Tory council leaders pessimistic about current funding levels for housing
0Almost three quarters of Conservative council leaders believe government funding for social housing is inadequate for delivering the number of homes currently required, according to a poll.
The survey of 121 senior local government Tories was carried out by pollsters Survation on behalf of poverty campaign organisation Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
The poll revealed widespread scepticism about the adequacy of the prime minister’s announcement last year of £2bn in extra funding for the sector.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of the JRF, said: “There is widespread consensus in every region, every political party and across the entire housing sector that we need significantly more investment in low-cost rented housing.”
Robb said the housing sector was “yet to see action from the government on the scale required to tackle the housing crisis facing millions of people across England.”
He added: “Struggling families are relying on the prime minister to live up to her stated mission of redesigning our housing market so it works for everyone.”
Robb claimed that tackling the shortage of low-cost rented homes was the only way the country could tackle poverty.
The poll revealed that 70.3% of Conservative councillors thought the government’s current level of funding through its Affordable Homes Programme would not deliver enough homes. Only 19% thought that it would deliver about the right number.
Councillors were also asked whether the planning system would deliver enough homes through section 106 agreements: 57.4% said that planning obligations would not deliver enough low-cost rented homes, with 34.7% saying that they would.
Virtually all councillors (95%) said the government’s forthcoming social housing green paper should cover the supply of low-cost rented homes for those who can’t afford to buy.
In addition, 60% thought it should address how existing social housing is managed.
Commenting on the survey, Lord Gary Porter, chairman of the Local Government Association and Conservative leader of South Holland District Council, said the last time the country produced more than 250,000 homes a year councils built 40% of them.
“If local government is to play our role in meeting these ambitious targets we need to be given greater freedom to build new homes,” he said.
“Housebuilding by councils at scale would boost local economies and productivity, reduce housing benefit spending and homelessness, put Right to Buy on a sustainable footing, and create revenue generating assets for communities.”
Lord Porter repeated the LGA’s call for the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap to be lifted for all councils.
JRF called on the government to deliver at least 80,000 low-cost rented homes each year in England.
