
The Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) have together released an annual report on the Affordable Housing Crisis in the UK to coincide with a Government consultation to revise its National Planning Policy Framework.
The report blames recent planning deregulation and the gradual defunding of affordable housing for the depth of the housing crisis.
Just how deep is it? Over 98% of Housing Councils across the United Kingdom report their need for affordable housing is moderate or severe.
With private builders now unshackled from some key planning regulations, councils have found their influence diminished when they seek to ensure that affordable housing is included in development schemes. This should hardly come as a surprise, as free enterprise pursues its own interests as exclusively as possible.
The report makes 10 recommendations, including a call for more social housing, placing constraints on the Right To Buy program, which has decimated social housing stock in the absence of a commitment to replace it.
Here’s the link to the report: Delivering affordable homes in a changing world: Ensuring councils can meet local housing need