How we help alleviate the UK housing crisis

Published

10.04.2024

Sector

Community

Developer

Topic

Latest news

The UK’s housing crisis isn’t a new thing. Since the 1980s, the availability of both affordable housing and social housing has decreased. This has led more people towards renting off private landlords. As a result, more and more people, especially from younger generations, have been pushed away from the idea of home ownership. The demand for housing is at an all time high. On average, the cost of a home being built is £291k. This is just under the peak of £295k seen in June 2022.

The government set a target of 300,000 new homes to be built every year by the mid-2020s, with the goal of offsetting high housing costs. As we hone in on the mid 2020s checkpoint, the goal is still far off being met.

The impact of the UK housing crisis

Homelessness
As of January 2023, roughly 271,000 Brits are considered homeless, with nearly half being children and this figure is only rising. Many of these people, if not in temporary accommodation, will have resorted to sleeping rough. The impact of this is not just personal, as this can lead to nationwide voting issues. Many people will lose their voice when it comes to fixing this exact issue.

New builds with quality concerns
New on-site houses often face rushed production, leading to quality concerns for many new-build homes. The cross-section of development speed, shortage of tradesmen and low-quality materials can lead to an outcome similar to that of the three little pigs. This can also be attributed to the popularity growth seen of prefabricated houses.

Tenant exploitation
The threat of homelessness and long waiting lists has led to tenants in private rents becoming more vulnerable to exploitative tactics from their landlords. Stories of price-gouging monthly rent, illegal overcrowding of accommodation, poor maintenance and eviction tactics are becoming ever so common. The excuse behind it is always the ‘high-demand for housing.’

Kingsmoet Shrewsbury case study - builders merchants bricks

The importance of housing development

Evolving Infrastructure
Housing is key to providing access to essential infrastructure such as transport, roads and schools. These are other sectors that are in desperate need of investment. An introduction of new communities through housing can lead to the overall enhancement of these areas. This can have an incredible impact on people’s quality of life.

Long-term investment
Rather than cheap and fast, yet low-quality solutions to the UK housing crisis, it is more important to invest in addressing the issues at the root of the crisis. For example, by building new homes using high-quality and sustainable materials, housing will last much longer into the future. This avoids the need for providing additional solutions in the future.

The impact of MBS
Brick distribution is crucial to the progression of house development. By providing a continuous supply of building materials to developers, it can help construction continue without a hitch. Compared to other brick distributors, MBS also provides products that assist in meeting essential sustainability targets set by the UK Government in legislations such as the Environment Act 2021.

Unfortunately, social housing doesn’t always get the best reputation. Mainly due to many years of housing schemes getting less financial support and using inadequate materials for their environment. As more housing is needed, something as simple as the choice of brick can be vital in shifting public opinion.

Are you a local authority? We have experience working on projects that help to alleviate the issues brought on by the UK housing crisis. The development of council houses and affordable homes can bring on many challenges that require expert involvement.

We have worked with local authorities to deliver on projects with strict budgets and tight deadlines, all without compromising the quality and integrity of the build.

Get in touch with us today to see how else we can help.