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National Independent Inquiry into the Affordable Homes Crisis

25 January 2012

What are Civil Society's views on how to address the affordable homes crisis?  

Please find below background information on:

• The affordable housing crisis
• This inquiry and why it seeks the voices of civil society organisations
• The ten issues at the heart of the inquiry
• Details on how to get involved.

 

The Affordable Housing Crisis 

There is a need for more, fit for purpose, affordable homes to buy or rent in England because:

• There is a shortfall in housing – the gap between the number of homes required and the number being built is projected to be 750,000 by 2025
• The average home price is now more than 8 times the average salary
• Over 1.6 million households are on waiting lists for local authority and housing association homes
• The average age of a first time buyer is now 37 and rising
• Rents in the private rented sector continue to grow faster than incomes in many parts of the country and tenancies remain insecure
• Unaffordable housing is one of the principal factors that is pushing people into poverty in the UK, with an additional 1.2 million children and 2.2 million adults in poverty after housing costs are taken into account compared to before housing costs (making in total 3.8 million and 7.9million, respectively.)

Recent independent polling commissioned by Housing Voice found that affordable housing is in fact a greater concern for families than education or crime. The survey also found that 71% think the Coalition Government is either giving ‘none’ or ‘not much’ attention to affordable housing, However, there is also a clear sense that whilst things might be beginning to change, housing has been de-politicised and deprioritised with the result that the public do not see housing as an issue for politicians in the same way as health and education.

 

Civil Society and the Inquiry

In this context, Housing Voice – the affordable homes alliance – is conducting a National Inquiry into the Affordable Homes Crisis and how it is solved, specifically to hear the “voices” of civil society on this all important issue.

Whilst the Government states its support for affordable housing, the policy response needs to be significantly scaled up. It is time for those in civil society and those with direct experience of the housing crisis to have a greater voice. The National Inquiry into the Affordable Homes Crisis will gather evidence on the key issues being faced by those who can’t afford or are struggling to afford a decent home. It will also invite views on what measures need to be introduced to address the need for more affordable homes in different parts of the country.

The National Inquiry into the Affordable Homes Crisis – chaired by Lord Whitty and supported by Citizens Advice, CDS Co-operatives, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), National Union of Students (NUS), the National Housing Federation, Sitra – the charity for supported people, TUC and UNISON - will gather evidence from across the country and want to hear your views.

 

Ten Issues at the heart of the Inquiry

Views on being sought on the following:

1. People’s housing aspirations and how these are being met in the current housing market including in different parts of the country. For example, is there adequate provision of affordable and decent (warm, not overcrowded and viable space for people who work from home) homes.
2. The factors that influence affordability in different parts of the country. For example, are wages/salaries keeping pace with housing costs? What other household costs impact most on people’s ability to afford where they live?
3. The barriers which exist to the availability of new affordable homes in different parts of the country. For example, are there issues around availability of land? Are there sensitivities amongst existing communities towards the development of new affordable homes? Is the planning system facilitating the delivery of enough affordable homes?
4. The specific issues regarding affordable homes and the private rented sector. For example, do tenants need more protection and extended tenancies? Will private investors deliver affordability, decent homes and security for tenants?
5. The specific issues regarding affordable homes and the social rented housing (council housing and housing associations). For example, how can housing associations and local authorities build more homes for rent? Is the “affordable rent” initiative a help or a hindrance? Does giving a higher priority to those in work on waiting lists have a role to play in a revitalised public housing sector?
6. The specific issues regarding affordable homes and the owner occupation sector. For example, could community land trusts play a bigger role in providing cheap homes to buy for example using intermediate options such as shared ownership? Does the FSA need to re-evaluate (reduce) risk associated with intermediate ownership and mutual ownership? Could compulsory insurance help provide security to buyers and lenders? Should more help be provided to people saving for a deposit?
7. New and innovative models. For example, is there a need to do more to promote original methods to facilitate more house building for example mutual and co-operative solutions?
8. Welfare reform changes. For example, are housing benefit changes making it difficult to manage housing costs and/or impacting on access to decent housing? What will be the cumulative impact of introduction of universal credit, the cap and direct payments as well as changes to crisis loans?
9. Other measures being proposed that might help to address the affordable housing crisis. For example: rent controls, easing planning restrictions and/or creating a new planning use class of housing for rent, large investment in new homes provided by local authorities and housing associations, an affordability standard, assisting institutional (private) investors to fund affordable housing provision, a Royal Commission on Affordable Homes?
10. Prioritisation. For example is it felt that the Government should give greater priority to delivering affordable housing? Is housing for supported (vulnerable) people also receiving sufficient attention from policy makers and politicians given its future importance?

How to get involved?

The Inquiry is seeking views from civil society and to hear from all those with experience of, or indeed opinions about, affordable housing (whether to rent or buy). If you are an individual or an organization we want to hear from you. This is how you can get involved:

1. Complete the online survey
We want to hear individual voices and learn about your housing aspirations. Complete the online survey to give evidence to the Inquiry. The survey can be found on our website: www.housingvoice.co.uk

If you prefer to write in with the answers to the survey or the 10 issues in the Terms of Reference please write to:
Steve Barwick
Secretariat
National Independent Inquiry into Affordable Homes Crisis
c/o Housing Voice
PO Box 67187
London SW1P 9SZ

 

2. Give written evidence
Written evidence is invited from community groups, charities, advocacy organisations, consumer groups, businesses, trade unions, tenant organisations, local authorities, housing associations, students and other young persons, academics, politicians and housing experts.

Please submit written evidence responding to the ten issues set out in the Terms of Reference for the Inquiry by emailing s.barwick@connectpa.co.uk. Your submission should be no more than 3,000 words and include an executive summary. Please ensure you include your contact details. Hard copies of evidence will be accepted and should be mailed to the above address. 

The deadline for all written evidence is 30th March 2012

 

3. Attend an oral evidence hearing
If you would like to come to one of the oral evidence sessions and/or to give oral evidence please complete the online survey or submit evidence at least one week in advance of the oral hearing date you are interested in attending. We will shortlist contributions for the hearing but very much hope that as many people will be able to attend. 

Please indicate whether you can attend one of the four sessions to give your evidence in person and, if so, which one, by completing the online survey (www.housingvoice.co.uk) or by sending an email to s.barwick@connectpa.co.uk.

Specific hearings will be held in the following areas:

• South West: Exeter Friday 9th December
• North: Manchester Friday 24th February
• London and South: Central London Thursday 29th March
• Midlands: Birmingham/Leicester Friday 30th March

PLEASE NOTE: The Inquiry is concerned with ALL forms of housing tenure e.g., social housing provided by councils and housing associations, co-operatives, private rented accommodation and owner-occupation as well as intermediate housing.

For further information please contact Steve Barwick, Housing Voice Secretariat at s.barwick@connectpa.co.uk  or call 0207 222 3533

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