A think tank is urging the government to ringfence its £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) for social rented homes. Research by the Resolution Foundation suggests that even with this, the government would still be approximately 5,000 homes a year short of its target to deliver 300,000 affordable homes annually by 2036.
The Resolution Foundation is also calling on the government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. Hannah Aldridge, senior research and policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, stated that the government needs to balance building more homes with ensuring they remain affordable.
Ms Aldridge highlighted that 134,000 families are in temporary accommodation in England, with 1.3 million on the housing waiting list. She added that close to one million low-income renters currently face a shortfall between their rent and housing support, a gap predicted to reach a record high this autumn.
The think tank estimates that giving developers more flexibility over the mix of housing built during periods of weak demand could deliver around 2,000 extra affordable homes annually. It also recommends restoring LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local rents, noting that low-income families face an average 20% gap between their rent and housing support.