News From Creating Excellence: The Homes and Communities Agency - The Challenge for Housing Growth

The HCA says that its vision is about creating opportunity:

• for people to live in homes they can afford, in places they want to live
• for local authorities and communities to deliver the ambition they have for their own areas

• acting as the bridge between national targets and local ambitions, with a strong regional presence
• through a process of 'single conversations' with local authorities, RDAs and sub regional partnerships
• working effectively with the market, housebuilders, investors and other stakeholders
• understanding the needs and aspirations of people and communities

• To improve the supply and quality of housing
• To secure the regeneration of land or infrastructure
• To support the creation, regeneration and development of communities in England or their continued well being

• Contribute to the delivery of 2 million homes by 2016 and 3 million homes by 2020, achieving a new build rate of 240,000 homes per annum
• Secure the delivery of at least 180,000 new affordable homes over the next three years with a new build rate of at least 70,000 affordable homes by 2010/11, of which 45,000 should be socially rented.
• Ensure that the above targets are met in a way that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, promotes good design and provides value for money.
• Support and accelerate the physical regeneration of under performing cities, towns and neighbourhoods, including rural communities, working closely with local authorities and other agencies involved in the wider regeneration task.

Creating Excellence understands that a number of housebuilders see themselves only providing affordable housing through working with Registered Social Landlords over the next two years and as such it could be a real struggle to reach challenging housing growth targets.

How the HCA pursues its task is clearly going to be very important for the future of the house building industry.