The Labour Party under Andy Burnham

[jon0844]

If housebuilding is becoming less profitable, and we're still suffering a labour shortage (and potentially higher costs for materials, whether that's due to Brexit or higher diesel costs etc) then there's even more incentive for developers to build slower and charge more (and fewer new homes makes new homes more expensive naturally through higher demand).

Governments probably need to look at alternatives. Could the Government build its own housing stock, for example?

 

[Sorcerer]

Social housing and private development need to be considered as complementary not mutually exclusive.

Easier said than done when the goals are different. Private development is usually done in pursuit of profit and will try to command the highest price possible while social housing is meant as a safety net. Of course they can be both made to serve the same goal if we taxed land rather than what's on it.

As it stands there's not much incentive to develop high quality housing as a private developer because then your property tax just goes up. But if you're being taxed on the land regardless of what's on it you might actually find it's within your interest to develop it, and you could make more money off more tenants.

While we're on subject, where is this land value tax Andy Burnham had previously spoken about when he was gunning for leadership but has since gone silent on? Has he gotten cold feet since stepping into Number 10 or something?