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99% Fall In Social Housing Starts

November 22, 2011 3:51 pm

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20111122-154826.jpgOnly 24 hours after the Tories unveiled their housing strategy, their credibility on the subject has taken a hit. Homes and Communities Agency Statistics show that “starts” of Homes for Social Rent have fallen by over 99% in the last 6 months from 26,330 to 259. Similarly, “Total Affordable Housing Starts” have fallen by 99% over the last 6 months from 35,735 to 454.

Jack Dromey MP, Labour’s Shadow Housing Minister, has responded to the statistics, saying:

“These figures show the disastrous impact of this Government’s 60% cut of £4bn to Labour’s Affordable Homes Programme. Housing starts fell 99% for homes at Social Rent from 26,300 to 259 and total Affordable Homes also fell 99% from 35,735 to just 454.”

“Only one day on from the launch of the Government’s Housing Strategy, this out of touch Government’s credibility has been shattered. Grant Shapps likes to claim that last year his Government built more affordable homes for rent than any time since 1995-6 but the facts show that the 60,000 new affordable homes built last year were planned for, financed and started by the last Labour government.”

While it’s usual for there to be a drop in housing starts in April-September compared to October-March, the drop this time around is especially severe – only 454 affordable homes started (compared to nearly 14,000 over the same period last year) is bad by anyone’s standards…

Related posts:

  1. Where is the affordable housing?
  2. Social housing is dead
  3. Social housing cuts: Driving the poor out of London
  4. A sinister social housing agenda
  5. Ed’s error – opening the social housing allocations can of worms
  • Anonymous

    A 99% fall in anything is an amazing drop but I think there’s an element of selective usage of statistics going on here.

    These figures relate to housing starts from specific government schemes, the more broadly based measures show much less of a decline:

    http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/2030989.pdf

    Total of housing association and local authority quarterly housing starts, seasonally adjusted (total starts – inc private enterprise):

    July-Sept 2010-11:  5990 (25,910)
    July-Sept 2011-12:  4170 (23,410)

    30% fall in housing association and local authority housing starts so pretty bad but not quite the complete halt claimed.

    • Anonymous

      I suspect this is down to the recession we are rapidly heading for, and of course the problems with the Tories rent changes and banks not leading to housing associations.

      But again labour has sod all to state about the Tories it own  social housing has been  so poor  it was beyond a joke.  Affordable homes down in my area have all gone over to rents because nobody can get a mortgage or afford the affordable homes.

  • Anonymous

    I’m also concerned hearing that large chunks of social housing is being demolished in some cities.
    There seems to be some element of “quotas” mentioned, imposed on local councils?
    Not all of it of poor quality; it seems a mixed picture.

    Why not renovate substantial amount of existing stock and repair old properties for example;
    rather than build wholesale more small sized boxy houses, and unnattractive modern housing estates, encroaching on to countryside?

    Also- how will these properties be substantially cheaper to attract people on low incomes
    or first time buyers?

    (I think discussion was on “You and Yours” R4- G. Shapps a few days ago.)

    Thankyou, Jo.

  • http://www.affinitysutton.com/about_us/housebuilding_programme.aspx steve @ affordable housing

    These figures are misleading, but the message they promotes is an important one – there is a serious lack of housebuilding going on, not to mention massive shortfalls in affordable and social housing. Houses are more expensive, mortgages harder to obtain, private rents growing and all whilst salaries are remaining static and housing benefits are being cut…

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