Government's social housing investment will help housing 'crisis'
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced £39 billion for social housing in England over the next 10 years
A leading planning consultant from Kent has told us the UK is an 'housing crisis', welcoming the government's investment in social housing.
Yesterday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced £39 billion for social housing in England over the next ten years.
It means £3.9bn year will go towards social housing, increasing from £2.3billion.
Matthew Woodhead is the Director of DHA Planning - the largest consultancy in the south east.
He explains why it's so difficult for the housing industry, he said: "The biggest issue facing us at the moment is an acute lack of affordable housing.
"The demand and need for social housing is far greater than the supply and there a many reasons for that, all of them revolve around funding.
"However, this is the biggest announcement in money for affordable housing that I have known in my career, and it's much needed because proper and decent housing is a basic human right."
'The price of rent is crazy'
Neil Charlick is from charity, Gillingham Street Angels, and welcomes the funding increase, he said: "Rent is so expensive now, to rent a house is a crazy amount of money.
"If you're family, to rent a three bedroom house in Medway could cost you between £1,000 to £1,5000 - the normal person just doesn't earn that amount of money."