An umbrella Group of public and private sector bodies in Kent has unveiled a package of measures to boost affordable housing, which it claims can be delivered without government grants.

West Kent Partnership says a survey of 57 local employers found 95% had difficulty recruiting and retaining staff because of housing costs and skills shortages.

Now the partnership, whose members include West Kent Housing Association, has set out measures to tackle the problem. These do not require government funds because they mainly rely on employers.

Short-term solutions include building homes on employers’ land, offering “microflats” for sale, using income from sales to subsidise an affordable element of a project, and helping people find accommodation as lodgers. Long-term plans include more flexible tenures, linking rents to incomes and linking long-term savings schemes to mortgages.

Source

Housing Today