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Councils issue social rent warning as supply drops to historic low
Councils have called on the government not to eliminate ‘social rented’ homes from the official affordable housing definition, as the latest statistics show just 2.48% of new homes were built for the tenure.
The Local Government Association today called on ministers to ensure the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) continues to make a reference to social rent when a new version is published soon.
Inside Housing reported in May that a draft version of the document for consultation contains no reference to the tenure, which provides low cost rental homes for people on low incomes.
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According to statistics released last week just 2.48% of the 160,470 homes completed in 2016/17 were for social rent, down from 3.59% in the previous financial year.
All forms of affordable housing – including affordable homes for purchase through various initiatives - fell to 19% of new homes completed in 2016/17, the second-lowest figure ever recorded.
The previous low, 17.2%, was recorded in 2015/16 and before then, the figure had never slipped below 20% since records began.
The LGA, which represents 370 councils across England and Wales, will be publishing a new report “Housing, Planning and Homelessness” at its Annual Conference in Birmingham on Tuesday ahead of the government’s forthcoming Green Paper.
Judith Blake, housing spokesperson for the LGA, said: “Councils are determined to ensure their residents have access to affordable housing. By removing social rent from the definition of affordable housing, the Government has effectively removed the tool to help that happen.
“It’s essential that homes of all types and tenure are available so that local communities can deliver a balance of housing to meet a mix of needs. Homes for social rent can, alongside starter homes and new builds, play an important role in a thriving housing market.”
An MHCLG spokesman said:“Our proposed new planning rules make crystal clear that councils should be planning for all types of affordable homes in their area, including properties for social rent.
“We have ambitious plans to deliver the affordable housing this country needs. At least 12,500 social rent homes will be built in high cost areas as part of a £1.67bn funding boost and we are providing £9bn overall to deliver more affordable homes.”
