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SWHI Chairman, Richard Kitson – former CEO of the Aster Group of housing associations – highlights the issues >>
Am I alone in thinking that the Government’s proposals for planning have some merit?
Firstly, the previous regional strategies (whilst effectively... Read more...
If you are a council member or officer, the SWHI offers a range of support services to help you provide the homes
you need in ways that create communities and address the challenges you face. Just click here for more details.
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Aims & Objectives
Context:
The South West is the fastest-growing region in the country, but it has the nation's biggest regional housing crisis:
- An affordability gap between average earnings and average house prices – impeding economic prospects, and the aspirations of young people to find a home and stay in the region;
- A growing and unsatisfied demand for housing, with new home delivery falling way short of this region's growth in new households – threatening the prospects of wealthy home-owners unable to find local service providers, who cannot afford to find a home;
- Among the country's biggest concentrations of second-homes – boosting house-prices and reducing options for local people;
- One of the country's biggest waiting lists for social or affordable housing;
- Local employers struggling to attract and retain employees who cannot find an affordable home.
- However a track record of innovation and success in delivering homes in a sustainable, well designed, community owned manner
SWHI Objective:
- To promote co-operation between businesses, housing providers and government to sustain and develop a prosperous regional economy through the provision of housing, including affordable housing, in sustainable communities.
SWHI Action-plan:
- Combine the collective resources of our partners to deliver and promote:
- Robust evidence of the region's housing issues;
- Case-studies on best-practice successes;
- Guidance and support services for local councils.
- Brief and assist key influencers:
- MPs
- MEPs
- South West news media editors
- Council leaders, Cabinet Members and councillors
- Assist local councils to address their housing needs by:
- Delivering "best-practice" examples of successful delivery
- Working closely with local communities to secure owned housing solutions for local needs
- Providing direct support through:
- Workshops
- Speakers for Council events
- Intra-council partnerships promotion
- Input to LEP bids and delivery;
- Stage events to highlight the issues – and the solutions:
- Annual South West Housing Summit
- Tailored workshops for individual councils
- Briefing events for national politicians and regional editors
- Exploratory events to engage neighbouring councils in joint-ventures to deliver the required new homes
- Encourage and co-operate with private investment and delivery bodies to:
- Develop new funding mechanisms for housing
- Generate innovative credit arrangements to increase access to housing
- Promote new mechanisms to deliver affordable housing
- Lobby regional and national politicians and the private sector for the delivery of infrastructure to enable the delivery of new homes:
- Roads
- Public transport
- Health & educational services and facilities etc.
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Aims & Objectives
