Morning Briefing: reaction to housing announcements
Reaction to the big housing announcements from yesterday’s Conservative Party conference
In the news
Housing is of course all over the news this morning, albeit slightly overshadowed by a cough, a prank and some falling scenery.
The Guardian remains wholly unimpressed with Theresa May’s announcement, running a news article saying it is “unlikely to solve the problem” and quoting an expert dismissing the £2bn as “chicken feed”.
It also runs an opinion piece by housing columnist Dawn Foster which rails against the prime minister’s “empty promises”.
Meanwhile, the Evening Standard also runs a news piece focusing on the backlash while, perhaps most surprisingly, pro-Tory The Sun – which splashed on the council housing plans before the speech – also turns on the announcements, saying the cash will build “only” 25,000 homes.
Ms May is arguably suffering from over-briefing the announcement before the speech – it is big news, but it is not a new generation of council housing.
Elsewhere, the BBC has a handy explainer for the lay-reader on some of the context to the housing announcement.
On social media
David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, is feeling more positive than the UK’s press:
This is good news and a chance to get building some genuinely affordable homes for rent - at last #ukhousing t.co/8B6XLrIGUQ
— David Orr (@natfedDavid)This is good news and a chance to get building some genuinely affordable homes for rent - at last #ukhousing https://t.co/8B6XLrIGUQ
— David Orr (@natfedDavid) October 4, 2017
Joe Sarling reflects on how far housing policy has moved in two years:
Just look at where (selected) #ukhousing policies were back in 2015. Big shifts in past months and 24hrs pic.twitter.com/I7TAhhU6l1
— Joe Sarling (@joesarling)Just look at where (selected) #ukhousing policies were back in 2015. Big shifts in past months and 24hrs pic.twitter.com/I7TAhhU6l1
— Joe Sarling (@joesarling) October 5, 2017
And Matthew Gardiner notes housing policy appears to now be run directly from Number 10:
PM takes personal charge of fixing broken UK housing market. Extra £2bn for social rent is a good start #ukhousing
— Matthew Gardiner (@TeamTHT)PM takes personal charge of fixing broken UK housing market. Extra £2bn for social rent is a good start #ukhousing
— Matthew Gardiner (@TeamTHT) October 4, 2017
What’s on
Housing minister Alok Sharma will later address the Home Builders Federation annual Housing Market Intelligence Conference in London.
