East Midlands Housebuilding Lags Behind Demand

Just 12,420 homes were built between April 2014 and March 2015 in the East Midlands, new government figures show.  That is 8,080 homes short of 20,500 - widely accepted as the number of new homes needed in the East Midlands every year just to keep up with demand. The National Housing Federation is calling on the new Government to invest in building new homes, including much needed affordable homes for low rent and shared ownership.  It highlights that 4,100 new affordable homes are needed each year in the East Midlands but that just 2,110 were built. In the past year housing associations have built 2,090 new homes in the East Midlands, while local councils built just 20 over the same period. Read more on Spire Homes website.

Council Offers Grants to Build 'Affordable' Homes

Wandsworth Council is offering grant funding to public and private sector developers to build 'affordable' rent homes in the borough. To qualify for a share of the £4 million subsidy pot, developers must be able to show the grant will be used to provide additional homes for low cost rent over and above the number already funded and approved. The council will earn 'nomination rights' for any homes built with the grant funds - with priority going to Wandsworth residents who meet the local eligibility rules. Read more on 24dash.

No Evidence That Immigrants Have Preferential Access to Social Housing

Recent research has looked at the access of immigrants to social housing.  This is important because rents in the social sector remain substantially below those in the private sector, and the social sector offers much greater stability of tenure.  So social tenancies are very valuable to certain parts of the population.  Around a quarter of white British people in the UK feel that they are treated worse than people of other races by social landlords (councils and housing associations). This perception has varied a little over time but it has been consistently high. Such a level is extremely high – only the black community feel more discriminated against by parts of the criminal justice system than white people do by social landlords. Although most immigrants are likely to be eligible to apply for social housing, there is no evidence (once demographic, regional and economic circumstances are controlled for) that they have preferential access to social housing – if anything the reverse seems to be the case. Read more on the LSE website.

Government to Target High Earners Living in Council Houses

Thousands of people earning at least £100,000 a year live in council houses subsidised by the taxpayer. Figures show that around 5,000 people on six-figure salaries are paying cheap rent on properties owned by councils or housing associations. Figures compiled by the CLG show that high earners are subsidised by the taxpayer by £4,200 a year through low rents. Read more on the Daily Mirror website.