Housing experts will group together to find ways to tackle homes ‘crisis’
26 July 2021, 09:04
Action groups will aim to help find solutions to issues around housing affordability, accessibility and sustainability.
An array of organisations and experts are joining forces in a push to tackle the UK’s “housing crisis”, Nationwide Building Society has announced.
The society said the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated longstanding issues around the affordability, accessibility and sustainability of homes.
Dedicated “action groups” will set out to tackle issues across four core themes – new homes, green homes, the rental sector, and the delivery of homes.
Issues being put under the spotlight include ensuring homes meet the needs of first-time buyers, home-movers and downsizers, and meet high energy-efficiency standards.
Responding to trends such as homeworking, multi-generational living and smaller households could also ease pressures on housing, Nationwide said.
The society added that inequalities between home-owners and renters that have been magnified by the coronavirus pandemic need to be addressed and more options need to be made available to renters.
The availability of skilled labour and supplies are also issues in the construction industry, Nationwide said.
Those contributing to the initiative include NatWest, Arla Propertymark, Barratt Developments, the Building Societies Association, the Chartered Institute of Housing, Connells Group, the Federation of Master Builders, Connells Group, MoneySavingExpert, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and Shelter.
Nationwide said nearly two-thirds (63%) of people believe the UK has a housing crisis, rising to 71% of private renters.
Sara Bennison, chief product and marketing officer at Nationwide, said: “By thinking about the whole system together and not just the individual components where each organisation plays, we are genuinely excited by the ideas these action groups can table for the mutual good of all.”
Nationwide is inviting its members, experts and the wider public for views on what is “broken” in the housing market and what potential solutions there are by emailing futureofhome@nationwide.co.uk.
