The Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) has cautioned new Housing Secretary Simon Clarke that he will have his work cut out as he takes up the role and called for a long-term housing strategy.
IMLA praised the appointment of Clarke, who had previously been a minister in the department, but said it was high time the Government formed a long-term strategy for housing.
The appointment comes after new Prime Minister Liz Truss pledged to scrap “Soviet style” house building targets and provide more powers to local councils.
Kate Davies (pictured), executive director of IMLA, said: “The announcement of Simon Clarke to the role of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Minister means that the country has now had over twenty different housing ministers since the turn of the century.
“We have seen so many promises from successive Governments on how they will improve housing supply, and so much under-delivery, that Mr Clarke will have his work cut out for him in days to come. It’s positive to see his promotion from Minister to Secretary of State for the role, hopefully suggesting that housing will be a stronger focus for the new Truss Government.
“We urgently need more housing stock to help younger generations in the UK become first-time buyers and start building up equity for a stable financial future, not to mention having a home they can truly call theirs.
“We also need much more public sector housing – and greater recognition of the essential role of the private rented sector in filling many of the gaps currently left by the dearth of public sector stock.
“To do this, we need a coherent long-term strategy that can last longer than the span of a single Government. We look forward to seeing the measures which Mr Clarke proposes.”
