Report Urges Government to Start Building Houses to Save Economy

A new report - from Financial firm Tullett Prebon - urges the Government to start a huge house-building programme to pull the economy out of recession and claims that over the last two decades successive governments' housing policies have been "a complete shambles".  It claims that investment in a national house-building programme might "kick-start the economy", and is one of the "very few policy options available to government".  The authors point out that increased demand increases prices, whilst a surplus of housing lowers them. The report claims that a doubling in Housing Benefit over the last decade (from £121bn to £221bn) has pushed up prices and sent waiting lists soaring by 80%.  Read more on 24dash.