Discounted starter homes could be out of reach for the majority of families in need of an affordable home in many parts of the country according to new analysis released by the Local Government Association.
Under a government initiative first time buyers will be able to buy 200,000 new starter homes over the next five years at a minimum discount of 20 per cent to the market value. Discounted prices will be capped at £450,000 in London and £250,000 elsewhere.
The LGA says the national starter homes scheme could help some people onto the housing ladder but that crucial details are yet to be confirmed. It is concerned it will help the fewest numbers of people in areas where the housing affordability crisis is most acute and will be out of reach for many people in need of an affordable home in the majority of local areas.
Although house builders will be able to build and sell starter homes below the price caps, councils are concerned that this could be difficult for developers to achieve without compromising on quality, particularly in areas with higher house prices.
Now council chiefs are calling for the power to decide on the number, type and quality of starter homes so that they meet the needs of local communities.
Councils claim they also need powers to provide affordable rented homes that are crucial for enabling people to save money towards a deposit, and the means to secure investment in vital infrastructure that new home buyers will expect and will rely on.
The LGA, which has commissioned Savills to undertake research to bolster its case, claims discounted starter homes prices will be out of reach for all people in need of affordable housing in 220 council areas - that 67 per cent of England.
They will be are out of reach for more than 90 per cent of people in need of affordable housing in a further 80 areas - 25 per cent of England.
People in need of affordable housing are defined as those who would have to spend 30 per cent of their household income to rent or buy a home.
The average earner living in 85 per cent of London boroughs, 49 per cent of council areas in the South East and 40 per cent in the South West would need a deposit greater than 20 per cent to be able to buy an average priced home with a 20 per cent discount
The 20 per cent discounts for new buyers would be funded by exempting developers from paying Section 106 contributions towards affordable rented housing and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions.
The LGA is urging the House of Lords to back amendments allowing councils to continue to ensure a mix of affordable homes based on local needs and to ensure that councils have the means to invest in the vital infrastructure home buyers and communities will rely on.
Discounts on starter homes should also be applied to them when they are resold to benefit future generations and help them also get on the housing ladder, it says.
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Quelle surprise. Who would have thunk it?
I don't believe it not's butter. Never in a month of Sundays. There must be something afoot here. The government's flagship starter homes - that they promise will be genuinely affordable to first-time buyers - aren't actually affordable at all. You couldn't make it up!
Given the government seem to have different classifications of affordable to most ordinary people, this isn't exactly surprising. They really don't help themselves, do they?
This isn't just an government issue, developers and housebuilders need to pull their finger out as well. If we actually built an appropriate number of affordable homes, the need for gimmicks like "starter homes" wouldn't be there. The number of empty homes in the UK, too, is a disgrace. So much more could be made of these properties, if the will was there. Sadly, I fear it's not.
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