Austin commits to deliver new affordable homes at first
meeting as Regional Minister

Major house-builders were called together by Ian Austin, who was
appointed at the weekend as the new Regional Minister for the West
Midlands, for summit talks to push ahead with his regional priority
for a programme of affordable house building.

The talks, with companies like Bellway Homes, Lovell Homes, Persimmon
Homes and Countryside Properties at the Hawthorns Football Ground in
West Bromwich, enabled Mr Austin to discuss what more the Government
can do to respond to the downturn in the housing market.

Working alongside Paul Spooner, incoming Regional Director of the new
Homes and Communities Agency, the Minister explored what further
steps are now needed to ensure that the region is ready to take
advantage of economic recovery.

Speaking about the meeting in West Bromwich, Mr Austin said:

"Providing affordable homes is one of my key priorities as Regional
Minister. To achieve the aim of building a new home every half an
hour we must also ensure that they are of the right specification, in
the right place, and at the right price. By meeting with the key
players in the industry I can hear first hand of the difficulties
they are facing in a rapidly changing market. Continuing dialogue
between the house-building industry and the new Homes and Community
Agency is vitally important to be prepared to respond to these
changes."

The workshop kick-started the process of engagement that the Minister
is undertaking to help house-builders face the challenges of such an
ambitious programme.

It almost seems like his own housing summit. But I do feel that some issues will have been missed out, like

-Clarifying the word "Affordable" especially in the current climate.

-Developers having different ales policies that there is no central over, so the houses still go to those that can afford.

- The take up of shared equity ie:- about 100 have been completed in T&W

- No clear identification of key workers

- No measure to ensure properties are sold to key workers

- No Government requirement to assist non statutory homeless who may be non statutory because they are single and aged over 25 years.

It seems there was a lack of involvement of other agencies like the KIP Project for example who fill a vital gap.