Action Groups Launched to Tackle UK Housing Crisis

More than 25 organisations have joined forces to tackle the UK housing crisis by forming action groups that will collaborate to help solve existing and future problems. The mutual approach to solving problems in the housing system comes as the pandemic has exacerbated

BY Realty Plus
Published - Tuesday, 27 Jul, 2021

Action Groups Launched to Tackle UK Housing Crisis

More than 25 organisations have joined forces to tackle the UK housing crisis by forming action groups that will collaborate to help solve existing and future problems. The mutual approach to solving problems in the housing system comes as the pandemic has exacerbated longstanding issues around the affordability, accessibility and sustainability of homes. It is hoped that the four action groups will find ways of building more homes, delivering more of the right types of homes and encouraging more green homes, ensuring everyone can have a place more than fit to call home, whether owned or rented. According to Nationwide's new report, nearly two thirds (63%) of people say the UK has a housing crisis, rising to 71% of private renters. The action group members include: ARLA Propertymark, Barratt Developments, Building Societies Association, Chartered Institute of Housing, Connells Group, countryside charity CPRE, Energiesprong UK, E.ON, Federation of Master Builders, Homes for Good, Lord Best, Metropolitan Thames Valley, Midas Construction, Mi-Space, MoneySavingExpert.com, Nationwide Foundation, NRLA, PricedOut, Rockwool, Shelter, Switchd, Trustmark, and the UK Green Building Council. The four action groups encompass, Increasing the number of new homes built across all tenures, ensuring they meet the needs of first-time buyers, home movers and downsizers, and meeting high energy-efficiency standards; Delivering practical solutions and policies to help people green their homes. Building awareness of the problem, closing the skills gap and making sure it’s fairly financed; Creating a private rented sector (PRS) that works for the mutual good of landlords and renters potentially including better access to justice, a national landlord register and reform of tenancy deposit and Speeding up the delivery of new homes by removing inefficiencies in the system, building trust between parties and adopting more agile approaches.