New analysis for the South-East shows that a major shortage of homes for local young families will get worse unless the region's politicians take action.
Analysis by the Home Builders Federation shows that the failure by regional politicians to take into account the real needs of local people risks a black hole of at least 162,000 too few homes in the region over the next twenty years.
The true picture could turn out to be even worse than this: the moratorium on homebuilding over the past year because of concern at whether families with pets could scare off birds such as the Dartford Warbler has meant there have been hardly any planning permissions for new homes granted in 13 out of 67 local authorities across the region. Because politicians have not yet found a way to compensate for this loss of homes in the region, the Home Builders Federation estimate that this will further reduce the numbers of new homes completed over the next few years by several thousand at least.
Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation said:
"We've all enjoyed our houses rising in value, but if politicians fail to plan for the future communities risk being torn apart by the inability of local youngsters to afford to stay in the area once they have a family."
"Official figures from the government show that over the next twenty years, 37,000 new homes are needed in the South-East each year. But the draft South-East Regional Plan doesn't provide for anything like this number - and the moratorium on planning applications across much of the South-East will make the situation even worse. If regional politicians do not face up to the facts on the ground then local children will find when they are looking for a home of their own locally there just won' t be enough of them .
For more information or to interview HBF housing analysts please call Greg Rosen on 07881 552874