I'm all for giving the industry an injection of life, but isn't this rewarding private house builders for their mistakes in building houses nobody wanted?
What would you rather - that more house builders went bust and people ended up on the dole?
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The government doesn't normally do much for us, but this is better than nothing.
I hope the money helps keep house building employees off the dole, and that it doesn't merely go to shareholders, or directors - take note Bellway.
But it's hard to see many houses being built this year, so I'm not sure what work there will be to do...
I read about that Bellway fiasco. It's hard to imagine they'll get away with it. The ABI seems to be rallying the troops, so to speak.
As for the government buying up house builders' stock, while I agree that it stings to see so many bailouts, a lot of good can come of it. More social housing to be available? We're always being reminded is desperately needed.
A benefit of this could be a greater integration of public and private housing, offering more choice and diversity and reducing concentrated areas of deprivation.
All good in theory, but a) is this likely to be put into practice? and b) will the theory thus prove successful?
They did it for the banks who got us in this pickle in the first place. If the Government buys cheap and then sells them back to the market at a later date it could even turn out to be a wise investment that ultimately saves tax payers money. Anyway the point is there is huge demand for housing whether social or private so something has to be done.
There's a pretty neat solution to at least some of the housing woes in this country. Refurb the thousands of empty homes across the land and fill them with families in need of a homestead.
It creates work and helps push start the economy. I cannot understand why it would be better to knock down thousands of perfectly good homes only to build new ones in their place. The new ones would undoubtedly maintain the reputation we have as 'rabbit hutch Britain'.
I have just completed an 'End of Defects' Inspection on a block of 38 Flats on the South Coast and became confused to learn that nine of them are void and have been, since handover - a year ago. Now these are not shared ownership so...what is going on?
Similarly, I had the same experience on a scheme near to Bracknell, not so many were void but even so, there were empty units.
The incompetance being demonstrated currently is unreal.
Regards
MVM
That is quite staggering. Nine void for a year out of 38?!
Was there any indication of what might happen to these units?
Molevalleyman: Similarly, I had the same experience on a scheme near to Bracknell, not so many were void but even so, there were empty units.
This sounds like it could be a common practice.
Has anyone else come across anything similar?
Janie