Government criticised over number of affordable homes supplied

In the space of a year the government has only supplied 60,000 affordable homes.

Government criticised over number of affordable homes supplied

Estate agent Benham and Reeves has criticised the government for supplying only 60,000 affordable homes in the space of a year.

ONS data revealed that from April 2017 to March 2018, 60,000 affordable homes were built, bought or rehabilitated.

Some 47,100 were in England, 8,600 in Scotland, 2,300 in Wales and 2,300 in Northern Ireland.

Marc von Grundherr, director of Benham and Reeves, said: “If you’re looking for the smoking gun behind the UK’s housing crisis, look no further than the hugely inadequate levels of affordable housing being delivered to the sector.

“Just 60,000 homes delivered in a year and no change in the level of social housing in a decade is pitiful, to say the least, and suggests that the government has given up trying altogether.

“Affordability is an issue not just in the London market but nationwide, and an issue that is largely exacerbated by a failure to build more homes at all levels to keep pace with a growing population and an increase in buyer demand.

“If we’re going to alleviate some of the strain on the market we must build more and this, in turn, will help boost affordability.”

As of April 2018 there were estimated to be five million homes in the social housing sector across the UK, representing a sixth of all properties.