The private sector needs to gain the trust of local authorities in order to solve the housing crisis, the head of a London-based property developer has said.
Angus Michie, the chairman of Berkely Homes, said: ‘We need to work hand in hand with local authorities. When the public and private sectors work together, they can transform communities.’
His sentiments were reiterated by the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), Terrie Alafat, who said that the private sector alone cannot deliver enough homes to solve the housing crisis and that local authorities need to build as well.
Ms Alafat added that the CIH is currently in talks with the Government about what ‘deals’, such as lifting the borrowing cap, would help local authorities and housing associations build more homes.
However, while council housing is important, it is not the ‘silver bullet’ that will solve the housing crisis, the chief executive of the Housing and Communities Agency, said.
Nick Walkley said that the housing crisis is a comlpex problem and that simply asking councils to build more homes is not the solution. He explained that before deciding to build houses, councils would have to figure out where the skills and workforce would come from.
Mr Walkley added: ‘It’s not just about who builds houses but also what is built and how it is built.'