3rd Report: Building more social housing
Select Committee
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
HC 173
27 July 2020
Government response
Building more social housing: Government response to the Select Committee Report · published 14 Oct 2020
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
1
Conclusion
Not Addressed
The housing market in England has changed substantially since the last time there was political...
Conclusion
The housing market in England has changed substantially since the last time there was political consensus on the need to build large numbers of social housing. The decades in which social housing was delivered at scale featured different mechanisms than …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response focuses on current definitions of affordability and existing social housing programmes, which does not directly address the Committee's conclusion regarding historical market changes and the role of political will in delivering social housing.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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12
Recommendation
Not Addressed
Para 89
The Government should count investment in social housing as infrastructure spending, rather than day-to-day spending.
Recommendation
The Government should count investment in social housing as infrastructure spending, rather than day-to-day spending. Evidence shows that spending on a long-term social housebuilding programme pays back to the Exchequer over time. Furthermore, such a programme could be counter-cyclical, both …
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Government Response Summary
The government details the new Affordable Homes Programme and its extended funding timeline, but does not address the recommendation to count social housing investment as infrastructure spending rather than day-to-day spending.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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16
Recommendation
Not Addressed
To ensure the programme can get off to swift start, we recommend the Government allows...
Recommendation
To ensure the programme can get off to swift start, we recommend the Government allows grant funding to be used flexibly to allow providers to purchase new build homes or homes close to completion from developers which may go unsold …
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Government Response Summary
The government explains that the Affordable Homes Programme's primary purpose is new supply, limiting acquisitions of existing homes. While it mentions extending existing programmes due to Covid-19 and monitoring the market, it does not commit to allowing flexible grant funding for providers to purchase unsold new build homes.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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