WIREDGOV

Read Cllr Gary Porter, LGA Chairman, commenting in advance of Communities Secretary Greg Clark's speech to the LGA 2015 conference.

Commenting ahead of Communities Secretary Greg Clark's speech, at today's Local Government Association conference in Harrogate, where he is expected to say ‘young people face a housing exile', Cllr Gary Porter, LGA Chairman, said:

"No one should have to move away from their communities to get their first foot on the housing ladder. But It's not just young people who are struggling to put a roof over their heads, there is a lack of affordable housing across the board. It is vital that we are able to deliver affordable housing for future generations and those already on waiting lists.

"If we are to deliver the homes and infrastructure desperately needed, councils must have a lead role in housebuilding. Local authorities could build half a million new homes and transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of families if given greater powers, resources and flexibility.

"Central to this is lifting housing borrowing limits to allow us to invest in new housing, giving us the freedom to set Right-to-buy discounts and retain 100 per cent of the receipts locally.

"Councils understand the need to provide more homes for first-time buyers and are already taking steps to make first-time homes more affordable. New starter homes cannot be built in isolation or without any wider community needs. They must come with the infrastructure needed and include a mix of housing."