Michael Gove’s housing policy shift is long overdue

The historic north-south disparity in the construction of new homes has been reflected most significantly in the delivery of affordable housing over the past three decades. This is a clear sign that the benefits of such a policy shift are long overdue.

In recent years, the South East has become the nation’s new-build hotspot, with London accounting for 22.7% of all affordable housing delivered in England over the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the supply of homes has been significantly neglected in many areas in the north. For instance, the Yorkshire and the Humber region accounts for just 10% of affordable housing delivered in the past three decades.

Figures are even more dramatic in the North East, with the region accounting for less than 4% of the total affordable housing delivered since 1990.

With house prices in the north rising rapidly relative to salaries, the government cannot and should not be left to face the housing crisis alone.

HSPG, headquartered in Manchester, has worked in partnership with local authorities to deliver affordable and supported housing across the UK and are committed to supporting future projects in the north of England. These partnerships enable a cost- efficient and swift supply of homes, while helping authorities to meet their obligations under regulations such as the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

We urge the new housing secretary to follow through on this suggested policy shift as part of the government’s levelling-up agenda, but the government cannot and should not deliver this alone. Partnerships with housing providers, developers and social impact investors will be crucial to delivering the affordable and supported housing that is so desperately required across the country.

Josh Beeston, head of acquisitions, HSPG