Morning Briefing: 100,000 households a year priced out of housing

In the news

There is a report from Savills in the Guardian this morning, which finds that the number of households unable to enter the market last year rose from 70,000 to 100,000.

The research found that during the past three years, 55,000 fewer affordable homes have been built every year than were needed.

Responding to last week’s Autumn Budget, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies writes in the Times this morning that our focus on supply-side measures to solve the housing crisis misses a wider story about generational inequality.

Investment adviser Dag Detter writes in the Guardian that the government should devolve more powers to local authorities to help them unlock funding from their many assets.

The BBC’s big news of the day is the government launching its plan to boost UK industry after Brexit, with the construction industry hoping for investment.

Meanwhile, the Independent reports that Shelter is taking on extra advisers for the Christmas period as it anticipates soaring demand during the holiday season.

Yesterday’s Observer reported charities’ warnings about the government’s recently announced changes to supported housing. The paper said it had been warned that the lives of vulnerable women and children would be put at risk were the plans to go ahead as initially announced. You can read Inside Housing’s take on the issue from a few weeks ago here.

Elsewhere, a piece in the Guardian on Saturday has highlighted a rarely discussed side of the Universal Credit debate. Investigations by the paper found that claimants risked being turned down for mortgages by banks which would not accept the benefit as income.

Finally, UK Authority reports that a database of rogue landlords and letting agents, announced in 2015, has yet to be set up leaving councils without the promised ability to use it to crack down on rogue landlords in their areas.

On social media

Shelter petition in support of @KarenPBuckMP ‘s Fitness for Human Habitation Bill. #ukhousing t.co/rZ8p2itbDf

— Steve Hilditch (@SteveHilditch)

Shelter petition in support of @KarenPBuckMP ‘s fitness for human habitation Bill. #ukhousing https://t.co/rZ8p2itbDf

— Steve Hilditch (@SteveHilditch) November 26, 2017

What’s on

The Communities and Local Government select committee will this afternoon hear evidence from the sector on the Homelessness Reduction Act, while the Public Accounts committee simultaneously hears evidence on homeless households.

Savills also holds its seventh annual housing seminar at RIBA today, with housing minister Alok Sharma among the speakers.