Housing Vision Must Recognise Differing Aspirations
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) welcomes the Housing Minister Grant Shapps’ call today for responsible mortgage lending and borrowing and a move towards more sustainable home ownership.
However, CIH cautions that there is a need for a balanced housing market with affordable options to buy or rent a home and that for a significant proportion of the population renting is an attractive long term housing option.
The Minister’s plans to replace targets with incentives to build more homes have raised some concerns in the sector about their immediate impact but as a long term strategy could fundamentally change housing delivery and perceptions of new building.
CIH Director of Policy and Practice Richard Capie said: "We are pleased that the Minister wants to incentivise and encourage local communities to support new building, and we look forward to working with him to ensure that his policy can be delivered on the ground."
*ENDS*
News release issued on behalf of the CIH by Jill Dwyer, CIH Press Office, Octavia House, Westwood Way, Coventry CV4 8JP. Telephone: 02476 851780 or 07786 716961. Email: press@cih.org.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the professional body for people involved in housing and communities. We are a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation. We have a diverse and growing membership of 22,000 – both in the public and private sectors – living and working in over 20 countries on five continents across the world. Our members work for local authorities, housing associations, Arms Length Management Organisations, Government bodies, educational establishments and the private sector. Many tenants and residents are also members. We exist to maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the wellbeing of communities. Further information is available at: www.cih.org
2. The Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual UK conference and exhibition in Harrogate takes place from 22-24 June 2010 www.cihhousing.com. Grant Shapps is speaking on Thursday 24 June at 2pm.
