Wednesday, October 12, 2016



Some "solution"

National told us that their Special Housing Areas would solve the housing crisis. But it turns out they haven't. While over a thousand "affordable" homes have been consented, only 18 have been sold to first-home buyers.

Which is what happens when you leave provision to the market: it doesn't deliver. Because affordable homes are less profitable than million dollar palazzos, developers simply aren't interested in building them, no matter how many they are forced by regulation to consent. If we want these homes built, then the government will need to do it directly. And if we want a government committed to that, we need someone other than National.