RIBA responds to the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has tresponded to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government Social Housing Green Paper.

RIBA President Ben Derbyshire says,

“Whilst there are some welcome proposals in the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper, I’m disappointed that policies proposed today will not actively support those in desperate need of good homes.

“The sheer scale of the housing crisis and the shortage of affordable housing is laid bare in this paper. We have over one million people on waiting lists and up to 60,000 households are declared homeless and in immediate need of a place to live each year. This is a national disgrace and the only way for us to tackle the problem is for the state to play a more active role. However, we do not see enough evidence that this has been taken onboard.

“The proposal for limited increases in borrowing caps as well as details on further investment and the role of good design in social housing are welcome, but are not nearly enough. For too long the UK’s housing crisis has blighted our country whilst Governments fail to grasp the severity of the situation. The blunt truth is that while this has been sold as a new deal, it seems to be more of the same. This Government has the opportunity to make real change and we look forward to working with them.”