We need supply-side solutions to housing crisis

This is to be welcomed, but early examination of the Bill, and the mixed bag of policies within it, suggests that more is needed.

We need supply-side solutions to solve the housing crisis. While initiatives such as Starter Homes and the focus on encouraging development on brownfield land show initiative and a welcome willingness to consider innovative ways to deliver new housing, they will not be enough to boost housebuilding to the levels that are needed.

Now is the time for the government to provide a comprehensive and practical vision for how it intends to build enough homes to meet demand.

There is scope to really get the build to rent sector off the ground, make significant changes to the planning system, and to hand more powers to local leaders.

The government has given itself a real opportunity to really shake up the system, and we urge it to make the most of it. 

Melanie Leech, chief executive of the British Property Federation