MHCLG Housing Target Currently Unachievable

The government does not yet have “all the ingredients” it needs to hit its target of 300,000 new homes by 2025, according to a leading civil servant. Permanent secretary at the MHCLG Melanie Dawes has told MPs that the target is “very challenging”. Announcements in the Spending Review were key to working out how far the department could go to achieving its target, she added. Dawes told the Public Accounts Committee: “We have got a pretty comprehensive strategy but wouldn’t say at this stage that we have all the ingredients we need to get the 300,000 on the table. In particular, we don’t have information yet on our capital budgets beyond this Spending Review period.” Read more on the Public Finance website.

https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2019/04/top-civil-servant-admits-government-housing-target-unachievable1

Johnson Was Warned Over ‘Unrealistic’ Landlords Scheme

Boris Johnson's flagship plan to help hard-up renters was “unrealistic and unachievable”, according to papers released by Sadiq Khan. Data also published by the new Mayor shows that Mr Johnson’s plan to persuade 100,000 landlords to commit to higher standards attracted just 1,800 over four years. The former Tory Mayor’s proposal was so unrealistic it put City Hall’s reputation at risk, officials warned. The London Rental Standard (LRS) initiative was announced by Mr Johnson four years ago to raise the number of accredited landlords to 100,000 by 2016. It inherited about 13,300 landlords from previous schemes but as of March this year had only attracted a further 1,845. In February 2013 officials warned that the 100,000 target was “clearly unrealistic and unachievable”. Read more on the Evening Standard website.