Revolving door of housing ministers needs to stop warns property expert

Revolving door of housing ministers needs to stop warns property expert

0:03 AM, 28th June 2024, About 6 months ago 1

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Housing Ministers need to stay for the long haul to tackle the housing crisis, insists a property expert.

Jonathan Rolande, the founder of House Buy Fast, is encouraging the next government to prioritise housing from day one.

Since 2010, there have been 16 housing ministers, with seven of them coming into office since 2020.

Countless ministers come and go

Mr Rolande says the next government should create a Ministry of Housing and encourage MPs of all parties to work together to solve the country’s housing crisis.

He said: “I’d like to see the next government create a new Ministry for Housing and have cross-party involvement within it. Politicians should all agree that we need more affordable housing and they should be working together, outside of party politics, to deliver it.

“We also need a housing minister who is in it for the long haul. In the last decade, we’ve seen countless ministers come and go.

“The removal van outside the housing minister’s office has been doing overtime. We need stability and a long-term strategy that delivers change and which provides solutions to our housing crisis.”

Rental prices soaring to new highs

Mr Rolande also says housebuilding must become a priority for the next government to solve the supply and demand crisis.

He said: “We can’t say for sure who will be heading into Number Ten. But there is one issue which millions of people can agree on, and that’s the importance of addressing the country’s housing crisis.

“There is a chronic shortage in the supply of new homes which is denying an entire generation the right to own their own property.

“This, in turn, is leading to rental prices in some areas soaring to new highs. We are now seeing situations, regularly, where dozens of people are fighting to let a very average property for a staggering sum, just so they can get a roof over their head.

“This isn’t sustainable and it’s not acceptable. That’s why the very first priority from day one, for whoever wins the election, must be to start building new homes.”

Get spades in the ground

Mr Rolande adds the planning system must be changed for homes to be built.

He says: “A key thing to ensuring those homes can be built is a root and branch review and transformation of the planning application system that stifles builders.

We need policies which ensure builders can get spades in the ground.”


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Judith Wordsworth

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10:51 AM, 28th June 2024, About 6 months ago

It’s not so much so many changing Ministers, many of whom have no idea of the PRS role Landlords have been carrying out for centuries and more recently- OK the last 4 decades providing homes for those Local Authorities should have been housing, but changes of policy and trying to appease renters.
I agree some of the Ministers have been draconian ignorant buffoons in regard to the PRS though. Also are to blame are the Civil Servants dripping contentious and often ill thought out ideas into their Ministers ears.
While the days of Rachman are gone many landlords have been entering the PRS who are ill prepared (financially and/or ignorant of the legislation & regulations governing the PRS) or think renting a property out brings in a quick buck.
Rachman brought down legislation on PRS Landlords as has, I honestly believe, those ill prepared landlords, plus Governments want to appease renters and prospective renters to gain votes. Possibly why Labour want to give 16 year olds, EU citizens and those on holiday at HM’s pleasure the vote?
Mortgage rates are a pittance of what they were when I bought my first rental property. Rents were the same as mortgage repayments. My parents mortgage was 50% of their income as was the rent for my grandparents.Too many landlords have too much loan to value and not enough behind them to maintain the properties or when interest rates increase.
The roof over your head was the priority, then bills then food. Takeaways a treat not the norm, restaurants a real treat. But for most renters today it would seem lifestyle comes first and paying your rent at the bottom of the list, sadly.

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