The future of the UK?

[gunwharfman]

In the Guardian this morning. If in any way true, for me, very disheartening. Will the whole of the UK eventually be covered in concrete, tarmac  and bricks just for profit and votes? Is there really a housing crisis and who will really benefit if this is allowed happen? I cannot believe for one second that its going to be my child or yours! Everything I read or hear suggests that the so called 'affordable home', which the government keeps using to justify taking over the countryside, is for most people I believe, still going to be un-affordable and will remain so for them for ever.........................?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/15/homes-planned-for-green-belt-have-risen-to-360000-in-england

[Cairn hopper]

Housing crisis? Yes there is one. Do we need to build new homes? Not really.

Affordable homes. In my area there is a shortage of about 400 to 500 two bedroom homes and about the same for three bedroom homes. There is also around 250 four bed room homes.

We also have around 1200 people living in private rent where the rent is substantialy higher than local housing.

The main reason for this problem is the right to buy scheme of the eighties. Maggies dream.

Mum and dad bought house in the eighties. Kids bought there's in the 2000,s. Mum and dad died and passed the house on. The family are now landlords charging rent to a family that need a house.

This is only in my area. In many other areas it's second homes. Holiday homes etc that mean people don't have access to a perfectly good house because someone else is renting it out.

I think it's time for legislation to allow the local authorities to buy back these properties from landlords and make them affordable housing.

[Cairn hopper]

Just to add. If the council built 2500 homes as they plan to do. All the people in need of a rented house will get one and approximately 1200 landlords will have a property they can not rent out. So it's actually in the landlords interest to buy into this scheme too.

[BuzyG]

There is also so small matter of roughly 100,000 more Immigrants than Emigrants, each year since the 1990's.   Good for the economy, but also adding Millions of people who all require housing.