Monday, 4 August 2014

OECD Urges UK to Halve Ceiling for Housing Scheme

Britain should more than halve the ceiling for its housing scheme for first-time buyers, before it begins distorting the market.  George Osborne should slash the £600,000 limit for properties qualifying on the Help to Buy scheme, and start to scale back the mortgage subsidy scheme, according to OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria. Last week, UK ministers said nearly 40,000 people had benefited from the programme and used it to buy a house. However, critics of Help to Buy have long said the scheme looks designed to win support for the government ahead of elections in May 2015 and that it adds to the risks of a housing price bubble. Gurria said that the government should lower the eligible house price limit to the national average, £262,000, and also begin the process of winding down the programme over about a year.  Read more on the euronews website.

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