Morning Briefing: Budget speculation begins

In the news

Chancellor Philip Hammond has told Bloomberg he will fix the UK housing market, suggesting further announcements for the sector to come next month. The Evening Standard has one idea for what that might mean, saying it has learned that a cut to stamp duty for first-time buyers “is being considered”.

From writers in The Telegraph’s ‘Premium’ section, to Guardian readers sending letters to the editor, it seems more and more people have their own ideas of what Mr Hammond could do for housing.

If the chancellor is paying attention to the polls, though, the sector might be in for some good news.

The Huffington Post is reporting on a YouGov survey commissioned by housing association Home Group, which finds that people are more than twice as likely to welcome new social housing in their local area as they are private homes.

One market player seems to be doing fine as it is, with the Financial Times reporting boosted profits for house builder Bellway in the last financial year. Around a third of homes built by Bellway over the year used the government’s Help to Buy deal, which has been criticised as a subsidy for builders.

Meanwhile, the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show has found that some councils in England regularly buy one-way train tickets for homeless people out of their area, some spending more than £1,000 a year on fares.

The story comes just as the Bureau of Investigative Journalism publishes an in-depth piece on the cuts facing refuges for women fleeing domestic violence.

Elsewhere, Ed Miliband, former Labour leader, told a Shelter panel that the country must make sure lessons are learned following the Grenfell Tower fire, the Mail Online reports.

On social media

Jeremy Corbyn’s former spokesperson Matt Zarb-Cousin has caused a stir on Twitter with a controversial housing proposal.

5. Individuals should be limited to one residential property each, and property owning parents with children over the age of 18 have an obligation to downsize and give the proceeds, which they haven’t earned, to their children so they can get on the housing ladder

— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb)

5. Individuals should be limited to one residential property each, and property owning parents with children over the age of 18 have an obligation to downsize and give the proceeds, which they haven't earned, to their children so they can get on the housing ladder

— Matt Zarb-Cousin (@mattzarb) October 16, 2017

And today’s housing summit is being previewed online:

Agree. It was a Conservative gov that oversaw biggest social housebuilding programme in history and gave HAs very effective Cash Programme. t.co/ieBYW4AY1T

— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10)

Agree. It was a Conservative gov that oversaw biggest social housebuilding programme in history and gave HAs very effective Cash Programme. https://t.co/ieBYW4AY1T

— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10) October 17, 2017