In recent years, the UK government has relentlessly pushed a public/private partnership model to build the nation out of an affordable housing crisis.
As time goes by, the meagre handfuls of truly affordable housing that are delivered by these partnerships clearly do not begin to keep pace with the demand.
The national government is finally looking backwards to look forwards: resurrecting previously successful models for constructing large quantities of social rent housing. One model was to support the UK’s non-profit housing associations as active players in the homebuilding business.
Recently, the UK government made a ten year, ten billion dollar commitment to the country’s housing associations. Is it enough?
The organization that represents the non-profits, the National Housing Association, says a further step is necessary to build truly affordable housing. They need access to land.
Obtaining planning permission for a parcel of land increases its value on average by 275 times (that’s 27,500%). If housing associations buy permission-ready land at market rates, truly affordable homebuilding is impossible.
For a detailed look at the ingredients need for non-profit housing associations to build truly affordable, social rent housing, read more in pbctoday: Could This Solve The Housing Crisis?
