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Simply about supply? How housing issues vary by region

Article

Why we need a place-informed approach to deliver new homes across the country.

The government has committed to building 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament. Housing issues vary across England’s regions, so a place-informed approach will be necessary to deliver those homes and address the housing crisis. 

Across England, housing challenges vary by region in three key areas:

  1. affordability
  2. tenure
  3. quality.

To improve housing in England, an understanding of how issues manifest differently across regions is essential. Regionally responsive policy that works collaboratively with and empowers strategic and local authorities is required. While increasing housing supply is important, it must be the right supply in the right place – in terms of affordability, tenure and quality. Simply delivering more homes at current or 80 per cent of market rate (so called affordable homes) will not resolve England’s housing issues. 

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