More cash for housing needed

THE lack of finance needed to build homes and buy homes is at the heart of the housing crisis, say the National Federation of Builders and the Federation of Master Builders.

Julia Evans, NFB chief executive, says: “We know that finance is at the heart of our current difficulties.

“Recognition of that is a start, but we need solutions. The idea of putting future quantitative easing through local authorities is certainly one which should be explored.

“We need finance to flow to where it is needed. Local authorities are at the coalface of delivering the housing we need and they are used to working with smaller volume builders to develop smaller sites.”