Morning Briefing: lukewarm reaction to May’s announcements continues

In the news

While some worry that the prime minister’s latest housing announcements focus too much on homeownership and not enough on social housing, The Times’ ‘market intelligence’ section has the opposite fear.

It argues that Help to Buy only serves to drive up prices, making the “British dream” of homeownership even harder to realise.

Meanwhile, architecture magazine Dezeen has an interview with Ben Derbyshire, the new president of the Royal British Institute of Architects. Mr Derbyshire argues that Ms May’s £2bn for affordable housing is not enough.

Elsewhere, fire safety is still on the minds of local people in London. Hackney Citizen reports that experts have questioned local mayor Philip Glanville’s claim that the borough’s fire risk assessments are “up to date”.

In Camden, the relationship between the council and tenants of the Chalcots Estate has become no less bitter. The Camden New Journal reports on residents’ fears that an independent inquiry into what went wrong in those five towers has been shelved.

The same paper has another report on a Chalcots family, who it says have been fined for refusing to move back into their block after being evacuated by the council.

On social media

Missed by some in the ‘Premium’ section of The Telegraph, former special advisor Nick Timothy’s criticism of the Treasury over housing yesterday is now causing a stir on Twitter:

Interesting Nick Timothy dig at Treasury over Help to Buy vs affordable spending (from yesterday) t.co/njUKbOkEVR pic.twitter.com/0TVOaiZf9a

— Daniel Bentley (@danielbentley)

Interesting Nick Timothy dig at Treasury over Help to Buy vs affordable spending (from yesterday) https://t.co/njUKbOkEVR pic.twitter.com/0TVOaiZf9a

— Daniel Bentley (@danielbentley) October 6, 2017

What’s on?

Today is the deadline for written submissions to the government inquiry into housing for older people.