'Fixing the housing market' with Russell Homes
Russell Homes director Daniel Kershaw was this morning interviewed by Radio 5 Live from the site of the new Saltersford Gardens development in Holmes Chapel, and was asked “How do we fix the broken housing market”.
The housing market is ‘broken’ according to the government, which has today set out a series of policies in its Housing White Paper. Chief among them is the vow to build more affordable houses and increase the opportunities for affordable rent.
Russell Homes director Daniel Kershaw told 5 Live interviewer Nicky Campbell: “It is very difficult, the private sector housebuilder is not in a position to deliver the amount of housing that is required, approximately quarter of a million houses per annum, it has to be coupled with the private rented sector which has contributed about 15,000 per annum, local authorities and housing associations. The greater supply, the more affordable houses will become.
“The private sector does deliver a percentage of affordable housing in every new build scheme, and that is a mixed tenure, affordable rent, shared ownership, which does allow people to have a stake in their property, the shared ownership model and that is going to assist, but there is no quick fix, it is a complex problem.”
When asked if property in general is too expensive, Mr Kershaw answered: “Property is proportionate, it will be expensive in some areas, less in others, and in some places quite affordable. The problem is supply. We don’t have enough housing. We have an increasing population. Increasing supply, increasing provision of affordable housing, can address that.”
Russell Homes is building 93 two, three, four and five-bedroom properties at Saltersford Gardens on Macclesfield Road, Holmes Chapel. Of those, 65 will be available for sale and 28 will be affordable rent though a housing association. Construction has begun with installation of drains, services and roads, and the houses will start in the summer. Properties will be released for sale in the summer, with the first set for completion by Christmas.
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To hear Daniel’s interview in full click here and scroll to 18 minutes 45 seconds.