Andy Burnham admits affordable housing targets for developers 'don't work'

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, recently expressed that targeting private developers for affordable housing isn’t effective. At a Conservative Party conference event, he argued that councils should take on more housing construction responsibilities. He called for the £39 billion allocated for housing over the next decade to be entirely focused on building council homes, especially as many councils in the region are losing more council homes than they are building due to the Right to Buy scheme. He noted that while some developers, like Renaker, claim their luxury constructions can’t afford affordable housing contributions, they often fund other amenities instead. Despite recent improvements in affordable housing development in Greater Manchester, Burnham stressed that the region hasn’t hit the necessary tipping point to resolve the housing crisis, with pressing issues related to the affordably and availability of homes persisting. He believes a substantial council house building programme is crucial for tackling these challenges effectively.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News