Providing Affordable Housing For Uk Residents - Still Ongoing

For the past couple of years, the chances of acquiring your own home have turned grim as authorities fail to keep up with the demand for affordable housing. With increasing unemployment and repossessions, around 4.5 million people are stuck on housing waiting lists longing for a miracle, but not really that hopeful.

Despite the dismal facts, the Government along with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), housing associations, and others from voluntary and private sectors continue to strive for affordable housing to accommodate people in need of decent homes

Tasked with creating better homes for UK residents, these organisations have begun by undertaking the following aims:

Developing opportunities in social rented housing. Since, majority of the population are renting, the Government with its partnerships are targeting to deliver 45,000 social rented homes a year. Also ensuring that a large percentage of these homes are family-sized and meets the needs of struggling homeowners and vulnerable people, especially the disabled and elderly. At the same time allowing tenants tenure and geographical mobility.

Widening access to low cost home ownership. Aside from 25, 000 intermediate homes being planned to be delivered by 2012, housing organisations are also widening the eligibility by recognising that income and not job type determines access to low cost ownership schemes.

Revitalising homes and communities. Rehabilitating neglected and deprived areas not only provides more available homes but also gives a chance for residents to improve their lives and create a sense of belonging and ownership. Some of these stalled schemes have been given better funding to ensure long term sustainability.

Bringing empty homes back into use. Empty homes are wasted valuable resources that blight neighbourhoods. By doing an audit of long term empty homes, information will be made more available, elicit a positive response, and have people live in these homes again.

Improving the quality of homes through good housing design and higher environmental standards. Apart from improved accessibility and attractive design, new homes are guaranteed better flexibility of space and meets environmental standards. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson has added, "Regardless of economic circumstances, excellence in design and sustainability should not be seen as extra costs but as a shrewd investment essential to London's continued success."

Creating mixed communities that are better for everyone. Mixed communities provide an array of housing tenures. From owner-occupied, private and intermediate and social rented. Encouraging mixed tenure is important to generating a good social and income mix that make UK's society thrive. They offer access to public services, good schools, transport, retail, leisure and other economic opportunities.

Investing in rural housing. People in rural areas to earn significantly less than those working in urban areas. And rural homes are more expensive than urban homes. The popularity of rural areas and migration from urban areas add to the pressures on rural housing affordability. HCA and other organisations plan to address this problem by investing in rural housing. Therefore lowering severe overcrowding in the social rented sector and reducing worklessness among tenants.

The question on whether these plans are successful or not will only be answered in the coming months. As the Government and its housing groups strive to provide for all, the people must make the best of whatever opportunity is presented them.