'Entire generation' priced out of housing market say Sherborne housing association
04-28-2014
'Entire generation' priced out of housing market say Sherborne housing association
By Western Gazette - Sherborne
AN entire generation is struggling to find affordable housing in Sherborne, according to a local housing association.
More than 300 people on the West Dorset District Council housing register are looking for affordable housing in the town.
This is around an eighth of the 2,535 applicants currently on the register.
A spokesman for Yarlington Housing Association, one of the district council’s preferred partners for affordable housing, said: “We are in the midst of a housing shortage that has pushed up house prices to the point where an entire generation is struggling to afford a home of their own.
“While we do not currently have any affordable housing in Sherborne we are working with the council to maximise the opportunities for affordable housing in the area.
“We also attend the Sherborne area housing forum that actively promotes affordable housing in the area.
“We recently launched our vision for the future which sets out 20 pledges that we will work to achieve by 2020.
“This includes providing a portfolio of properties that people want and can afford, building 1,500 homes by 2020 and sets out our commitment to sourcing opportunities that will enable us to help reduce the social and economic gaps that exist within our communities.”
Sherborne town councillor Jon Andrews said: “This just shows that there is always a need for affordable housing in Sherborne. But that said, any local affordable housing needs to actually be affordable for people earning local wages.
“What seems to be considered affordable just does not seem to meet the reality of what people on the average wage in Sherborne can afford.
“There are too many affordable housing developments that are not really affordable. Take housing at Sherborne House for example, how is £250,000 affordable to people on the average wage in the town?
“Something needs to be done to look at affordable housing provision and make it more reflective of the wages that people, who are actually in need of housing, in the area earn.”
District council leader Robert Gould said: “The district council works hard with housing associations and developers to provide affordable housing.
“Planning policy requires that 35 per cent of all new developments must be for affordable housing. The affordability of the shared ownership homes at Sherborne House has been an issue.
“Therefore we agreed to help fund converting two of the shared ownership properties to rented homes so they would be affordable to local people.
“Another example of successful partnership working in relation to affordable housing can be seen in Yetminster where a development of 15 affordable homes for local people has recently started and is due to be completed by March 2015.
“We know that there is a shortage of affordable housing and we continue to work with partners and other organisations to address the issue.”