Response: Starter Homes for First Time Buyers

By: Pete Jefferys
Published: January 2015

Response: Starter Homes for First Time Buyers

It
is very positive that the government is looking at new ways to stimulate house
building including this Starter Homes initiative. It is also right that the
government is looking at ways to make new homes more affordable for first time
buyers, who are increasingly priced out of the market. At Shelter we have
consistently highlighted the difficulty young people have in saving a deposit
and getting a stable home of their own.However:1. There is no good reason to exclude the option of affordable housing from these new schemes. Using a planning intervention to achieve lower land costs will lead to different levels of viability in different local markets. Local authorities should have the option to consider and prioritise bids with an affordable housing element in addition to first time buyer discounts.2. There is no good reason to restrict these interventions to brownfield land only. Greenfield land outside of the planning pipeline offers the best opportunities to generate value to pay for infrastructure, affordable housing or discounts for first time buyers. DCLG should allow for the use of these exception sites on greenfield land, including through greenbelt swaps.3. On balance we would advocate a longer period (15
years) before homes can be sold-on at market value. This is to allow the size of the discount
market to grow and preserve affordability.