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Housing charity Shelter has cautiously welcomed the governments New Homes Bonus initiative, but warns that it will not be enough to solve the UK housing crisis.
Housing minister Grant Shapps announced the scheme which will see the government match the extra council tax revenue raised from new homes for six years.
However, Caroline Davey, Shelter’s deputy director of policy and campaigns, said the new plans are recognition of the need for new and affordable housing, since the vast majority of local authorities are not currently delivering enough.
However, she added: “With 1.8 million households on housing waiting lists and millions more struggling to access an affordable place to live, a New Homes Bonus will not be enough to solve our escalating housing crisis.”
She said that the government must prioritise new housing in the upcoming comprehensive spending review.
