DCLG select committee report supports self-build T
he Communities and Local Government Committee has released a report in which it examines ways to fix the ‘bro-
ken housing market’ including a focus on obstacles in the self-build sector. In the report ‘Capacity in the homebuilding
industry the committee champions custom- and self-build homes, saying an approach seen in the Netherlands – where people self- commission homes on publicly owned land – should be considered in the UK. Chair of the National Custom & Self Build
Association (NaCSBA), Michael Holmes commented on the report: “We welcome the report’s call for more action on growing the custom and self-build market. The Homebuilding & Renovating Show and NaCSBA’s stance on this has been consis- tently highlighted during NaCSBA’s repre- sentations to Government and to the DCLG select committee, and the report released positively reflects our position.” The committee discussed how large
developers dominate the housebuilding mar- ket and stated that it welcomes diversifica- tion. Holmes reinforced this notion: “Custom- and self-build has the potential to deliver 40-50,000 new homes a year in England by 2030, extending choice, affordability, sustainability and diversity of supply. But this will only happen with continued government support to establish owner commissioned housing as a mainstream alternative model of delivery.” The committee sees a number of obsta-
cles currently restricting growth of the self- and custom-build sector, with funding being one of the biggest hurdles. “If you can’t afford a significant deposit, you are proba- bly excluded from the custom and self-build sector,” said Holmes. “Another significant development is that the committee is request- ing an update on solutions for accessing finance within 12 months.” Holmes added that “those wanting to buy
a custom-build home find they need a mini- mum of £30-40,000 to be able to put down the deposit on a serviced plot, commission a design and commence building, using a stage payment mortgage.” Therefore, in addition to the committee’s request for an update on accessing finance solutions, “the sector would like to see the extension of the Help to Buy Equity Loan Scheme to include custom-build homes,” Holmes explained. “This would offer a 20 per cent equity loan from the Government (40 per cent in London) to help people to build their own individual home through custom-build.” Help to Buy schemes have already been successful in increasing the number of new home sales by volume housebuilders. Another one of the biggest challenges
faced by prospective self-builders is access- ing land – something that NaCSBA is intent on changing. Holmes said: “figures released by NaCSBA can provide evidence of unmet demand for people who want to custom or self-build. It highlights that in other developed countries, around half of the
homes built are custom- or self-build, and that 53 per cent of the UK population would like to build or commission their own home at some time in their lives – 14 per cent of those in the next 12 months – but only around 10,000 succeed.” As well as the recent Right to Build legis-
lation and NaCSBA’s Right to Build Task Force supporting the freeing up of land, Holmes explained how the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows are helping. “Visitors who are at the start of their property ventures will be advised by experts on their legal rights and guided on how to find and apply for a plot of land, a step which will influence significantly the pace of their projects.”
london custom-build Mayor boosts community-led housing ‘hub’
Londoners build their own “genuinely afford- able” homes. City Hall has been working with those
T
involved with community-led housing since last summer to identify both barriers and opportu- nities to grow. The Homes for Londoners Community Housing Hub will offer support to Londoners and community groups who want to build their own homes in the capital. From this summer, the hub will offer advice including how to access funding and unlock land, as well as offering technical support for projects and a base for information sharing. The plan for the hub comes as the Mayor
has agreed to invest £500,000 to deliver 22 custom-built new and permanently affordable homes for first time buyers across three sites in Enfield. The project will be delivered by
he Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has set out plans for a £250,000 boost to set up the first ever one-stop shop to help
Naked House – a group of Londoners who “strip developments back to their bare essen- tials, allowing communities to design and shape the homes they live in.” This is the first time a community-led housing group has received funding from City Hall. There is also potential for Naked House to
deliver across a further seven sites and the programme is set to be the largest custom- build development in London. It is anticipated that building will start in early 2019, with the houses finished and ready to move in by early 2020. The Mayor said he believes community-led
housing is another component in tackling the housing crisis in the capital and that the grant to Naked House is “just the first step of many” he is making to further boost the community building industry. He has also made £3.1m of loan funding available to support building and wants to support other community groups
through an innovation fund he has launched. Sadiq Khan said: “London desperately
needs more homes and it’s vitally important we look at all possible ways of building new and genuinely affordable homes to rent and buy.” Explaining his decision to launch the hub,
he said: “Community-led housing offers the chance to build new homes that Londoners want to live in. Londoners should be able to play a leading role in building their own com- munities, but for too long this has been difficult and they have had no support or access to funding.” He concluded: “My new Homes for
Londoners Community Housing Hub will act as a one-stop shop for Londoners interested in get- ting involved in community-led housing. It will help strengthen capacity among Londoners to embark on new projects, as well as offering support including technical expertise and access to funding.”
selfbuilder & homemaker
www.sbhonline.co.uk
5
dclg
MICHAEL HOLMES COURTESY OF HB&R SHOW
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