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Shelter slams government house building strategy

Samantha Partington
Written By:
Samantha Partington
Posted:
Updated:
18/02/2015

Housing charity Shelter has branded the government’s housebuilding efforts ‘a drop in the ocean’ after statistics revealed a 7% rise in annual completions.

In the 12 months to June, housing completions in England totalled 114,440 while housing starts reached 137,780 for the same period, a 22% rise compared with the previous year.

But Roger Harding, director of communications, policy and campaigns, said: “While this small increase may be heralded as a success, the reality is that the number of homes being built is a drop in the ocean compared to what’s actually needed.”

Housing completions for Q2 were 29,540, 39% lower than the peak of the market in the March quarter of 2007. Housing starts in quarter two at 36,230 were 26% lower than peak of the market, but 112% higher than the market trough in Q1 2009.

Harding said: “The government has talked about a ‘house building revolution’ but four years in we’ve barely seen evolution. Sadly we have the latest in a long line of successive administrations who’ve failed to deliver the homes that families across the country so desperately need.

“And worryingly, according to leaked documents, the government is expecting that these already low levels will start to fall.”

Aired in the House of Lords by Lord Wood of Anfield a document which came from the Department for Communities and Local Government is alledged to have revealed the government expects housing starts to fall by 4% this year.

Lord Wood said the forecast proved the government’s housing strategy was based on ‘denial, bad planning and passing the buck’.

Brandon Lewis became the latest minister to be handed the reins of the government’s housing strategy in David Cameron’s July cabinet reshuffle.

Lewis became the fourth person to occupy the position of housing minister since the current government came to power. He follows Grant Shapps, Mark Prisk and Kris Hopkins in taking on the role.

Hopkins, appointed in 2013, lasted eight months in the job.