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Morning Briefing: concern over homeowner use of Help to Buy

New figures suggest many households using Help to Buy are not first-time buyers, and Shelter closes its only branch in Cornwall

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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Morning Briefing: fresh concern over Help to Buy #ukhousing

In the news

One in five homes sold through Help to Buy were to existing homeowners using the programme to trade up to a bigger property according to research by estate agency Hamptons International, The Times reports.

The research findings are likely to further fuel concerns that the scheme, designed to assist first-time buyers, is actually helping existing homeowners. Labour has argued the scheme does not represent good value for taxpayers’ money, while the Liberal Democrats say the scheme is pushing up prices.

The Financial Times reports that a bank has refused to lend against a London development by Taylor Wimpey, due to concerns about lease arrangements. The paper says the house builder is “facing fresh scrutiny over complicated leases sold to customers.”


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Various local newspapers have published stories about Right to Buy sales in their areas following the release of the latest government statistics a few weeks ago.

The Yorkshire Evening Post and the Somerset County Gazette both published stories yesterday about rising Right to Buy sales in their areas, whereas the The Argus reports that sales in Brighton have fallen year-on-year.

The government has now published a frequently asked questions document to sit alongside its prospectus for extra council borrowing released earlier in the summer. Inside Housing will update you later today.

The housing charity Shelter has closed its only branch in Cornwall, the Cornwall Live news site has reported. The decision has led to accusations from a councillor that the charity is “sneaking off” in the middle of a housing crisis.

Many news outlets reported the minute’s silence for Grenfell victims at the Notting Hill Carnival in London yesterday, here is the BBC’s take.

The housing supply crisis, as Inside Housing commentators have noted, is no longer confined just to the cities, but is hitting rural and more remote areas as well. The Shetland Times newspaper is reporting that Shetland Islands Council is struggling to recruit staff because of a lack of housing nearby.

On social media

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Futures group of young housing professionals have paid tribute to Alison Inman, whose term as CIH president is shortly coming to an end:

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