10.01.18
Fixing broken market is my top priority, says Javid in first speech as housing secretary
Sajid Javid has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building homes for the country.
Speaking yesterday at the LGA’s finance conference, the secretary of state – who, since Theresa May’s Cabinet reshuffle, now also has housing duties as part of his core portfolio – said that his new title reflects that the government is “absolutely committed to building the homes that this country so desperately needs.”
“I am absolutely delighted to have been reappointed, and I have been very clear right from day one that fixing our broken housing market is my number one priority,” he told the audience.
Javid also used his first official speech as housing and communities secretary to emphasise the government’s decision on the New Homes Bonus (NHB), which was announced shortly before Christmas last year.
To date, almost £7bn NHB payments have been made to reward the building of 1.4 million homes, and the communities and housing secretary has announced that over £946bn in NHB payments has been allocated for 2018-19 to “reward local authorities for work in fixing our broken housing market.”
“It’s been a huge success,” he claimed.
Last year Javid asked the sector for its views on proposals to change how NHB payments are made, but there was no appetite for change.
“The sector said we want continuity and we want certainty,” the secretary of state told delegates. “And that’s what you’re getting – no changes to NHB this year and a baseline maintained at 0.4%.”
Top image: David Merzoeff PA Wire