A study assessed the main strategic, inter-sectoral and delivery issues that had arisen during the first phase of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder programme in parts of the Midlands and North of England. It said that many aspects of the programme were 'distinctive and innovative'.
Source: Ian Cole and Brendan Nevin, The Road to Renewal: The early development of the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder programme, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report (pdf) | Findings D34
Date: 2004-Dec
A report warned that a programme to improve housing conditions and regenerate areas in the north of England (Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders) could be pricing local people out of the market - leading to a rise in homelessness.
Source: Catherine Grannum, On the Up: The housing crisis in the north, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
The South East Regional Assembly overturned the proposals of its own planning committee, and decided to consult on a lower range of housebuilding rates in the region. It approved plans for 510,000-640,000 houses over the period to 2026, instead of up to 720,000.
Source: Press release 9 November 2004, South East England Regional Assembly (01483 555200)
Links: SERA press release | CPRE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A statement on the 'crisis' in housing supply was issued by a broad group of organizations. It recognized the existence of a housing crisis in many parts of the country that had created acute problems in respect to housing access, need, affordability, quality and homelessness, and was creating severe economic and social problems. If left unchecked, these problems would continue to have a damaging impact on future productivity and competitiveness, and undermine efforts to tackle social exclusion, eradicate child poverty and create sustainable communities. (The organizations included Shelter, National Housing Federation, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, Town & Country Planning Association, and housebuilding companies.) But environmentalists expressed concern over the effects of the call for massive housebuilding, and issued their own statement.
Source: The Crisis in Housing Supply, Shelter (020 7505 4699) and others | Planning for Housing Post-Barker, Campaign to Protect Rural England (020 7981 2800) and Friends of
the Earth
Links: Shelter statement (pdf) | NHF press release | CPRE statement (pdf) | CPRE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A report set out action to maximize the use of empty homes and redundant commercial properties, in order to provide affordable homes in vibrant and healthy communities.
Source: Diane Diacon and Silvia Guimar es, Recycling the City: Unlocking the potential of empty properties, Building and Social Housing Foundation (01530 510444)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
The Scottish Executive announced proposals to build 21,500 new affordable homes, as part of a 1.17 billion plan to give everyone a decent home and support growth in the economy. The plan represented a one-third increase in housing approval rates over existing levels, rising from around 6,000 homes per year in 2005-06 to 8,000 in 2007-08. But housing professionals said the Executive had missed an opportunity to address the lack of affordable housing, and was not even going to deliver on existing targets. Homelessness campaigners said that the housing budget was actually being cut.
Source: Press release 30 September 2004, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400) | Press release 30 September 2004, Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland (0131 225 4544) | Press release 30 September 2004, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: SE press release | CIH press release | COSLA press release | Shelter press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The government outlined a proposal to help more first-time buyers into affordable housing, by making better use of public sector-owned land. The scheme, to be piloted in London and the south-east, would be based around an equity share model, along the lines of the successful Homebuy and shared ownership schemes. Further details would be provided towards the end of 2004.
Source: Press release 26 September 2004, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000)
Links: ODPM press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
The Scottish Executive announced (following consultation) that local authorities would be able to raise the council tax rate for second homes and long-term empty properties, in an attempt to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Source: Council Tax on Second and Long-term Empty Homes: Analysis of consultation responses, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter Scotland press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Aug
A report set out recommendations for key stakeholders to adopt so that the full potential of the housing renewal pathfinders could be realised. (Nine housing market renewal pathfinders, covering some 700,000 homes, were announced by government in April 2002 aimed at tackling housing market failure.)
Source: Housing Market Renewal: Making the Pathfinders succeed, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (020 7695 1535)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2004-Apr
The final report of the Barker review said that the supply of new homes consistently lagged behind demand, and that housebuilding would have to rise substantially if house price inflation were to be reduced, and the supply of affordable homes increased. Excess demand and house price inflation threatened volatility in the wider economy, and had made home ownership in the private sector increasingly unaffordable for many groups, in particular first-time buyers, with knock-on impacts on private sector rents and on demand for social housing. This in turn had a direct impact on social exclusion and on the housing opportunities available to young people and others. The government said that it accepted the conclusions of the report, and that its commitment to stability and affordability in the housing market required a significant increase in housing development over time. But a housing charity accused the government of ignoring the need for serious investment in social housing. Environmental campaigners said the outcome of the review was 'a disaster'.
Source: Kate Barker, Delivering Stability: Securing our Future Housing Needs, HM Treasury (020 7270 4558) | Press release 17 March 2004, HM Treasury | Press release 17 March 2004, Shelter (020 7505 4699) | Press release 17 March 2004, Friends of the Earth (020 7490 1555)
Links: Report (pdf links) | Summary (pdf) | HMT press release (1) | HMT press release (2) | ODPM press release | Shelter press release | FOE press release | CABE press release | RTPI press release (pdf) | CIH press release | CML press release | NHF press release (pdf) | Guardian report | Observer report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report said that an extra 3.5 billion of public money more than double the existing allocation would be needed every year to build the 89,000 affordable homes needed. Government plans left a shortfall of 55,000 affordable homes.
Source: Alan Holmans, Sarah Monk and Christine Whitehead, Building for the Future 2004 Update, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A report urged stronger co-operation between housing associations and private housebuilders in the development of mixed-tenure communities.
Source: Martin Willey and Peter Scott (with others), Mixed Tenure Agreements: Review of partnership models, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF press release
Date: 2004-Jan
