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• News release - 11 June 2010

11 June: No 'Nimby' nation: study finds strong support for new housing

Home ownership aspirations remain high but for many remain unaffordable

Support for new house building is surprisingly high, provided people are reassured about the impact on their local services. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of English adults would support more houses being built in their area provided services such as GP surgeries, hospitals and schools do not suffer. Further, 73 per cent would support more homes if well designed and in keeping with their local area.

The findings come in a new report, Public Attitudes to Housing 2010, commissioned by the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) - the country's foremost advisory body on housing affordability. They suggest that people are potentially much more in favour of development in their local area than commonly thought. The report is the NHPAU's fourth annual study into public attitudes on housing supply and affordability, conducted by YouGov*, to assist local and national government in the development of housing supply policy.

A possible reason for the findings is that home ownership aspirations continue to be frustrated, despite the recession.  More than four-fifths of those interviewed - 82 per cent - see home ownership as the ideal long-term tenure over renting or other forms of tenure; however three-quarters (75 per cent) of 25-34 year olds, who currently do not own a home and expect to be renting in three years time, want to buy a house but cannot afford to. Increased housing supply is one way to improve access to home ownership.

Dr Peter Williams, Chair of the NHPAU, commented:

"This research shows that we are not just a nation of Nimbys. A big majority of people say yes to more housing in their locality provided it is not seen to put a strain on local services. Planning reforms are set to allow local people greater say in housing development and we shouldn't assume - as some have - that this will block housing development.

"We are a nation of home owners and people want this to continue. But that means having enough homes to meet demand. Sensitive and appropriate housing development can be extremely popular and this sentiment is an important one for planners and housing officials to capture and respond to."

The report also highlights:

• The sacrifices our future homeowners are making to achieve their goal. One in ten potential first-time buyers have moved back in with their family to save for a deposit, 19 per cent have cut back on holidays and 29 per cent are spending less on going out.
• A divide between homeowners and non-homeowners. Those who already own a home are more likely to have opposed a local planning application for new housing in their area (20 per cent) than those who do not (10 per cent). 

"The research found elements of an 'I'm all right Jack' mentality among current homeowners," continues Dr Williams.

"But they too are affected by a lack of housing supply. It contributes to ever higher house prices over the long term, which encourages continuing cycles of housing boom and bust.  Local housing supply in England needs to better match local demand. This is a considerable challenge for all and not least as a new planning regime is introduced.  Missed opportunities today become part of tomorrow's bigger housing problem."

* Public Attitudes to Housing 2010, NHPAU, June 2010. YouGov interviewed a representative sample of 2,090 adults in England.  Fieldwork conducted March 2010.

For further information contact Graeme Buck/Robert Day, Camargue, tel 020 7636 7366.

Notes to editors

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2090 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd - 25th March 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all English adults (aged 18+).

1. About the NHPAU

The NHPAU is an independent body launched in 2007 to help make homes more affordable across England. It is the leading organisation advising on housing supply, affordability and the planning delivery system for housing.  It comprises some of the country's leading experts in the housing field who provide guidance to local, regional and national bodies on what homes need to be provided where, and when.

Since April 2007, planners and government have to consider affordability when deciding future housing supply. The NHPAU advises them on the implications of different levels of supply and how many homes would need to be built to make a positive impact on housing affordability.

The Unit is chaired Dr Peter Williams, an independent consultant on housing and mortgage markets.  He was previously Deputy Director General of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

2. The NHPAU's new remit - April 2010

To produce independent, evidence-based advice and research to inform the planning and delivery system for housing so that it in turn is better able to achieve the Government's objective of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity of living in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community where they want to live.

How the NHPAU will make a difference

We face a major challenge housing a growing population with rising incomes and expectations. Discussion of how many homes of what type should be built where has been greatly hampered by the lack of clear and impartial evidence about what is required or the consequences of different levels of provision, especially in terms of affordability. The NHPAU should enable better informed discussion and decision taking within the planning and delivery system for housing by:

• publishing advice on the additional housing that is needed to maintain or improve its affordability
• advising on how housing requirements should be assessed at the sub-regional and local levels
• advising on the consequences of different levels of provision, including, where appropriate, on the consequences for economic, social and environmental sustainability
• participating in the plan-making process at a strategic level as an independent expert body whose role is to help decision-takers understand the implications of the different options available to them and thus allow them to make better informed decisions
• conducting or commissioning research to fill gaps in the evidence base or build understanding of the market and key blockages where to do so would help the planning and delivery system for housing to operate more effectively and efficiently.

How the NHPAU will work

In doing this the NHPAU will:

• continue to maintain and develop an open dialogue with stakeholders involved in the planning and delivery system for housing
• work collaboratively with local authorities and other bodies to develop an improved understanding of local housing markets and promote best practice in assessing housing requirements
• ensure that its advice is objective and based on the best available evidence using methods that are clear, transparent and impartial
• explain its advice and research concisely in clear and accessible language, actively promoting a better understanding of the issues.

3. Why the NHPAU was created

1. Economist Kate Barker's Review of Housing Supply in 2004 identified that the demand for housing is outpacing supply, and this is pushing up prices.

2. The Government wants to make housing more affordable across the country. What this means is building enough new homes, in the right places, to meet demand.

3. Between 1997 and 2007 average earnings increased by 45 per cent (Source: ASHE, ONS) while the average house price increased by 171 per cent (Source: Communities and Local Government from Land Registry Data). The ratio of lower quartile house prices to earnings doubled in the same period.

4. Despite recent turmoil in the housing market with falling prices, for most people housing has not become more affordable in any real sense because mortgages are harder to secure and bigger deposits are required.

5. Barker's review produced a series of recommendations about improving the supply of housing in England. This included the creation of a body to provide expert advice on housing matters, particularly affordability. The NHPAU is the result.