The government’s decision to change housing minister for the third time in less than two years shows its ‘lack of strategy’ when it comes to housing, senior sector figures have claimed.
According to Inside Housing:
Brandon Lewis was promoted to minister for planning and housingin David Cameron’s reshuffle this week, and replaces Kris Hopkins, who had been in the role of housing minister for just 10 months.
Mr Lewis was appointed as a senior Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) minister, whereas Mr Hopkins held the portfolio for housing as a junior minister.
Mr Lewis will reunite the role of housing and planning in a single role. They have been separate since 2009.
Eric Pickles, secretary of state for communities and local government, will continue to speak for housing in cabinet.
With less than a year until the election in May 2015, several sector figures believe there is a lack of time for the new minister to develop a strategy and see it through.
Brendan Sarsfield, chief executive of Family Mosaic, said: ‘Every time there is a reshuffle, there is a new housing minister and every time the new minister comes in they say, “I don’t want to talk long-term”.
‘None of them realise we need a long-term strategy to deliver the homes required and nine months is nowhere near long enough for that’.
Tony Stacey, chair of the Placeshapers group of more than 100 housing associations, said: ‘Since Grant Shapps’ failed strategy, I don’t think the government has even tried to provide an overarching strategy to address the housing crisis.’Moving the deck chairs on the Titanic, so to speak, undermines any strategy that there is.’
Geeta Nanda, chief executive at Thames Valley Housing, said: ‘We need someone who understands housing strategy, takes a long time and who is going to be there to deliver it.’
The DCLG said housing and planning was being combined as they are ‘two sides of the same coin’. Paul Hackett, chief executive at Amicus Horizon described this as a positive step as it is promoting the role of housing back to minister level.
Mr Lewis declined to comment.
In other reshuffle moves, Nick Boles was moved from planning minister and energy minister Greg Barker left the government to be replaced by Matt Hancock.
Sir Bob Kerslake stood down as head of the civil service and will retire as DCLG permanent secretary in February. Announcing his departure in an open letter, he attacked ‘unfair criticism’ of civil servants.