Belvoir has reiterated calls for a cross-party housing tsar as the ministerial position reaches its 17th name in 20 years.
Kit Malthouse was appointed housing minister on Monday, replacing Dominic Raab who became Brexit Secretary after David Davis resigned.
Dorian Gonsalves, chief executive of Belvoir, said a housing tsar would bring much-needed stability to the housing market.
He said: “It is almost a year to the day since Belvoir wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, asking her to seriously consider the appointment of a cross-party housing tsar who could work with industry experts, social housing providers and all housing stake holders to create a stable property market with long-term vision.
“The Prime Minister arranged for Alok Sharma, housing minister at the time, to reply to me directly. In a lengthy and informative letter Sharma covered the key points that we raised, and confirmed his wish to work with Belvoir on important issues in the future. Just two months later, London Mayor Sadiq Khan also backed Belvoir’s calls for the appointment of a housing tsar.
“Kit Malthouse is now the eighth housing minister to have been appointed since the Tories came into power in 2010. His predecessor Dominic Raab, lasted just six months before taking up the role of Brexit secretary.
“As housing ministers have historically only remained in post for a matter of months, the necessity for increased market stability, with increased incentives for landlords to remain in the market, and protection for the millions of tenants who desperately need good quality homes, being more important than ever before.
“Belvoir believes that the urgent appointment of a housing tsar, would be an effective way to improve market stability. A housing tsar would be able to work with industry experts and politicians from all parties, and then make recommendations to the new housing minister.
“This would not only help to alleviate pressure on the private rental sector, but would also benefit the entire housing industry.”
Meanwhile, it seems even Tory MP and Hunters co-founder Kevin Hollinrake is getting fed up with the housing minister merry-go-round, if his latest tweets are anything to go by.
Yet another Housing Minister! https://t.co/NP7mzw9Q2e
— Kevin Hollinrake (@kevinhollinrake) July 9, 2018
Absolutely spot on. With housing lead times and legislative timeframes measured in years, and Housing Minister terms measured in minutes, it is time Gov stopped using the position as a test-seat, or worse, a safe-seat for aspiring ministers.
It wouldn’t be so bad, except every new Minister feels the need to make their own mark irrespective of previous work. Sajid left a Jamie Oliver kitchen’s Worth of pots bubbling in the stove. First thing Brokenshire does is invent another new thing (3 year tenancies) instead of getting the real job done.
None of this is news however. RICS called this out 5 years ago. http://www.3cpd.co.uk/sites/default/files/papers/FC14/RICS%20Housing%20Commission%20Report%20-%20June%202013.pdf
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Stability; what a good idea. The fools we have at the moment have even had to updated the June 2018 “How to Rent booklet” within a month to the “July 2018” edition. It all smacks of gross incompetence on the part of the civil service who advise ministers. Good start for Mr Brokenshire’s reign.
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