The world is changing. The development of new affordable housing, long the preserve of housing associations and (although rarely these days) local authorities, is being opened up to wider competition through new Government finance rules. And Britain’s biggest housebuilders are stepping right in.
Housing associations themselves have changed radically over the past decade. Many are led with the focus and rigour of a well-run plc, while not being subjected to the short-term pressures of the stock market. Nevertheless, the new rules may present a challenge for housing associations, at least in the area of development. The pattern, where housebuilders traditionally bring in housing associations to develop the affordable aspects of a development, stands to be disrupted.
