Industry News


Professional housing body publishes its housing manifesto


D


ecent and affordable homes make our lives better – providing the safe and secure foundation we all need. But shortages and


unequal access mean too many people (oſten the most vulnerable) are forced to live in overpriced, insecure and poor-quality homes. Te Chartered Institute of Housing says we are


all paying the price for this as poor housing costs the NHS £1.4 billion each year. It negatively impacts a child’s education and has long-term effects on incomes and employment. At the heart of the issue is supply – housebuilding


has failed to keep pace with demand for years. Latest forecasts suggest the country could see over 300,000 households experiencing the worst forms of homelessness in 2023. A shocking one in five children are living in overcrowded, unaffordable or unsuitable homes. “We need political commitment to turn things


around. At CIH we’re urging all political parties to commit to a long-term plan for housing which recognises it as the foundation for creating healthy and sustainable communities.” “We can do this with a focus on more homes and


better homes. Te 10-point plan we’ve published unpacks this further, with more detail set out in our Strategy for housing.”


UK HOUSING REVIEW AUTUMN BRIEFING PAPER PUBLISHED Te UK Housing Review Autumn Briefing Paper, the fourteenth in the series, builds on the key


At the heart of the issue is supply – housebuilding has failed to keep pace with demand for years


themes identified in the Spring edition of the 2023 UK Housing Review, providing further expert analysis and specialist insight. Te publication comes at a time of tight


national budgets and uncertainty. Drawing on the latest statistics, the Autumn Briefing assesses the implications of new policy and market developments in thirteen different topic areas, several of which are UK-wide. Key themes include: • Housing as a political issue; • Te housing market in flux; • Challenges around the management of social housing stock;


• Te need for supported housing and refugee accommodation; and


• Key housing policy issues from each of the devolved nations, and the consequences of Westminster’s March budget cuts.


Te impact of the cost of living crisis is underlined in several articles, including one examining if the way we measure inflation inadequately reflects housing costs, highlighting that the affordability crisis for mortgage payers and renters is not fully recognised in monetary policy. Te UK Housing Review series is published by


the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). It is a free publication.


Commenting on the Autumn Briefing Paper


publication CIH chief executive Gavin Smart said: “When we released the 2023 UK Housing


Review earlier this year, we highlighted the urgent need for more affordable housing investment. Te Autumn Briefing Paper has been written when economic and inflationary pressures continue to deepen the housing crisis. It gives us further evidence of the critical role housing policy ought to play in protecting households from the wide-reaching effects of continued economic pressure.” Mark Stephens, professor of urban studies at the


university of Glasgow and the Review’s editor, said: “Te rise in interest rates to counter inflation has exposed the weak foundations that have passed for housing policy since the financial crisis 15 years ago. During that period, ultra-low interest rates supported unaffordable house prices to the benefit of existing owners whilst others have become increasingly dependent on expensive and insecure private rented accommodation.” “As the election approaches, this Briefing Paper


signals to all parties the need for a fundamental shiſt in housing policy, including how we tax housing wealth, regulate rental housing and, crucially, the need for a long-term commitment to increasing the supply of social housing.”


www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMMDecember/January 2024 | 5


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