Government is still failing to address the housing shortage

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A new survey has revealed the government is failing to address the housing shortage sufficiently…

The latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed the government is failing to tackle the issue of housing supply.

According to the data, the number of homes for sale has fallen to a record low. With demand outstripping supply, it is expected prices will see further “sizable gains”.

RICS said demand from buyers is rising at its quickest rate for 18 months, while the average number of properties for sale per surveyor sank in July to the lowest figure on record.

Head of Policy at RICS Jeremy Blackburn said the government was stimulating demand through housing initiatives, but was failing to “address the real issue of supply”.

He added: “A coherent and coordinated house building strategy is required across all tenures.”

Some of the schemes in place to help people buy properties include Right to Buy. The government extended this to housing association properties, which is causing significant concerns for local authorities.

Additionally, a Starter Homes Initiative has been launched. This will allow young first-time buyers to purchase properties at a minimum discount of 20 per cent.

In response to the RICS survey, Communities Secretary Greg Clarke said the government remained committed to delivering 200,000 starter homes by the end of this parliament.

He added: “We are also helping bring back into use more brownfield land for development, keeping the country building, and delivering the homes our communities need.”

The government has also sought to create an easier planning procedure. Around 1,000 pages of planning policy were cut down to 50 in a bid to streamline the process. As a result a record number of planning permissions were granted last year, reaching 261,000.

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