As the country’s housing shortage grows, the majority of British people would support more council and housing association homes being built in their local area, new research reveals.
Currently only half the number of homes needed to keep up with demand are being built every year and there is already a backlog of undersupply. As the shortage of affordable homes grows, the new research suggests that there is public support for building the homes that are needed.
The research by Ipsos MORI, launched today to mark national #HousingDay, shows that:
- Over half (58 per cent) of the British public support more social housing being built in their local area.
- 80 per cent of British people say social housing should be available for people who can’t afford the cost of private renting as well as being a safety net for the most vulnerable.
- More than two out of three British people (67 per cent) say that social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty in Britain.
As social housing, which is set at lower rents, continues to be in short supply more people are now living in more expensive private lets at the same time as wages are flatlining. However, the research findings show that an overwhelming majority of people don’t want social housing to become only a safety net for the most vulnerable, but to remain an option for anyone on lower incomes who can’t afford private rents.
The National Housing Federation, which is backing #HousingDay, highlights that housing associations provide affordable homes for five million people in England and have the capability to provide homes for one in five people by 2033.
Gill Payne, director of policy and external affairs at the National Housing Federation, said: “Everyone needs a decent home they can afford to live in and we should be proud of our country’s social housing that provides just that for millions of people across the country.
“But sadly, after decades of governments failing to build the affordable homes we need, we’re now faced with a housing crisis that can only be solved by having the right homes in the right places at a price that people can actually afford.
“We’ve previously found that eight out of ten people don’t believe any of the main political parties would effectively deal with housing but we think they have an opportunity to change that and prove people wrong. We’re calling on all political parties to invest in more affordable homes and to commit to end the housing crisis within a generation.”
