POLICY
Laying the Foundations –
A Housing Strategy for England Sheila Manchester reviews the reactions to the new Housing Strategy.
kind of government: one that took decisions that were right for the long term, not right for the headline; that always acted in Britain’s national interest; that left this country stronger and fairer for our children. This Housing Strategy is the perfect example of that approach.”
W
DaviD Cameron Prime minister As 2011 drew to a close we
eagerly anticipated the new Government Housing Strategy and, probably with less excitement, the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. Anyone looking for miracles or even an effective quick fix to the dire state of our economy
14 JANUARY 2012 PROPERTYdrum
hen the Coalition was formed, we pledged that we would be a different
Photo above l - r: Robert Napier Chairman HCA; Stewart Baseley Chief Executive HBF; Nick Clegg Deputy Prime Minister; Paul Cooper, Divisional MD South East Linden Homes; David Cameron Prime Minister; Peter Youll, MD Guildford Linden Homes; Ian Coull, Chairman, Galliford Try; Keith Exford, Chief Executive, Affinity Sutton.
and, in particular, our housing market, was destined to be disappointed by both documents. Neither brought joy, surprise or radical measures that we could really believe in. But property people seem to be
the most optimistic of folk, perhaps because they are surrounded by eternally optimistic homeowners who think their home is worth far more than it is, so we scour the speeches and documents to find the hidden gems. The Government’s housing
strategy, published on 21 November, titled Laying the Foundations, A Housing Strategy for England, was launched at a Linden Homes development in Guildford, Surrey, a photo-worthy venue to project a positive message. It sets out a
package of reforms designed to:
• •
• •
get the housing market moving again
lay the foundations for a more responsive, effective and stable housing market in the future
support choice and quality for tenants
improve environmental standards and design quality.
The Prime Minister, David
Cameron, said, “The new strategy will address concerns across the housing market making it easier to secure mortgages on new homes, improving fairness in social housing and ensuring homes that have been left empty for years are lived in once again.” Nobody can argue with the sentiment, and plenty of people
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