Responding to the report published today by the Commission for Rural Communities Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation, said:
“Without more land with implementable planning permissions, rural house prices will remain beyond the reach of the average first-time buyer.
“Recent research by the HBF shows that affordability can best be eased through private sector low-cost market housing. Currently, this remains outside of the Government’s official definition of ‘affordable housing.’ This is one change the Government could make now.”
Notes for Editors
The Home Builders Federation (HBF) is the principal trade federation for private sector home builders and voice of the home building industry in England and Wales. The HBF’s 300 member firms account for some 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales in any one year, and include companies of all sizes, ranging from multi-national, household names through regionally based businesses to small local companies: www.hbf.co.uk
“Expanding choice: increasing the supply of affordable housing,” the report from the Home Builders Federation’s Affordable Housing Policy Group, was published on Tuesday 10 July 2007, and is available here.
The Commission for Rural Communities report, published on 17 July 2007, is available here.
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