Mixed reactions to budget from housing industry experts.

Housing and regeneration experts had mixed reactions to the Chancellor's 10th annual budget, which included £970m for shared equity schemes to help 35,000 people become homeowners.

While John Rouse, the chief executive of the Housing Corporation said he was "chuffed" at the announcement, the Chartered Institute of Housing's director of policy and practice Sarah Webb said that "it seems to be existing ODPM money reshuffled... we need to know what existing programmes are being cut to fund it."

Webb described Gordon Brown's budget statement as "a missed opportunity", criticising his focus on home-ownership rather than the supply of affordable rented housing available.

In his statement, Brown announced:

  • £970m for shared equity schemes to help 35,000 people become homeowners, including a pilot project with minimum holdings of 25%.
  • The introduction of real estate investment trusts, an idea started in the US.
  • Local communities to retain more of the planning gains from developments.
  • Plans for 100,000 new homes.
  • Public-sector land and property would be released to assist with a new programme of affordable house building Housing:
  • A review looking at how to improve effectiveness and efficiency of existing sub-national arrangements for economic development and regeneration.
  • - More collaboration across regions, such as strategies like Northern Way
  • - Government will seek to develop a framework that will rationalise and simplify publicly funded business support provision at national, regional and local level.