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Evaluating UK housing policies to tackle housing affordability

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  • Joanna Poon
  • Dean Garratt

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical summary of UK housing policies. It aims to evaluate UK government's housing policies, before and after the publication of the Barker Review, to tackle affordability issues in the owner‐occupied sector. It examines the extent to which housing policy contributes to or alleviates the problem of the affordability of owner‐occupied housing. Design/methodology/approach - This paper evaluates the impact of UK government housing policies since 2000 on housing affordability by analysing their impact on the dynamics of housing demand and supply. Findings - The Barker Review, which applied simple economic ideas and techniques in analysing the owner‐occupied UK housing market, argued that increases in new housing supply would help to improve housing affordability. The second Barker Review suggested that changes to the planning system were needed in order not only to increase new housing supply, but to make housing supply more sensitive to changing demands. The Barker Reviews brought about a major re‐think in government policy towards housing, particularly relating to new build and the planning system. However, the heavy reliance on the private sector to provide additional housing has reduced the effectiveness of policy changes. In addition, the adoption by the government of “demand‐side” housing policies has done little to negate the volatility of UK house prices or to raise the overall affordability of owner‐occupied housing. Originality/value - This paper reflects on government failures in UK housing policy in addressing the affordability of owner‐occupied housing. The findings will be of interest to policy makers and housing researchers.

Suggested Citation

  • Joanna Poon & Dean Garratt, 2012. "Evaluating UK housing policies to tackle housing affordability," International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(3), pages 253-271, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijhmap:v:5:y:2012:i:3:p:253-271
    DOI: 10.1108/17538271211243599
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bricongne, Jean-Charles & Meunier, Baptiste & Pouget, Sylvain, 2023. "Web-scraping housing prices in real-time: The Covid-19 crisis in the UK," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(PB).
    2. Antonakakis, Nikolaos & Chatziantoniou, Ioannis & Floros, Christos, 2015. "Dynamic Connectedness of UK Regional Property Prices," MPRA Paper 68421, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Jonathan Oladeji & Joseph Yacim & Benita Zulch, 2021. "A Framework for Financing Housing Development and Ownership in Africa," AfRES 2021-028, African Real Estate Society (AfRES).
    4. Xiaohong Deng & Lei Gong & Yanfang Gao & Xiaoqing Cui & Ke Xu, 2018. "Internal Differentiation within the Rural Migrant Population from the Sustainable Urban Development Perspective: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Nikolaos Antonakakis & Ioannis Chatziantoniou & Christos Floros & David Gabauer, 2018. "The dynamic connectedness of UK regional property returns," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(14), pages 3110-3134, November.
    6. Bricongne Jean-Charles, & Chatelais Nicolas, & Meunier Baptiste, & Pouget Sylvain, & Coffinet Jérôme, & Kintzler Étienne., 2021. "Covid-19 and house prices in the UK: what can be learned from web-scraping data? [Covid-19 et prix immobiliers au Royaume-Uni : quels enseignements des données extraites d’Internet (web-scraping) ?," Bulletin de la Banque de France, Banque de France, issue 235.

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