Housing Voice is a new campaign meant to “champion the need for more affordable homes to buy or rent in the UK”. It will be travelling across the country to consult people and identify potential solutions to the current affordable housing crisis.
Lord Whitty, chair of Housing Voice and of the national inquiry, said: “The massive shortfall in new housing has resulted in an affordable homes crisis in England. The gap between the number of homes required and the number being built is projected to be 750,000 by 2025.
“With average home prices now more than 8 times the average salary, and over 1.6 million households on waiting lists for local authority and housing association homes, government action is desperately needed.”
Housing Voice aims at encouraging more affordable housing in the UK and works to place housing “back at the top of the political agenda alongside health and education by holding the Government and the devolved administrations to account”.
Office for National Statistic figures published by the Department of Work and Pensions in May revealed that housing costs are pushing an additional 1.2 million children and 2.2 million adults into poverty.
New figures show lack of affordable housing is increasing child poverty by more than 40 per cent.
In June 2011 Housing Voice commissioned YouGov polling to investigate public attitudes around the affordable housing crisis. 71 per cent of the public did not think the Coalition Government was giving much attention to affordable housing.
For those in private rented accommodation, affordable housing was the biggest concern after the economy – 40 per cent compared to 28 per cent for health and 18 per cent for education.
The national inquiry, supported by Citizens Advice, CDS Co-operatives, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), National Housing Federation, National Union of Students (NUS), Sitra – the charity for supported people, TUC and UNISON, will seek to offer a voice to “those who are struggling to secure affordable housing across the country”.
An online survey and website have gone live today, to give members of the public a “chance to be heard”.
Lord Whitty said: “The average age of a first time buyer is now 37 and rising but in many parts of the country rents in the private rental sector continue to grow faster than incomes and everywhere tenancies remain insecure. Moreover unaffordable housing is one of the principal factors that is
pushing people into poverty in the UK.
He added: “We want to hear from individuals who can’t afford, or are struggling to afford, a decent home as well as organizations with experience of trying to address these issues – everyone from homebuilders to tenants, trade unions to charities, local authorities and private businesses. Unless the voices of ordinary people and companies are raised, I am fearful this vitally important issue will not get the attention from national politicians and policy makers that it needs and deserves.”
Members of the public and stakeholders can comment on www.housingvoice.co.uk