Posted 05.12.14
A Government announcement about changes to the affordable homes requirement means developers of smaller schemes will no longer have to include affordable or social housing.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) responded by calling it 'yet another hammer blow' for the 1.7 million households currently waiting for social housing across the country.
The change applies to developments of 10 homes or less, other than Rural Exception Sites where - if sufficient need can be demonstrated - the affordable requirement can still be applied. In designated rural areas councils can now choose whether or not to apply the affordable requirement on developments of five homes or less.
In the NHF's media statement, Rachel Fisher, its Head of Policy, commented:
"While the Government has altered the affordable homes requirement in some rural areas where most new homes are built on small sites, any measure which reduces the number of new affordable homes being built is still fundamentally wrong and will impact on families most in need.
"Perversely, it could also lead to some developers building fewer homes on smaller sites to avoid having to pay for affordable homes."
The NHF has called on the Government to think again and are reiterating its Homes for Britain General Election campaign message, urging the Government to commit to ending the housing crisis within a generation.
