She added: “In 2023, it’s essential that we see stability return in Westminster, so we can return to the long-term planning that is so vital to sensible housing and mortgage policy.”
Davies explained that over the course of the next year, IMLA wants to see Rishi Sunak’s government focus on “building a long-term strategy to resolve the critical shortage of housing in the UK, and to increase levels of homeownership across the country.”
“More than anything else, this means taking action to deliver new housing stock and upgrading existing homes. It also means going further to support those looking to get onto the housing ladder, including by urgently finding viable replacements for the winding down of help to buy,” Davies told FTAdviser.
Back in November the House of Lords’ Built Environment Committee published a report with seven recommendations to meet future long-term housing demand.
This included tackling a labour skills shortage, supporting SME house builders and prioritising planning reform to ensure that local planning authorities have the resources and staff they need to provide an efficient planning service.
In Davies' view, the report showed that the government has the ability to strengthen and protect the housing market, but “only if they have a long-term strategy, which we’ll need to see take root in 2023”.
jane.matthews@ft.com
