The acute shortage of suitable housing in UK cities is now being addressed by a ‘think tank’ of local authority professionals from England's major cities outside London - Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.
The group is part of the Core Cities initaitive, whichhas been working together for the last 10 years to strengthen member cities' global competitiveness. IThe new Core Cities Housing Group had its first meeting hosted by Bristol City Council this week.
“The group has been set up to shape policy, share good practice and discuss areas where improvements are needed, Core Cities already has a number of different groups for officers and councillors, but until recently did not have a group focusing on housing,” commented a spokesman.
Discussion at the first meeting centred on the housing market and homelessness, and how Core Cities members will work with the new Communities England organisation, following the planned merger of the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.
Councillor John Kiely, Bristol's Executive Member for Housing and Adult Community Care, said:
“With house prices in our major cities continuing to rise, pricing many potential buyers out of the market, and demand for social housing outstripping supply, housing is a crucial issue. Working to ensure there are enough decent homes that people can afford is of critical importance to the continuing prosperity of our cities.
“For this reason we were keen to instigate a meeting of Core Cities representatives concerned with housing. Together, we want to work with government and other strategic housing partners and stakeholders, on addressing some of the key housing pressures we face.”
Chris Murray, Director of Core Cities added: "The Core Cities are important centres of wealth creation and England's regional economy relies on their increased success. A broad housing offer that includes decent affordable homes is a central issue in ensuring economic growth, as is aligning housing strategies more closely with strategies and policies for economic development, transport and spatial planning. The creation of a Core Cities Housing Group to consider these and other issues is a very positive step in that direction."
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