http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/16/average-monthly-rent-hits-record-high-of-816-highlighting-housing-shortage Average monthly rent hits record high of £816 Social housing should be built to suit a range of incomes A report which underlines the simple economic reality that, where there is a shortage of a commodity, in this case rented accommodation specifically, but emphasised by a housing shortage generally, the price level of the available "stock" will increase. We have seen the level of rents increase significantly over recent years and with some regional variations, has increased in the past 12 months alone, by between 6.3% and 8.5% with a fall in Wales and the North of England. Higher rents combined with the growth in property values mean that landlords in England and Wales have seen returns of 9.4% over the past year. Landlords have plenty to be happy about, suggested Adrian Gill, director of Your Move and Reeds Rains....
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http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/07/pm-cameron-vows-scrap-rules-forcing-developers-build-affordable-homes-for-rent Cameron vows to scrap requirement to build affordable homes for rent Cameron will encourage developers to increase the building of homes for first-time buyers. Cameron either by accident or more probably design, conveniently ignores hundreds of thousands of people in this country who will never be able to afford to buy either low cost first time buyer homes or "affordable" homes. This country has a housing crisis created by successive governments, where people are unable to buy or cannot afford to rent. Tinkering at the margin with the vague prospect of owning a home at sometime in the future, is a not very well disguised bribe to attract votes, which has been the way of things for decades and has failed miserably. What this country desperately needs is a housing programme to build at least 800,000 new homes of which a minimum of 75% ...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/rabbithutch-britain-growing-health-concerns-as-uk-sets-record-for-smallest-properties-in-europe-9544450.html Rabbit-hutch Britain: Growing health concerns as UK sets record for smallest properties in Europe Northfield House. Peckham I was brought up in a flat in Peckham, in fact, in the block shown shown here. Northfield house, Peckham Park Road , London SE 15. One of the 2 bedroom flats, was recently advertised for sale at £275,000, which no one around at that time would have believed to be possible. Not only the price, but the fact that a Council flat was for sale in the open market. That was in the days before the "Parker Morris" standards, but the flat was just adequate for mum, dad and the young John Yates. Progress decreed that from 1967 these "Parker Morris" space standards would become mandatory for all housing built in new towns, and be extended to all council housing in 1...
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/09/tories-risk-new-financial-crisis-housing-nick-clegg Lib Dem leader calls for Tories to put aside ideological objections and use 'muscle of the state' to build 300,000 homes a year The cynical Nick Clegg Many people, predominately from outside of the "main" political parties in Westminster, have been agitating for an increase in house building, mainly for the social housing sector for years. It hasbeen a taboo subject for Labour, Conservative and LibDem, with their obsession with the "foot on the housing ladder ", "affordable housing", "help to buy" and countless other schemes for the benifit of the few, at the expense of those people in society who, for one reason or another, will never be able to buy their own home. Schemes designed and implimented not because they were right, but because cynical and inept politicians perceived...
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/housing-double-whammy-a-whole-generation-wont-be-able-to-buy-or-rent-a-home-8994229.html A whole generation ‘won’t be able to buy or rent a home’ a growing number of people cannot afford to buy or rent This crisis was predicted as long ago as the late 1970's. Successive governments have done nothing since then and they will do nothing now. Until such times as the people of this country realise how they are being duped with such meaningless phrases as "right to buy", "affordable housing", "help to purchase" and all the other rhetoric pouring out of governments and successive housing ministers, nothing will happen to redress the problem. Today, houses and flats stand empty and boarded in the expectation that that the owners (in many cases local authorities) may profit from the sale of the land at some indeterminate time in the future.. Large amounts of land owned by local authorities...
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/08/help-to-buy_n_4062479.html George Osborne's Help To Buy Scheme Could Threaten UK Financial Stability George Osborne The “help to buy scheme”, get a “foot on the ladder”, “only” 5% deposit needed, building “low cost” homes to meet the housing crisis, etc etc the array of cliché ridden headlines and news programme interviews are almost endless. All the rhetoric and spin aimed at one objective. That is, to convince a sceptical public that this government, the same as previous governments, is tackling the housing crisis in this country by encouraging demand for homes and thereby stimulating the building industry. The reality is of course, rather different. There is no doubt that there is a housing crisis of significant proportions in the UK today. Various measures have been proposed over recent months, all of which seek to address some element of the problem. Iain Duncan-Smith, the Work and Pensions secret...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2013/jul/23/george-osborne-help-to-buy-economists?commentpage=1 Help to Buy scheme attacked by economists This (and previous) governments obsession with "getting people onto the housing ladder" is not the solution to the housing crisis in the country today. As long as the building of social housing remains as some sort of anathema to the political mainstream, and is derided as being only for scroungers and benefit cheats by elements of the press and some sections of society, then the housing crisis will deepen and become another cause of social unrest.
http://money.uk.msn.com/socialvoices/were-having-the-wrong-debate-about-social-housing We need to set aside our anger at scroungers and calmly debate what’s best for our nation. Heather Frost and her family are only one aspect of a significantly larger problem. This is the first article that I have seen which gets anywhere near to being constructive about the real issues. Far too many articles, television stories and politicians and journalists are more interested in demonising all benefits claimants that actually addressing what should be done to tackle the social housing problem of this country.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/heather-frost-home-jobless-mum-1723708 Heather frost hits back at "sickening" abuse. "One bloke said on Facebook he wanted to put all my kids in a house and gas them. It’s just sickening.” If you saw Question time last night, and read this article today, you may come to the view that the original story as related by sections of the media, was not quite accurate. The "demonisation" of benefit claimants is a growing practice in the media and with some politicians.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-11-reject-six-bedroom-council-1716495 Heather Frost is moving into a newly-built home at taxpayers’ expense, and Andrew Pierce is furious.. Heather Frost A controversial story which will no doubt, generate much debate. However, the obnoxious little arse Andrew Pierce on the Sky news papers review last night(18th February 2013), was full of the most spiteful and venomous bile that has been uttered on television for some time. Andrew Pierce: full of bile and bitchy rantings The Sky news presenter and the other paper reviewer Kevin Maguire, were clearly shaken by the hysterical bitchy rantings pouring out of the mouth of Pierce, and they were obviously relieved when they managed to shut him up and move onto the next item. The little rat Andrew Pierce should be banned from appearing on any television channel until such times as he learn to control his behaviour and his nasty comments. ...