On 30 June, the Communities Secretary Greg Clark and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis met with members of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), whose members build around 80% of newbuild homes in England and Wales.
The Secretary of State reaffirmed housing as a top priority for the government and reiterated the government’s ambition to build a million more homes. This ambition is underpinned by a record £20bn housing package announced at the Spending Review and government-backed schemes, including Help to Buy and Shared Ownership, which have supported over 309,000 homeowners since 2010.
The HBF and its members stated that all indicators show reservations and sales rates have not been affected by the recent referendum. Members restated their commitment to driving up supply and increasing the number of new homeowners.
Parties spoke of their confidence in the strength of the housing market with strong demand for housing. The government and the HBF agreed to continue to work jointly over the coming weeks to ensure shared ambitions are met.
Mr Clark said: “The action we have taken over the last six years to get the country building again has put the industry in a position of strength. We have doubled investment in housing and set out the largest affordable housebuilding program since the 1970s.
“The need for new homes continues as does the government’s commitment to getting them built and extending home ownership to anyone that aspires to own a home of their own.”
Peter Andrew, deputy chairman at the HBF, added: “We were very pleased to hear the Secretary of State reaffirm the government’s commitment to increasing housing supply. We welcome his reiteration of support for successful programmes like the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme which is underpinning demand and helping tens of thousands of buyers each year to take their first steps on the housing ladder.
“Housebuilders remain confident in the underlying level of demand for housing and will continue to deliver the homes the country needs.”
