Damian released the following media statement today:
East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds has again urged the government to rethink its method for calculating housing need.
Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate on the government’s ‘standard method’, Damian criticised the approach for imposing excessively high housing targets on areas like East Hampshire – requiring over 1,100 homes to be built a year, nearly double the previous target of 575 – without ensuring the right mix of homes being built.
“The formula drives up targets but does nothing to incentivise the building of homes that people can actually afford,” he said.
During the debate, Damian stressed the need for housing that meets local demand, including more starter homes, rather than a disproportionate number of costlier homes that inflate average property prices. “It is often these larger houses on big plots that developers can make the best returns on. This means that even as more housing is built the affordability gap actually worsens.”
He continued: “We all agree more homes are needed, but the current system means unrealistic targets in rural areas. We need a smarter, fairer approach that reflects genuine local need.”
The full Westminster Hall debate on the ‘reform of the standard method for assessing housing need’ can be viewed here : Parliamentlive.tv - Westminster Hall
