The de-politicisation of housing policies would go a long way to delivering a property sector that works for all, according to a well-respected property commentator and analyst.
Britain’s housing market will undoubtedly be a key battleground in the general election, but it should not be, according to Kate Faulkner.
She said: “Whoever is in government next, just like interest rate changes have been de-politicised, so must our housing strategy and delivery.
“It is clear that successive governments over the last 30 years, of all colours, have failed to deliver a housing sector that works for all: social tenants and those in the private sector. This failure must be addressed as a new Government comes to power. If it isn’t, we will see more people on the streets and kids growing up in unacceptable temporary accommodation.”
Faulkner points to research which suggests that for every £1 spent on building a new home, £2.41 is put back into the economy, so housing drives much needed economic growth.
She continued: “We are short of one million social homes, as a result, we have one million households on benefits renting in a poorly regulated private rented sector and not enough affordable homes for the next generation to buy. Robbing Peter to pay Paul policies by reducing the PRS to support first-time buyers has resulted in more people on the streets and in temporary accommodation and the biggest rise in rents we have seen for years.
“We need a strategy that eradicates our shameful housing waiting lists. Focusing on this will free up more homes to rent and buy in the private sector.
“We can no longer allow politics to drive the housing market the way it has over the last 30 years. We can fix our housing crisis, but only if the public and private sector work together to fund decent homes in all tenures.”
Housing set to be key battleground for 2024 general election
I suppose Kate Faulkner believes that all of her ideas are not ‘politicised’, rather simply matters of fact.
If Ms. Faulkner believes she can fix the housing crisis then she should run for office.
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She is right however, Housing should not be a political tool, it should be managed by a cross-party group with an equal amount of MPs from each party. Obviously there needs to be a ‘first amongst equals’ type situation with power to break a deadlock or veto a plan, but they should have a 4 year term which cannot be changed in a year with a general election. And the PM cannot replace the ‘First’ without agreement from the ‘Equals’ so that they cannot force decisions. Obviously criminal convictions/gross misconduct etc are exceptions, but hopefully the Equals would agree to that anyway… Ideally, the ‘First’ would have to remove themselves from the political party and be classed as Independent during their term, to be reinstated in their party at the end.
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Is that workable in practice? When you say there should be an equal number of MPs from each party are you saying, for example, that the SNP should get as many MPs as Labour/Conservative? Why should that be the case? Or do you mean proportionate to their representation in the house of commons? In which case, is it not naïve to expect those MPs not to follow party lines?
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Ah yes, the same Kate Faulkner who believes that qualifications equate skill.
I think the biggest misunderstanding in the country is that “everyone deserve to own their own home”. No they don’t, they deserve to have somewhere to live for an affordable price. Ownership is a luxury, not a right.
Step 1. Remove the “Right to Buy”
Step 2. Build more f***ing homes.
Whilst I agree that housing needs to be de-politicised, the same could be said about every other issue i.e. Healthcare, Education, Infrastructure, Trade etc…
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