The Housing Forum, a group comprising developers and suppliers to the housing industry, has proposed a series of reforms in its manifesto to address housing issues. The manifesto, released to draw attention to housing as a major topic for the upcoming General Election, includes several key demands:

  1. Energy Efficiency-based Social Rents: The think tank suggests that rents in the social sector should be reflective of the energy efficiency of a property. This aligns with a growing emphasis on environmentally friendly practices and aligns housing costs with the sustainability of the property.
  2. Reintroducing Housing Targets and Incentives: The manifesto calls for the reintroduction of housing targets, coupled with strong incentives for local authorities to meet them. This includes requiring a five-year land supply and increasing infrastructure funding for areas that meet or exceed their targets.
  3. Community Input in Planning: The proposal aims to involve community input in the early stages of planning, particularly during the plan-making phase. This could include the use of design codes to guide the development of housing projects.
  4. Reforming Social Rent Formula: The Housing Forum advocates for a reform of the social rent formula, suggesting that rents should consider the energy efficiency of the property. This aligns with broader efforts to promote sustainability in the housing sector.
  5. VAT Exemption for Retrofitting and Regeneration: The manifesto recommends the removal of VAT from all forms of retrofitting, regeneration, and fire safety work. This could incentivize property owners to undertake necessary improvements without the financial burden of VAT.
  6. Grant Rates for Affordable Housing: The proposal suggests reforming grant rates for affordable housing to be based on a rate per habitable room. This aims to encourage the construction of larger homes suitable for families.
  7. Housing Accelerator Fund: The Housing Forum calls for the establishment of a £4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund, aimed at building an additional 60,000 affordable homes to reduce homelessness by half in three years.

The group also emphasizes the need for politicians to avoid negative rhetoric, such as ‘concreting over the countryside,’ and stresses the importance of housing as a crucial element for people’s prosperity, health, and overall well-being. The CEO of the Housing Forum, Shelagh Grant, sees the manifesto as a roadmap to address the housing crisis and set the sector on a positive trajectory for future generations. The forum urges all political parties to commit to making housing a priority in government planning.