The House of Lords has launched an “urgent” investigation into the housing market and wants views.
The inquiry, by the economic affairs committee, will investigate the supply and affordability of housing for both rent and buy.
It will also look at Stamp Duty reforms and whether rent controls would be a good idea.
Launching the inquiry, committee chairman Lord Hollick said: “There are clearly serious issues with the UK housing market.
“Across the country, young people in particular are struggling with the cost of housing, whether they are looking to buy or rent.
“There is an affordability crisis in housing.
“We would like to get to the bottom of the affordability crisis. Is the primary cause a lack of supply?
“What effect have recent government initiatives to encourage first-time buyers had?
“Or is there too much emphasis on owning your own home and should we be focusing efforts on ensuring adequate affordable housing is available for rent?”
The inquiry also particularly wants evidence on:
- Whether the Stamp Duty reforms have had an impact, and whether there should be further reforms
- Whether there is a case for rent controls
- Are there tax measures that could improve housing supply and affordability
Written views are requested by December 17.
To answer Lord Hollick’s painfully boring questions: Yes, terrible, yes.
Ask the right questions to get meaningful answers:
WHY is there a lack of supply?
WHY are the moves to encourage first-time buyers failing?
WHY are we putting emphasis on owning homes when we should be making sure the majority of people have access to homes that aren’t owned/rented by their parents?
As a bit of a blanket statement, the government is consistently undermining the inherent value of the property market – it’s currently being seen as a cash cow, and not a basic right.
However, I am more than happy to be persuaded by more experienced professionals. Ladies and gentlemen, the floor is yours.
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Brandon Lewis may disagree with you following his speech at the Negotiator Conference yesterday
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But Mr Lewis has no credibility
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“We would like to get to the bottom of the affordability crisis. Is the primary cause a lack of supply?”
This grand Labour ‘Lord’ Hollick – ‘Clive’ to you and me, doesn’t seem to have done basic Economics. It’s not just lack of supply, it’s the balance of supply and demand – The Law of Supply and Demand.
Establishment figures, particularly Labour ones, always deliberately neglect the demand side of the equation mainly because it means accepting that there is just too much immigration, particularly into South East England. If they keep on coming the prices and rents will just go one way. Unless you introduce rent controls and then landlords would have to stage ‘beauty contests’ or perhaps 100 metre dashes to whittle down the prospective tenants.
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Of course there are none so blind as those who will not see nor none so deaf as they who will not listen. Its seems us lesser beings estate agents, surveyors etc are the only ones who understand the most basic laws of economics.
I am sure Government will spend loads of our money in some daft investigation and will then ignore the results preferring to follow their own perverse political ideology.
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