Steve Smart, Ken Baldry, Alan Gent and Margaret Dickinson respond to a piece by Simon Jenkins on the chronic shortage of homes and climbing prices
Simon Jenkins largely misses the point in analysing Britain’s housing situation (Michael Gove is right about one thing: building more homes won’t solve anything, 13 May). Yes, it is true that many owners are underoccupying their homes, but he devotes one cursory sentence to our desperately inadequate social housing provision, and none at all to the large and growing private rented sector.
For 40-plus years, our governments have persisted in the absurd notion that the market, with a little help from housing associations, would supply our housing needs. The result is that there is a chronic shortage of affordable housing everywhere, particularly for rent. And the private rented sector in the UK, unlike elsewhere, suffers from tenant insecurity, unregulated rents and poor conditions – while receiving huge benefit subsidies that add nothing to physical provision.
