Ministers urged to set homes targets
REPORT: Ministers should set regional targets to ensure that tens of thousands of homes needed in the future are built, a new report recommends.
The research, which has been commissioned for major housing associations, suggests Yorkshire will need more than 20,000 new homes a year over the next decade.
MINISTERS SHOULD set regional targets to ensure that tens of thousands of homes which areas including Yorkshire will need in the years ahead are built, a new report published today recommends.
The research, which has been commissioned for major housing associations, suggests Yorkshire will need more than 20,000 new homes a year over the next decade.
Their report argues that striking long-term deals on rents with social landlords and putting more responsibility for identifying sites for new homes in the hands of combined authorities, along with regional house-building targets, could help meet the intense demand for properties.
Mark Henderson, the chairman of Homes for the North, which represents 19 housing associations, said: “Over the past decade 300,000 highly skilled workers have left the North.
“The Government urgently need to stem this ‘brain drain’ to ensure our regional economies have the ability to flourish and compete with London.
“Housing could play a vital role. While much of the debate over projected demand has been centred around the capital, our research shows that almost a third of new homes in England will be required across our great Northern regions, especially around cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Newcastle.”
He added: “To meet the expected demand in new housing across the North, we need a more diverse market.
“Providers like us could double the amount we build if only government released more public land for development and provided more certainty over future housing funding. “
The research found that the Leeds City Region area – which includes Leeds, West Yorkshire, parts of North Yorkshire and Barnsley – has the highest expected demand of any part of the North of England at 13,000 new homes every year.
The report suggests the biggest demand will be for two and threebedroom homes but found a lack of detail in existing housing plans on the kind of properties which will be required.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid MP last week confirmed negotiations are under way between the Government and Leeds City Council to agree a ‘housing deal’ to deliver a significant number of new homes in the city.
More detail is expected to be published in the Budget later this year.
Mr Javid said: “We welcome Homes for the North’s ambition to drive up housing supply and provide many new homes where people want to live.
“This ambition is entirely in line with our recent White Paper, which set out our own plans to increase housing supply.
“Our £3bn Home Building Fund is helping to build thousands of high-quality rented homes so tenants in the North and across the UK have greater choice and our flexible £7.1bn Affordable Homes Programme is supporting regions around the country to achieve their housing ambitions.
“We recently announced a housing deal with Leeds, and hope to announce deals with other places at Autumn Budget.
“Through this package of measures we’re helping to fix the broken housing market and boost growth across the North.”
According to the latest figures from the National Housing Federation, the average cost of a property in Yorkshire is £174,171, while the average wage is £24,284.
However, in property hotspots in Yorkshire such as the Harrogate district, the average cost of a home is £305,442.
Providers like us could double the amount we build. Mark Henderson, chairman of Homes for the North, representing housing associations.