Legal News

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has announced more government loans to help local councils build affordable housing.

Mr Lewis said that the government would provide 22 local authorities across the country with an extra £122 million in loans over the next two years so that 1,700 new affordable homes can be built.

Some housing experts estimate that the UK needs to build around 250,000 new homes every year to keep pace with the rising demand for affordable housing.

The Coalition government has defended its record on building affordable new homes, saying that since it came to power in May 2010, around 200,000 affordable new homes have been built.

The Coalition also introduced the Help to Buy scheme for first-time buyers, which has proved more popular outside London than in the capital. The scheme allowed first-time buyers to buy properties up to £600,000 in value, with a 5% deposit.

Mr Lewis said that house building in the UK is now at its highest level since 2007 – when the banking crash heralded the credit crunch of 2008 onwards and construction ground to a halt in many areas as a result.

The Housing Minister said:

“I’m giving borrowing powers to 22 councils, who over the next two years will use that to build over 1,700 new affordable homes for their communities.

“It’s one of the many things we’ve done that have got Britain building, with house building levels now at their highest since 2007 and climbing.

“But with £178m additional borrowing still up for grabs, I want more councils to do their bit – to follow in the footsteps of these 22 and bid for the very powers they asked for.”

The housing shortage has become a central issue for all political parties in the run up to next year’s General Election.

House prices have risen steeply across the country, with the average home outside London costing in the region of £170,000 – and house prices reaching a record average of £500,000 in London.

Many families have been priced out of buying their own home as a result of wage freezes and overseas investment in the UK property market. The population of the UK has also risen, with more young families from the EU also needing affordable housing in Britain.

Duncan Lewis Housing Solicitors

Duncan Lewis housing solicitors can advise on a wide range of housing matters – including:

• Disrepair of rented property
• Housing Benefit
• Housing possession
• Landlord & Tenant disputes
• Local Authority housing
• Malicious eviction
• Mortgage repossession
• Unlawful eviction.

Duncan Lewis is also a leading firm of Legal Aid solicitors.

For expert legal advice on housing law, call Duncan Lewis housing solicitors on 020 7923 4020.