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Councils are key to solving the housing crisis

The Town and Country Planning Association has produced guidance for councils on how to deliver affordable homes. TCPA chief executive Kate Henderson explains more.

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Councils are key to solving the housing crisis

The Town and Country Planning Association has produced guidance for councils on how to deliver affordable homes. TCPA chief executive Kate Henderson explains more

Local authorities pioneered the planning and delivery of high quality social housing in the 20th century. In the post-World War Two era, when there was a strong alignment between positive planning and public investment, we achieved the delivery of more than 300,000 public and private sector homes each year.


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Today, the role of the public sector in delivering social and affordable housing is unrecognisable from the post-War period. Housing associations have helped fill this gap; however, this is only a fraction of what the public sector built previously.

“There is a real opportunity for councils to be back at the cutting edge of solving the housing crisis.”

In 2015/16 the number of affordable homes in England fell to a 24-year low, with around 32,000 built, compared with 66,600 in the previous year. According to government figures, of the affordable homes built last year in England only 6,550 were for social rent.

The dominant model of providing new homes is now through private sector delivery and, as a consequence, we are nowhere near meeting the need for new homes in Britain.

Figures published by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) last month showed that 98% of councils describe their need for affordable housing as either severe or moderate. With sky-high rents and rising homelessness it is increasingly clear that the market alone will not deliver the homes the nation needs.

There is a real opportunity for councils to be back at the cutting edge of solving the housing crisis, playing a full and active role in planning, delivering and managing social and affordable homes, either on their own or in partnership. These are roles that many of them currently undertake but there is potential for them to do far more.

"There is a huge opportunity for councils to resume their historic role as one of the major builders."

That is why the TCPA, as part of a project funded by the Nationwide Foundation, has launched a new guidance document, designed to help councils decide the best way of delivering affordable homes in their area.

At a time of continued resource constraints at a local government level, this new guidance is designed to signpost councils towards available resources, including toolkits, case studies and evidence, to help them to decide the options available to them for securing affordable homes.

Through this initiative, looking at how councils can secure the delivery of more affordable homes through new models, partnerships and innovations, the TCPA will be providing practical training and guidance for councils and their delivery partners, including housing associations, alongside advocacy support for elected members.

The new government has the opportunity to shape the future of the nation. By providing strong political leadership, a progressive planning framework and genuinely empowering local authorities, there is a huge opportunity for councils to resume their historic role as one of the major builders of new homes, particularly affordable ones, in Britain.

Kate Henderson, chief executive, Town and Country Planning Association

 

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