Kit Malthouse has taken the reigns from Dominic Raab following his promotion to Brexit Secretary.
The new Minister of State for Housing said, “I am delighted to be appointed as Minister of State for Housing.
“Building the homes this country needs is a top priority for this government. I am keen to build on the real progress that has been made and start working with the sector so we can deliver more homes, restore the dream of home ownership and build a housing market fit for the future.
“I’m also committed to continuing the important work of supporting those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy and ensuring people are safe, and feel safe in their homes.”
The latest in a long line of housing ministers, Malthouse is under a lot of pressure to hit the ground running.
Russell Pedley, co-founder of Assael Architecture, said, “The appointment of Kit Malthouse as the new Minister of State for Housing is welcome news, but four ministers in two years highlights the government’s frivolous attitude towards the crisis and adds to political instability feeding through to the housing sector. We are yet to have clarity around questions of design, quality and delivery methods concerning the homes we build. Another ministerial shift within a year is likely to aggravate the issues that our housing market faces.”
While the industry has welcomed Kit who, with a background in welfare, seems a good fit for the role, Malthouse is dealing with an industry that has been left with some serious abandonment issues.
David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation, said, “Congratulations to Kit Malthouse MP on his new position. We’ve had constructive dialogue with him in his role at the Department of Work and Pensions, and it is positive that someone with an understanding of the strong links between welfare and housing has been appointed as Housing Minister. We look forward to continuing our close work with Mr Malthouse to solve the country’s housing crisis. Housing must remain a priority for this Government and housing associations will continue to be constructive and vital partners.
“However, this is the eighth housing minister in eight years. Theresa May has made it her personal mission to fix the housing crisis and if the Prime Minister is serious about this, she now needs to make sure Malthouse actually has enough time to get to grips with the real scale of the problem, and make meaningful change.”
Malthouse was previously Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance at the Department of Work and Pensions from 9 January 2018 to 9 July 2018. He was elected as Conservative MP for North West Hampshire in May 2015.
He was a councillor on Westminster Council from 1998 to 2006. Malthouse was a member of the London Assembly from 2008 to 2016. He served as Deputy Mayor for Policing 2008 to 2012 and Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise from 2012 to 2015.
Malthouse is a chartered accountant, founding a midlands-based finance company, which he now chairs. He is married with three children.
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