Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
– so we’re moving to Wales’
might have inherited their grandad’s house, for example, and rented it out – now they will just sell it.
“So it hasn’t gone into the private rented sector.
“Those variables have created an incredibly short supply of properties available.”
Mr Bainbridge says they have seen some people from London looking to move out of the capital making big offers on homes up for sale in Canterbury.
He said: “It’s happening in certain instances with exceptional properties.
“We have seen £25,000+ being offered over the guide price on homes in the £350,000-£500,000 market.
“It’s a trend that’s there at the moment. It does make it difficult in terms of affordability.”
Mr Bainbridge says interfering with the market is “a very dangerous game to play”.
“There has to be an emphasis on creating affordable supply for people to rent,” he added.
Canterbury and Whitstable MP Rosie Duffield says young people should not have to move away or to live with their parents for years in order to eventually find a home of their own.
“I am extremely concerned about the high prices that local people are having to pay in order to rent a home,” she said.
“People struggling to save up to get on the housing ladder are having to pay significant sums every month just to rent.”
The Labour politician highlights how the number of households in the private rented sector has increased by more than a million since 2010, with one in four families with children now renting privately.
At the same time, average private rents have risen by more than £2,000 a year compared to 2010, ahead of wage growth for many people.
“It’s clear that we have a broken housing system that is in desperate need of reform,” Ms Duffield said.
“We need to rebalance the system away from developers and towards local communities, closing loopholes to stop developers from wriggling out of commitments to building affordable homes, and giving stronger powers to our councils to deliver the affordable housing that communities actually need, rather than housing to maximise developers’ profits.”
Ms Duffield says more homes need to be built for social rent in order to reduce pressure on the private rented sector.
She added: “People deserve to be able to live in good-quality, safe and secure homes that are affordable to rent.
“Young people sh uld not have to move away or h e to live with their parents for y ars to scrape together the mone for a deposit. I want to see firs buyers getting the priori y to buy new homes.
“We need an am tion from the government to re establish the link between gen nely affordable housing and erage earnbringing ings, aff dable rents and the prospect home ownership much close for those who are currently loc d out of the housing system.”
Conservative M Craig Mackinlay, who repr ents South Thanet, says p anning and housebuilding “c uses commuconcern nity perhaps like no other”.
“I have said fo many years that piecemeal ad tions to our towns and villages simply misses the point and add to local pressures,” he added.
“Far better, i my view, for Kent-wide stratof egy a potennew-town tial development properly connected and planned for to provide supposed new housing need.”