David Cameron: Generation Rent will become Generation Buy

Graham_Devon

David Cameron has announced today that affordable homes will instead be called "starter homes".

This will rmeove them form the Section 106 agreements and will then be sold at a 20% discount, but only to people under 40 years of age.

This, in turn, will turn Generation Rent into Generation Buy. Apparently.

It's quickly been pounced on, but it seems, various sections of the press, including the Independant, who have been quick to suggest this helps the wealthy, rather than the poor. Afterlal, building starter homes will do away with building "affordable" homes. (or at least that's the theory).

They also found that, based on current prices, 98% of the people earning the tories living wage will be priced out of these starter homes in 2020 (if all current trends continue).

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-s-new-housing-policy-helps-the-rich-at-the-expense-of-the-poor-a6684146.html

So your thoughts on his "radical" plans to get 200,000 houses built over this parliament?

Mummyisbeauty

I think there needs to be upper limits on the value of these 'starter homes' tbh even if there are limits that represent local property prices. As for the 200k it is a drop in the ocean.

lisyloo

Drop in the ocean. 500,000 people added to the population this year alone.

Sapphire

Too many people clustered in one place, too much 'housing' built purely for investment purposes and too many migrants (IMHO). What about infrastructure, which is extremely poor and getting worse in many places, especially when it comes to health services?

carslet

lisyloo wrote: »

Drop in the ocean. 500,000 people added to the population this year alone.

They will never catch up with the rate people are added to the population,

Hence there will never be affordable housing ever again in this country

or to be more precise a HPC

ukcarper

Mummyisbeauty wrote: »

I think there needs to be upper limits on the value of these 'starter homes' tbh even if there are limits that represent local property prices. As for the 200k it is a drop in the ocean.

I think there is a limit £250k and £450k in London

Mistermeaner

listened to something about this on radio 4 this morning (this part of the speech was leaked)

Neither of the 'experts' criticised it per se but said ( and I think we would all agree) thats it's not enough.

Planning was hardly mentioned.

One of them vetoed building on greenbelt - something about flooding bizarrely

One of them very sensibly although centrically talked about the issue of lack of housing density in places like london; too many old terraces where we need high rises. Also mentioned inefficiency of infrastructure due us being too spread out.

Repeating myself I know but planning barely came up - surely this is the crux of it?

ukcarper

Mistermeaner wrote: »

listened to something about this on radio 4 this morning (this part of the speech was leaked)

Neither of the 'experts' criticised it per se but said ( and I think we would all agree) thats it's not enough.

Planning was hardly mentioned.

One of them vetoed building on greenbelt - something about flooding bizarrely

One of them very sensibly although centrically talked about the issue of lack of housing density in places like london; too many old terraces where we need high rises. Also mentioned inefficiency of infrastructure due us being too spread out.

Repeating myself I know but planning barely came up - surely this is the crux of it?

Building on greenbelt causing flooding is not bizarre as in some areas greenbelt acts as a sponge slowing the rate at which water flows off land into rivers.

Lunchtime they were talking about planning changes but they didn't say what they were.

carslet

It is no-where near enough, they would have to build 250,000 a year for the next 10 years for it to be enough. he has no idea in the real worl, none of them do

stator

Typical Torries. Their solution to the problem is to con young people into taking on a life time worth of debt for a pile of bricks and mortar that is a glorified matchbox.
The real solution is to take control and build actual houses, abolishing the silly green belt.
Cameron likes to look like he is doing something, but really he just wants house prices to keep going up to protect the wealthy.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

All this is just tinkering round the edges.We need large numbers of new houses (plus assoc infrastructure) or fewer people.