Councils aim to address housing crisis with home ownership register

Three councils are encouraging local residents to sign a new register which aims to bring more quality homes for sale to the local area.

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, West Dorset District Council and North Dorset District Council have launched ‘The Home Ownership Register’ as part of a campaign called Opening Doors.

The register, which the councils are urging prospective buyers to sign, will aim to gauge the type of housing required in Dorset. 

The councils will then pass the details of the type of homes that are most in demand on to developers. 

Questions asked of buyers will relate to number of bedrooms, asking price, garden size and property type.

Those signing the register will also receive the latest news about homes for sale in the area and local housing developments.

The Opening Doors initiative has been launched to encourage greater housebuilding at a quicker pace. The aim is to reach a housebuilding target of 20,000 new properties in Dorset between 2016 and 2033.

“We are among a number of councils nationwide working pro-actively to find solutions to the housing crisis at a local level, and this register will play a key role in our work,” says Councillor Tim Yarker, West Dorset County Council housing portfolio holder.

Councillor Gill Taylor, Weymouth & Portland Borough Council housing briefholder, adds: “There is a quick and simple online form to fill in which means people will have all of the latest property news while playing their part in combating the housing shortage.”

You can read more about the Opening Doors campaign here.