The government remains committed to delivering one million new build homes in England by 2020, in an effort to tackle the growing housing crisis.
The Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis met with members of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), whose members build around 80% of new build homes in England and Wales, last week to reaffirm that housing is still a top priority for the government and reiterate its commitment to building significantly more new homes.
This ambition is underpinned by a record £20bn housing package announced at Spending Review and government-backed schemes, including Help to Buy and Shared Ownership, which have supported over 309,000 homeowners since 2010.
Communities Secretary Greg Clark said: “The action we have taken over the last six years to get the country building again has put the industry in a position of strength. We have doubled investment in housing and set out the largest affordable house building program since the 1970s.
“The need for new homes continues as does the government’s commitment to getting them built and extending homeownership to anyone that aspires to own a home of their own.”
The mounting supply-demand imbalance in the market have pushed up both property prices and rents across many parts of the country, and despite the uncertainty around the EU vote, the HBF and its members have stated that all indicators show reservations and sales rates have not been affected by last month’s referendum.
Parties spoke of their confidence in the strength of the housing market with strong demand for housing. The government and HBF agreed to continue to work jointly over the coming weeks to ensure shared ambitions are met.
Peter Andrew, deputy chairman at the HBF, said: “We were very pleased to hear the Secretary of State reaffirm the government’s commitment to increasing housing supply. We welcome his reiteration of support for successful programmes like the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme which is underpinning demand and helping tens of thousands of buyers each year to take their first steps on the housing ladder.
“Housebuilders remain confident in the underlying level of demand for housing and will continue to deliver the homes the country needs.”
