Can We Conquer The Housing Affordability Crisis?

Over the last decade or so, millennials have had to accept the fact that housing is becoming more expensive each year and at a faster rate than pay is increasing which means it is more difficult than ever to get onto the property ladder.

This is worsened by developers being allowed to plan huge residential developments in the UK’s largest cities that contain little or no affordable housing.

In Manchester, none of the 14,667 homes in big developments granted planning permission in the last two years are set to be “affordable”, planning documents show – in direct contravention of its own rules, and leading to worries that London’s affordable housing crisis is spreading.

Yesterday, Theresa May announced her plans to reform planning rules in the UK to enable young people without family wealth to purchase homes.

In her announcement, May said that the existing National Planning Policy Framework will be overhauled with the key measures being:

• 10% of homes on major sites should be available for affordable home ownership
• Builders to be more open about affordable housing commitments at planning stage
• Councils will have to adopt a new nationwide standard showing housing need in their areas
• Infrastructure needs to be considered at pre-planning stage
• Councils to consider revoking planning permission after two years if building has not started
• Ancient Woodland and aged trees to get specific protection

May said that the cost of housing in the current climate is only reinforcing economic and class divisions in the country causing many young people to, rightfully, be angry.

Hopefully these new plans will see a change in housing affordability and enable millennials a better shot at stepping onto the property ladder.