15
Dec
Public sector urged to plug building gap
The public sector should help plug the gap in the building of new
homes to help more first-time buyers get on the housing ladder, it
has been argued.
Speaking after the launch of a guide to accommodation for young
people, housing policy adviser at the Trades Union Congress Paul
Sellers noted that the private rental sector has become "very
crowded" as less people have bought homes in recent months.
However, he said, the longer-term prospects of getting more people
on the ladder will be aided by more housebuilding, with the public
sector needing to "step up" its contribution to close the gap
between government targets and the number of homes actually being
constructed.
He added: "The private sector will recover in the long term and if
pushed they will deliver more houses but the public sector needs to
do the same as well."
Recent evidence has suggested that the demand for new homes is on
the rise.
This includes the findings of the most recent monthly survey by the
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which revealed that new
buyer enquiries have now risen in each of the last seven
months.
