40,000 Have Bought a Home through Help to Buy

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis has announced that almost 40,000 households have bought a home through the Help to Buy scheme. Not everyone was impressed, though. Over 32,500 households bought new build homes through the equity loan and NewBuy options, with a further 7,300 sales though the mortgage guarantee (full figures at the end of this report). Over 80% have gone to first time buyers. Responding to the limited impact of the scheme in London and other expensive areas, Alex Hilton, director of Generation Rent, said: "These numbers prove that help to buy is not delivering where homes are most needed, which is where there are jobs.” Read more on the Housing Excellence website.