The number of social homes being built has hit its highest level since the start of 2002, according to the National House Building Council.

Statistics for the second quarter of 2004 showed the number of social homes rose 7%, year on year.

The total number of social homes started in the second quarter was 5918. If that rate of increase were maintained, the total number of homes in the remainder of 2004 could hit 24,000.

Based on the NHBC’s figures, that would represent a rise of roughly 20% on the previous year’s figure of 19,525.

A National Housing Federation spokesman said the figures “emphasised the sector’s determination to increase the supply of affordable homes”.

The figures will be welcomed at the ODPM, which has set the aim of drastically increasing the amount of new social housing.

NHBC figures show the rate of social housebuilding outstripped that across the housebuilding industry as a whole.

But the number of homes going up is still well below the 45,000 a year called for by economist Kate Barker in her recent review of supply for the Treasury.

Source

Housing Today