Land Costs Holding Back Development Of Retirement Communities

Access and cost of land was the single largest barrier to dedicated retirement communities being developed. Winckworth Sherwood in a survey of 300 housing, health and social care professions asked: what holds back the retirement living market and why the UK has not yet seen the rise of dedicated retirement communities? 28% of respondents told the firm the availability and costs of land are the single largest barrier, followed by a lack of funding (22%). A further 13% blame the cost of development and construction, with 9% saying the planning regime in England. 36% said that large scale retirement villages are still a decade away, with 40% believing we will have to wait at least 20 years. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/land-costs-holding-back-development-of-retirement-communities/

DWP: Homelessness Presents ‘Significant Barriers To Employment’

The DWP has said in a new report that “homelessness can present significant barriers to employment”. The report states “without a stable home, most families struggle” and these struggles can make finding employment difficult. The lack of a permanent address is also highlighted as a problem, with communication from employers and the inability to open a bank account turning many employers off. The report also found those in temporary accommodation or rough sleeping are subject to “employer discrimination” – both during hiring and dismissal once their homelessness is discovered. Read more on 24housing.

Delivering More Homes Through Small Sites

New research produced by the FMB and the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has revealed some of the barriers to developing small sites and makes a set of practical recommendations on how local authorities and SME builders can work together to overcome these. Among findings, the surveys found that:

·         87% of local authorities said that they did not think the Government would reach its housing targets with current resourcing levels.

·         79% of SME builders think the planning application for small sites is ‘too heavy-handed’

·         55% of local authorities said that the quality of planning applications for small sites is often poor

·         80% of SME builders said that local authorities in their area do not proactively communicate or engage with them

Download the report from the FMB website.

Home Group To Help Those Set To Miss Out On Right To Buy

Home Group has devised a way to help its customers overcome one of the biggest barriers to owning a place of their own – saving for a deposit while paying rent. Home Group has committed to match, pound for pound, the Government cash bonus to savers using a Help to Buy ISA to save for a mortgage deposit. In what is believed to be a sector first, Home Group will also commit to a house price inflation freeze of up to five years as customers gather a deposit to buy their home. Customers who express an intention to buy their home could also benefit from reduced rent while they are saving. Read more on the Home Group website.