The government’s backing of a wider range of housing opportunities, highlighted by Chancellor Philip Hammond in this week’s Autumn Statement, should increase the delivery of sustainable and accessible housing, including more self and custom build.
In his statement, Hammond said: “Over the course of this Parliament, the government expects to more than double, in real terms, annual capital spending on housing. Coupled with our resolve to tackle the long-term challenges of land supply. This commitment to housing delivery represents a step-change in our ambition to increase the supply of homes for sale and for rent, to deliver a housing market that works for everyone.”
Its hoped that the raft of measures identified in the Statement will have real impact on the housing market not least because they focus on funding rather than policy. As well as referencing the importance of the Home Builders Fund, Hammond confirmed the creation of the heavily previewed Housing Infrastructure Fund. This will provide 2.3bn to create infrastructure for 100,000 homes in areas of high demand.
The Housing White Paper, which will provide full details ofthe new governments commitment to tackling the housing crisis, was expected to be release alongside the Autumn Statement, but is now anticipated to be released sometime over the next month.
Hammond said: “In October the Communities Secretary launched the 3 billion Home Builders Fund, to unlock over 200,000 homes and up to 2 billion to accelerate construction on public sector land. But we must go further still. The challenge of delivering the housing we so desperately need in the places where it is currently least affordable is not a new oneBut the effect of unaffordable housing on our nations productivity makes it an urgent one.”
“My Right Honourable Friend, the Communities Secretary will bring forward a Housing White Paper in due course, addressing these long-term challenges. But in the meantime, we can take further steps. One of the biggest objections to housing development is often the impact on local infrastructure. So we will focus government infrastructure investment to unlock land for housing, with a new 2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to deliver infrastructure for up to 100,000 new homes in areas of high demand.”
“To provide affordable housing that supports a wide range of need, we will invest a further 1.4 billion to deliver 40,000 additional affordable homes. And we will relax restrictions on government grants to allow a wider range of housing-types.”
For the full transcript of the Chancellor’s speech, click here>>
