NALC calls for more social and affordable housing

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) today called for the government to enable more social and affordable housing to be built and provided for those otherwise unable to access this accommodation.

Responding to the Affordable Housing Commission’s call for evidence which is investigating long term solutions to shortages and the cost of housing, NALC recognised that simply building more private housing to hit national housing targets was not the answer and was certainly not reducing the average cost of housing in England. There needs to be more affordable rented accommodation built and provided for the main four social groups the commission does not believe can afford housing at the moment – struggling renters, frustrated homeowners, people reliant on state support and those facing affordability issues in older age.

NALC also agrees that despite austerity cuts since the coalition government was in power (2010-15) the third and growing group being analysed by the commission – those on state support – should not be forgotten and there is a need for much more social housing to be built and provided by the government, its related housing agencies and registered social landlords. This is because there has not been a concerted investment in building more council houses nationally since the Conservative Government was in power in the 1980s.

Cllr Sue Baxter, chairman of NALC, said: “NALC welcomed the chance to respond to the Affordable Housing Commission call for evidence and we fully endorse its work. We continue to believe that the housing market nationally is broken and cannot simply be fixed by building new affordable homes only to buy our own. We think the government should facilitate the provision of more affordable housing in general including in particular more affordable housing to rent or lease. And we firmly believe that more social housing needs to be built and provided as part of this equation so that the most vulnerable and poorest residents from parished areas in England can access the accommodation they need."