Thu 8 May 2008
HBF addresses falling house starts
Junior housing minister Iain Wright’s announcement that the number of new housing starts will fall to under 100,000 units this year, severely affecting the government’s housebuilding targets, has been met with dismay by Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation.Speaking to Show House online, Baseley said: “Clearly there are implications for the government’s long-term housing targets if the current downturn is allowed to continue. We are calling for a range of measures, including a stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers, and a cut in interest rates to try and get some fluidity back in to the market.
“We are in an unprecedented situation whereby people want to buy new homes but can’t get access to the required funding. It is imperative to get some confidence back – both with lenders and customers. The implications for not doing so are severe, not just for the government’s targets, but also for the wider economy.”
Posted by Marc Da-Silva
in Home Builders Federation (HBF), Iain Wright, News, Stewart Baseley on Thu 8 May 2008
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