Budget briefing letter from Angela Rayner MP
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner MP has asked the NHC to share a letter outlining the key housing announcements in the budget.
The letter covers:
- Affordable Homes Programme £500m top-up
- Rent settlement – proposal for 5-year CPI plus 1% settlement with a consultation which looks at longer term options.
- Right to Buy changes – including reducing discounts to their pre-2012 regional levels and enabling councils to keep all the receipts
- Building safety – £1 billion fund for the remediation of unsafe housing.
NHC Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison, said:
“We appreciate the Deputy Prime Minister taking the time to write this letter. It’s another welcome indication of the importance she places on housing, and a desire to work in partnership with the sector.
“There are lots of positives to take away from this Budget. We strongly advocated for a top-up to the Affordable Homes Programme in the run up to the Budget. The rent settlement will give housing providers more certainty to plan investment and changes to Right to Buy should help stem the loss of social homes.
“These are all great first steps, but there’s lots of work to do to in the run-up to the Spending Review and through the rent consultation. We know our members need long-term financial certainty to improve the quality of existing homes, including making them warmer and greener, and to deliver new homes on the scale required to meet government ambitions.
“We will continue to engage with the Government so the housing sector in the North can work in partnership with Government to deliver real change on the ground.”
The NHC On-the-Day Budget briefing gives more detailed information about what the budget means for housing in the North. Please contact Executive Director of Policy and Public Affairs Patrick Murray(patrick.murray@northern-consortium.org.uk) if you would like to discuss the Budget.
