A survey by polling firm Yougov for the i newspaper showed 71 per cent of people who voted Conservative in 2019 believe there needs to be more social housing. The figure for Labour votes is 82 per cent.
The findings come from a representative sample of 2,112 adults that was weighted according to factors including age, gender, region, social class, political attention, and education level.
The research follows increasing evidence that the financial pressures on social housing providers is likely to cause a slowdown in development.
Housing associations are facing rampant inflation, a 7% rent cap in 2022/23, and competing pressures to build new homes, decarbonise stock and make building safety improvements
The Regulator of Social Housing’s latest quarterly survey of associations last month showed providers are reducing their development forecasts and pausing or cancelling schemes because of economic uncertainty.
Rating agency Standard & Poors released a report last month forecasting that social housing providers will build 110,000 new affordable homes in 2023/24 and 2024/25, down from 120,000 in 2022 and 2023.
MPs have launched an inquiry into the finances of social housing providers. The probe, by the cross-party Levelling Up, Housing and Communities committee will examine the “financial pressures facing social landlords”.
It will look at the resources needed to “build thousands of new homes for social rent” while at the same time improving existing social housing stock.
Source: Housing Today
