Post by devonian on Feb 14, 2006 15:02:34 GMT
A letter from the Western Morning News -
EXPLAIN MEANING OF 'AFFORDABLE' HOUSING
11:00 - 10 February 2006
Andrew Fiske was talking on TV about new towns recently, specifically Sherford, where 4,500 new homes are to be built , a substantial number of which are to be "affordable housing"
Will somebody please tell me what affordable housing is? The word merely means "having the financial means for ..." which is absurd, for even the most lavish home is affordable to someone, such as a millionaire. I have never seen in print at what figure affordable starts. One developer has suggested £20,000/£30,000 but this is hardly a figure applicable to people on a small fixed income, pensioners, single parents, young unemployed couples, those on benefit etc.
Yet surely these are the very people who are most in need of getting a foot on the property ladder and appear to be the most vulnerable and unnoticed in the community.
It is unfortunate that the alternative phrase to affordable is "low cost", as this conjures up an image of something so basic as to be shoddy, sub-standard and totally out of tune aesthetically with the more affluent residences in the area, so that no one wants them on their patch.
It is time that someone either in the building trade concerned, or better still the government, told us exactly what they mean by affordable housing so at least those struggling to start out in life, would know what they are up against and have a goal for which to aim.
? ? ? ?
EXPLAIN MEANING OF 'AFFORDABLE' HOUSING
11:00 - 10 February 2006
Andrew Fiske was talking on TV about new towns recently, specifically Sherford, where 4,500 new homes are to be built , a substantial number of which are to be "affordable housing"
Will somebody please tell me what affordable housing is? The word merely means "having the financial means for ..." which is absurd, for even the most lavish home is affordable to someone, such as a millionaire. I have never seen in print at what figure affordable starts. One developer has suggested £20,000/£30,000 but this is hardly a figure applicable to people on a small fixed income, pensioners, single parents, young unemployed couples, those on benefit etc.
Yet surely these are the very people who are most in need of getting a foot on the property ladder and appear to be the most vulnerable and unnoticed in the community.
It is unfortunate that the alternative phrase to affordable is "low cost", as this conjures up an image of something so basic as to be shoddy, sub-standard and totally out of tune aesthetically with the more affluent residences in the area, so that no one wants them on their patch.
It is time that someone either in the building trade concerned, or better still the government, told us exactly what they mean by affordable housing so at least those struggling to start out in life, would know what they are up against and have a goal for which to aim.
? ? ? ?