Significantly increasing the construction of homes that can be made available as affordable rent-to-buy options could be the solution for the housing crisis experienced at the moment. The Government has an opportunity with the upcoming Autumn Budget to show that they are in support of this innovative solution.
Sajid Javid’s proposal is an illustration of the more traditional methods of Government intervention that would see the public sector used to borrow, absorb risk and ultimately build more houses. The CEO of Rentplus, Steve Collins feels that the communities Secretary will be missing a great opportunity is they pass up on the opportunity to genuinely innovate while delivering affordable housing to the UK.
Rentplus has carried out conversations with the City, and as a result of these discussions feel that there is up to £40 billion of private funding available for a range of new tenure types. The investments that could be made without adding to the national and local government borrowing costs and without using public money would be beneficial in order to deliver more homes and help to ease the housing crisis. This funding could be unlocked with the amendment to the definition of affordable housing in the National Planning Policy Framework. The results of this would be wide reaching and will give councils the confidence to support these new types of tenure.
The Government’s Housing White Paper calls for more private investment into the UK housing sector, and Rentplus encourage taking these opportunities to deliver a radical fix to the housing market with the support of affordable rent-to-buy properties and giving working families the chance to own their own home.
Rentplus is the leading provider of affordable rent to buy homes across the nation and is funded by international investors. The model delivered by Rentplus offers those that aspire to be homeowners the security of a tenure and the opportunity to rent and then purchase their own home.
