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Morning Briefing: concern over millennials’ prospects of homeownership
The media reports on figures showing declining homeownership among young people, and an economics professor warns of a new housing market crash
In the news
Several news outlets have run articles this morning on a report by the Resolution Foundation looking at the declining levels of homeownership among younger people.
The thinktank predicts one in three millennials will never own their own home, notes The Guardian, and is therefore calling for measures to improve conditions in the private rented sector. The Sun calls the research a “damning housing crisis report” and points to a Shelter poll showing affordable housing is now a top-three priority for 31% of British people.
The Evening Standard’s report on the research quotes a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson saying: “We are seeing the highest number of first-time buyers for more than a decade.”
Inside Housing has also covered the Resolution Foundation report this morning, focusing on its recommendations for improving the private rented sector.
Elsewhere, economics professor Panos Mourdoukoutas has a warning of another housing market crash. In an article for Forbes magazine published last night, Mr Mourdoukoutas points to projections of a possible crash in the United Kingdom, along with the US, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Australia.
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Several newspapers are reporting on the leaked Building Research Establishment report on the Grenfell Tower fire. ‘Botched refurbishment fuelled Grenfell Tower fire’ reports The Guardian, while the headline in the Evening Standard is ‘Leaked Grenfell dossier reveals how disastrous refurbishment turned tower into a “tinderbox”’.
Inside Housing reported on Grenfell survivors’ response to the leaked report yesterday.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian yesterday, columnist (and one-time Inside Housing writer) Dawn Foster blames fire safety issues on “David Cameron’s assault on regulation”. For an in-depth look at how fire regulations have changed, and failed, over many years, check out our exclusive investigation, The Paper Trail, here.
Funds Europe magazine has an article about a “multi-sector debt fund” launched by asset manager M&G. The £44.5m fund has already provided finance to housing associations in the United Kingdom, the magazine notes.
Bristol Live has a story about plans for more than 100,000 new homes being submitted to the government. The “controversial” plan would see development on 12 sites over 20 years under the West of England Joint Spatial Plan, the newspaper reports.
Builder Morgan Sindall has signed a £2bn property deal with Hertfordshire County Council to develop housing-led schemes on surplus local authority land, reports Construction Enquirer.
A row appears to be shaping up over funding for sheltered schemes in Kent. The Kent Online website reports claims by councillors at Dartford Borough Council that cuts made by Kent County Council are putting services for 550 people at risk.
The Oxford Times newspaper reports that developers are still committed to delivering a new 6,500-home town off the M40, despite councillors rejecting the South Oxfordshire District Council local plan last month.
Finally, plans for a housing development near Edinburgh Zoo may be called in by ministers due to concerns it could affect the health of the pandas. The BBC has a report on this here.
On social media
An event to officially launch Thinkhouse, a housing research and review website, took place at the House of Lords last night:
@ThinkhouseInfo @Colnehousing @insidehousing fantastic eve at the hse of lords (thanks Sir Bob) launching Thinkhouse - Housing research portal extraordinaire! We were v proud to sponsor this event pic.twitter.com/PqLiZrjH7r
— Sara Thakkar (@sara_thakkar)@ThinkhouseInfo @Colnehousing @insidehousing fantastic eve at the hse of lords (thanks Sir Bob) launching Thinkhouse - Housing research portal extraordinaire! We were v proud to sponsor this event pic.twitter.com/PqLiZrjH7r
— Sara Thakkar (@sara_thakkar) April 16, 2018
Inside Housing editor Emma Maier and Sir Bob Kerslake were among the attendees:
There’s a key role for @ThinkhouseInfo in strengthening trust in evidence and sharing knowledge says @EmmaMaier @insidehousing at HoL launch pic.twitter.com/i2RchIFdnT
— Boris Worrall (@BorisJWorrall)There’s a key role for @ThinkhouseInfo in strengthening trust in evidence and sharing knowledge says @EmmaMaier @insidehousing at HoL launch pic.twitter.com/i2RchIFdnT
— Boris Worrall (@BorisJWorrall) April 16, 2018
Click here to read the Thinkhouse review of March’s housing research
What’s on
- The National Housing Federation’s HR in Housing conference and exhibition takes place in London today
- A round table on rethinking social housing will take place in Belfast from 1pm today, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Housing
What is Thinkhouse?
Thinkhouse was formally launched in spring 2018, and aims to “provide a single location and summary of the best and most innovative research pieces, policy publications and case studies”.
It specifically looks at reports that propose ways to boost the amount and quality of housing and the economic, social and community issues of not doing this.
The Thinkhouse editorial panel highlights the ‘must-read’ reports, blogs about them and runs the annual Early Career Researcher’s Prize.
The panel includes current and former housing association chief executives, academics, lawyers, economists and consultants. It is chaired by Richard Hyde, chief executive of a business that sells construction hand tools.
Who is on the panel?
Richard Hyde | Chair of Editorial Panel, CEO of HYDE |
Gemma Duggan | Head of Compliance and Performance at Extracare |
Chris Walker | Economist |
Brendan Sarsfield | CEO, Peabody |
Mick Laverty | CEO, Extracare Charitable Trust |
Martin Wheatley | Senior Fellow, Institute for Government, |
Kerri Farnsworth | Founder & MD, Kerri Farnsworth Associates |
Suzanne Benson | Head of Real Estate for the Manchester office of Trowers. |
Burcu Borysik | Policy Manager at Revolving Doors Agency, |
Ken Gibb | Professor in housing economics at the University of Glasgow, Director of CaCHE |
Peter Williams | Departmental Fellow, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge |
Brian Robson | Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the Northern Housing Consortium |
Francesca Albanese | Head of Research and Evaluation at Crisis |
Jules Birch | Journalist and blogger |
Susan Emmett | Head of Engagement for Homes England |
Mark Farmer | Founder and CEO Cast Consultancy |
Steve Moseley | Group Director of Governance, Strategy & Communications at L&Q |
Jennifer Rolison | Head of marketing at Aquila Services Group |
Philip Brown | Professor of Housing and Communities at the University of Huddersfield |
Anya Martin | Senior researcher at the National Housing Federation |
Emily Pumford | Policy & strategy advisor, Riverside |
Anthony Breach | Analyst, Centre for Cities |
Shahina Begum | Customer Insight Office, Peabody |
The Paper Trail: The Failure of Building Regulations
Read our in-depth investigation into how building regulations have changed over time and how this may have contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire:
