A new report has called on the Government to support the building of three million new social homes over the next 20 years.
According to the Social Mobility Commission, which advises ministers on social mobility policy, urgent action is need to ease the serious social housing shortage which in turn impacts child poverty.
In its State of the Nation report, the Commission revealed that access to social housing across the UK was poor in 2019 and the situation has since worsened as a result of the Covid pandemic.
Its recommended target of three million new social housing units by 2041 equates to an average of 150,000 new homes each year.
By contrast, under the Government’s current Affordable Housing Programme, there is sufficient funding for just 32,000 homes over the next five years,
Urging the Government to do more, the report’s authors said: “High housing costs have led to the private rental market doubling in size in the last 20 years.
“Today, over 1.1 million people are on the social housing waiting list. To address this, the UK Government must build more social homes and create stability for private renters.”
Adam Davis, a Director with Palmers and Head of the Construction law department, said: “The proposals for additional social housing stock could mean a further boost for construction firms and their sub-contractors.
“However, given that the sector is already struggling with a range of issues including a shortage of both skilled workers and building materials, there will inevitably pinch points with significantly increasing targets for additional development projects.
“It is therefore more important than ever to ensure that robust contracts are in place which provide protection in the event that outside factors cause unexpected project delays.
“Our experience in working with the construction and engineering sector means we are ideally placed to provide independent, practical advice to help firms with their contracts.”
For help and support on contract submissions and project delivery compliance, please contact Palmers specialist construction team.