Lights turning red for housing policy
Monday, 17 October 2011 12:12 PM
The government is failing to deliver on its promises to boost the supply of new homes and protect vulnerable people, according to a new report by three leading housing organisations.
The National Housing Federation (NHF), Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) analysed the government's record on 10 different housing areas and rated each on a traffic light scale.
Only action on empty homes and improving mobility got green lights in the first issue of their Housing Report, thanks to evidence that the number of empty properties is falling and the number of re-lets to existing tenants is rising.
Another four areas got red lights. Housing supply is still at a historically low level, homelessness is increasing, help with housing costs has been cut and affordability in the private rented sector is poor and worsening.
Three areas – planning, evictions, repossessions and arrears and home ownership – got amber lights. The tenth factor, overcrowding, was not rated as data does not yet cover the period since the election.
David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, said: "The housing crisis should be treated as a top political priority to prevent an already desperate situation become even more grim for the millions of people in need of a home."
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