HOUSING needs to be the top priority for WHOEVER wins power in Thursday’s general election, according to a leading expert.
Jonathan Rolande, said the next Prime Minister must “hit the ground running” on day one.
Outlining the policies he believes the property sector needs most of all Mr Rolande said: “We need to start by getting spades in the ground. From day one the new Government must signal that they are prepared to build hundreds of thousands of new-homes to keep pace with demand. We need to turbocharge housebuilding. Keeping buyer demand steady is essential or housebuilders will take fright, mothballing developments.
“Next, we need to embark on a new town scheme to build mass housing where it is needed, encouraging investment away from over-crowded London and the South East
“I’d also like to see moves to deprivatise housing. Allow councils to borrow to build homes for those on benefits, which would end the madness of councils paying £14bn a year in benefits to private landlords to outsource the problem of a lack of housing.
“Another measure we should introduce are levies to second homeowners to bring in additional revenue and discourage under-use.
Outlining the other changes he’d like to see Jonathan added: “We need to slash stamp duty for downsizers to free up much-needed bedroom space in large family homes.
“I’d also like to see the next Prime Minister offer meaningful tax breaks to landlords who insulate their tenant’s homes. The poorest in society often live in the most energy-intensive properties, costing money and causing emissions unnecessarily.”
On the bolder moves that the Government needs to make, he added: “
“I’d like to see the next government create a new Ministry for Housing and have cross-party involvement within it. Politicians should all agree that we need more affordable housing and they should be working together, outside of party politics, to deliver it.
“We also need a housing minister who is in it for the long haul. In the last decade, we’ve seen countless ministers come and go. The removal van outside the housing minister’s office has been doing overtime. We need stability and a long-term strategy that delivers change and which provides solutions to our housing crisis.
