Can enough homes be built to meet demand? Lords Economics Committee to find out
On Tuesday 4 February 2020 the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will be holding follow-up evidence sessions on its 2016 report, 'Building more homes'.
The first session will begin at 3.35pm. Giving evidence will be:
- Liam Halligan, Economist, Author and Broadcaster
- Dan Wilson Craw, Director, Generation Rent
- Warwick Lightfoot, Head of Economics, Policy Exchange
- Professor Rebecca Tunstall, Emerita of Housing Policy at the Centre for Housing Policy, University of York.
The second session will begin at 4.35pm. Giving evidence will be:
- James Prestwich, Head of Policy, National Housing Federation
- Adrian Swan, Managing Director of Swan Homes and Chair of the FMB Home Builders Group
- David O'Leary, Policy Director, Home Builders Federation
- Cllr David Renard, Chair of the Economy, Environment, Housing and Transport Board, Local Government Association.
Questions the Committee is likely to ask both panels include:
- Is the Government on track to meet its target of building 300,000 new homes by 2025?
- Are high house prices mainly the result of there being too few houses being built?
- How much scope do local authorities have to provide their own land for private building?
- What effect has the market concentration of house builders in the UK had on the property market?
- Given the growing importance of the private rental sector, what is being done to improve the availability of quality, secure, low-cost rental housing?
- What are the main drivers behind the rise in homelessness?
- What are the biggest constraints on building more social and supported housing and how many are required?
- What other incentives could encourage local authorities to approve, and local residents to accept, more housing development?
These evidence sessions, which are open to the public, will start at 3.35pm on Tuesday 4 February 2020 in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
In July 2016 the Committee published its report, 'Building more homes'. The report strongly recommended that the Government lift its target by 50% and build 300,000 homes each year to tackle the housing crisis. It also suggested that Local authorities and housing associations must be freed to build substantial numbers of homes for rent and for sale.
