The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has welcomed the publication of the housing white paper and says it looks forward to working with the government on measures seeking to increase the availability, affordability and choice of homes across different tenures.
In the owner-occupied sector, the CML says it stands ready to help the government deliver a more targeted starter homes scheme, intended to assist aspiring young owner-occupiers in overcoming some of the challenges of housing affordability. It also welcomes the government’s support for developing shared ownership.
In the rental sector, the CML acknowledges the government’s aspirations to make more longer-term tenancies available to provide stability for families. In recent times, lenders have shown an increasing appetite to advance mortgages to landlords who want to offer longer tenancies, and the CML says it is keen to assist the government as it works towards a market in which those renting can find a tenancy suited to their needs.
The CML also welcomes the government’s desire to encourage the development of modern methods of construction as a means of increasing housing supply and making homes more affordable. The lending industry is ready to help the construction sector to draw on technological developments to build homes that are durable and mortgageable in the long term.
CML director general Paul Smee said: “Lenders already contribute to the funding of private and social rented housing, as well as owner-occupation, so we welcome and are comfortable with the cross-tenure approach in today’s white paper. We are now ready to work with the government, and with members and others, on the detailed implementation of these proposals.
“We want to play our part in developing a coherent, long term plan to deliver more housing and help ensure that it is durable, affordable and in the locations and tenures that people want.”
