Affordable Homes Bill 2014-15

Affordable Homes Bill 2014-15 is making it’s way through parliament. You can watch the progress here

Mr George’s Private Members’ Bill will include: –
i) Extension of the Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ scheme or the creation of a new Affordable Homes Investment Bank to underpin the ‘intermediate’ market (shared equity/shared ownership/mutual housing) to construct a new lower rung on the housing ladder for those who cannot afford the full cost of full market ownership housing.
ii) Negating an effect of the spare room subsidy/‘bedroom tax’ – on basis that poor families are as entitled to a stable family home as better off families. This would limit the bedroom tax to exclude those who have been living at an address for more than 3 years and where disabled adaptations have been completed
iii) The introduction of a new ‘Use Class’ in the planning Use Classes Order for ‘non-permanent residential use’ (second homes) which would empower local planning authorities to control the number of second homes in their area.
iv) Enhance powers of compulsory purchase for local authorities where either developers land bank development sites or fail to use sites for which planning permission has been granted but developments not advanced or where need for affordable homes cannot be met on ‘exception’ sites through community land auctions/trusts.