黑洞社区

Communities minister Andrew Stunell has hit out at claims by shadow ministers that the coalition housing strategy, launched today, falls short of Labour鈥檚 housing record.

Today鈥檚 housing strategy includes an industry-funded mortgage guarantee scheme to enable 95% mortgages, a 拢400m programme to re-start stalled schemes and 拢50m to bring empty properties back in to use.

However, opposition figures have claimed that the strategy does little to repair damage done by the halving of affordable housing funding in the comprehensive Spending Review last autumn, from 拢8.3bn to 拢4.5bn, and the cancellation of Labour鈥檚 拢1bn Kickstart programme.

Stunell told 黑洞社区 that the strategy included 鈥渘ew鈥� money for the communities department, negotiated from the Treasury. He said: 鈥淟abour鈥檚 kickstart programme wasn鈥檛 effective or good value for money. What we鈥檙e proposing is very  low cost because much of the costs are being born by the industry and lenders, which is enabling us to roll this out on a much bigger scale.鈥�

The government is promising to build 16,000 homes with the 拢400m Get Britain 黑洞社区 fund, compared to 22,050 homes delivered through Labour鈥檚 Kickstart scheme from 拢716m, before it was cancelled.

Stunell said: 鈥淚 absolutely don鈥檛 accept that criticism from Labour. Labour鈥檚 programmes were vastly inflated and oversold, and in some cases not good value for money. We鈥檙e now building social and affordable homes for half the cost to the public sector because of the Affordable Rent regime.

鈥淲e鈥檙e on course to be the first government since 1979 to end our parliament with more social homes that we inherited.鈥�

Of the announcement of the mortgage indemnity guarantee scheme, he said: 鈥淭he absolute key is getting first time buyers and new buyers in to the market. Right now the loan to value ratios on mortgage is a chock stopping this market getting going. For the point of view of the housing market the priority is unlocking new build homes for new buyers.鈥�