The Housing Forum
@housingforum.org.uk
1.2K followers 860 following 140 posts
A Quality Home For All - The cross-sector, public & private #ukhousing industry membership body representing 150+ organisations. RT ≠ endorsement https://housingforum.org.uk/
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
housingforum.org.uk
Our new report, with the 1.5m Home Campaign is now out: housingforum.org.uk/wp-content/u...
It reveals the top 10 things councils believe hold them back from delivering more homes. Viability and funding top the list.
Reposted by The Housing Forum
Reposted by The Housing Forum
annaclarke.bsky.social
Full details of what the Government is proposing to speed up property transactions now out - www.gov.uk/government/c...

The reasons for tackling this problem are pretty clear:
Reposted by The Housing Forum
annaclarke.bsky.social
A depressing set of stats from the HBF. The new Government has been trying to reform planning so why is this happening?

- New Planning Bill hasn't passed yet, nor have the new higher housing targets come into effect in most areas
- Housing market isn't strong
- Viability on small sites collapsing
Reposted by The Housing Forum
annaclarke.bsky.social
Build, build, build isn't much use as mantra if you then leave the new homes sitting empty for a year or more while the Building Safety Regulator gets round to approving them.

This process used to take a matter of days when local authorities were in charge of it. news.sky.com/story/bluesk...
Hundreds of empty flats that developers say sum up UK's housing crisis
Sir Keir Starmer has made house building one of his government's priorities, and regularly rails against NIMBY culture. But Sky News can reveal the government's own regulator has also been getting in ...
news.sky.com
housingforum.org.uk
The Building Safety Regulator's slow decision making and high number of refusals at 'Gateway 2' are grinding housebuilding to a halt in London especially.

And new evidence is starting to emerge of similar delays at Gateway 3 - which is is after the new homes are built, and ready to occupy:
housingforum.org.uk
We analysed data which showed that rents have fallen in real terms over the last 10 years. Average rents in 2014 were £92.30/wk. If they had kept up with inflation, they'd be £123.73, or if they’d kept up with earnings, they’d be £129.70. Instead they’re £109.44. housingforum.org.uk/reports/key-...
Recent trends in social rents and affordability : The Housing Forum
The Government is currently consulting on changes to social rents, which will allow the rent on some homes to increase gradually until they converge with their ‘target rent’. To help inform the discus...
housingforum.org.uk
housingforum.org.uk
This would reduce the risk of stock deterioration, improve the quality and supply of much-needed affordable homes and improve the financial stability of the sector.
housingforum.org.uk
We support rent convergence at rates of at least £2 per week. Many of our members would prefer to see a £3 cap, which would be on a par with the £2 cap that was used under the previous period of rent convergence, from 2012, adjusted for inflation.
housingforum.org.uk
We previously expressed concerns around proposals to use policy compliance to determine which applications go to committee, when this is rarely black and white. We are pleased to see that the Government has listened to these concerns and proposed criteria which look to be much more practical.
The Housing Forum responds to the Government's consultation on planning committees. : The Housing Forum
The Housing Forum has responded to the Government’s consultation on planning committees. You can read our responses in full here, Reform of planning committees consultation – response from The Housing...
housingforum.org.uk
housingforum.org.uk
Reducing the number of applications that go to committee would also reduce pressure on local planning departments, and could help improve the job-satisfaction and staff retention of professional planners, as they are being trusted to make more decisions.
housingforum.org.uk
Housing Forum members from across the sector agree that planning can become politicised in a way that does not serve the greater good, and that councillors can have pressure put upon them to block applications for reasons that aren't on balance in the best interests of current and future populations
housingforum.org.uk
We have responded to the Government’s consultation on planning committees. housingforum.org.uk/campaigns/th...
Our cross sector membership means that we are uniquely placed to bring together council planning officers with those who put in planning applications – housebuilders & housing associations.
The Housing Forum responds to the Government's consultation on planning committees. : The Housing Forum
The Housing Forum has responded to the Government’s consultation on planning committees. You can read our responses in full here, Reform of planning committees consultation – response from The Housing...
housingforum.org.uk
housingforum.org.uk
And there are some things we called where there's been little progress as yet. There's also the big newly-emerging issue that we flag which is the huge delays with the Building Safety Regulator - something we understand the Government is trying to address.
housingforum.org.uk
There are some areas where there's been progress made, but there's still more to do:
housingforum.org.uk
There's a long list of achievements where the Government should be really proud of having done so much in just one year
housingforum.org.uk
199,300 new homes were built last year - leaving 1.3m for Government to meet their target. Delivery will need to ramp up.

A year into the new parliament, we've looked back at the things we identified last year to see what's been done, and what's still to do.

housingforum.org.uk/reports/key-...