Taylor Vinters - Solicitors

Ministers must continue to fund social house building projects, in order to deal with the demand that currently exists for such properties, it has been emphasised.

According to the Home Builders Federation''s head of communications Steve Turner, waiting lists for local authority homes need to be addressed in the near future.

He said: "There is a desperate need to deliver in the region of 200,000 to 250,000 homes a year for the next 15 to 20 years, which we are not doing now."
Ministers must continue to fund social house building projects, in order to deal with the demand that currently exists for such properties, it has been emphasised.

According to the Home Builders Federation''s head of communications Steve Turner, waiting lists for local authority homes need to be addressed in the near future.

He said: "There is a desperate need to deliver in the region of 200,000 to 250,000 homes a year for the next 15 to 20 years, which we are not doing now."

Mr Turner went on to say that problems relating to the supply of new properties must be sorted out.

His comments come after the government''s housing minister John Healey announced plans to provide further council house building funding of £122.6 million to local authorities based in England.

Mr Healey has also noted the importance of developing homes which are built with sustainability in mind.

Elizabeth Deyong, Head of Social Housing commented "No government can afford to ignore the desperate need for investment in new affordable housing.  Whether funding comes via the HCA or via local authorities there will always be an important role for housing associations as developers on behalf of local authorities and as managers of affordable housing going  forward.  The skills that housing Associations have built up over the last twenty years will be invaluable to local authorities in the future."