jump at the opportunity.   As for the housing crisis generally, like all crisis, it has to be tackled by a central strategy, this means the State.  Unfortunately, we have to rule out a Tory Gov, as it's obsession with home ownership blinds it to the fact that the vast majority of folk can't afford to buy, and sadly, can no longer afford to rent, due to private sector greed.  Private developers, are part of the problem, not the solution, as they are solely interested in profit, and restricting supply increases price inflation, thus increasing their profits. So, not the fault of the planning process, the fault of builders hanging on to land banks, awaiting the value to rise.  Now we do have historical president for the solution, and that occurred just after WW2, when our returning heroes required homes and a motivated Gov began to supply them, they were called Council Estates.  The rate and scale of building was increased by the use of pre-fabs in part, which served their purpose, of providing cheap rented accommodation for the Plebs.

[asperity]

I know what a council estate is Obs - I was brought up on one!

[observer]

Merely a reminder of the scale of social housing provision, just to demonstrate that if it was done once, it can be done again.

[Davy51]

Help for home buyers only seems available after 39 weeks ,that's 9 months of mortgage & council tax debt. Isn't help for tenants immediate ?

 

Maybe the government could come up with a scheme to help first time buyers with house deposits ,similar to the university funding loans. Repayable when future wealth allows, at least it could help the construction industry.

[observer]

Such Gov initiatives to-date, have been like taking a pin to a fencing match: when what is required is a massive (and I mean massive) building programme of low rented (Council) accommodation, to radically increase supply, which will knock on up the food chain to reduce prices generally. Gov also need to take account of changing demographics in the types of supply needed; with increasing demand from singles and time bomb of demand for elderly care facilities; which will have the knock on effect of reducing bed blocking on the NHS. Even this Tory Gov are now accepting that there needs to be a massive investment in infrastructure, and on a scale not seen since the 50s.