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Incorporate affordable housing for integrated communities

Mix Developments supports integrated communities. Development models should be inclusive in all aspects regardless of economic or perceived social status. We all need to be part of the changes, from early planning to implementation and management – be it as housing providers, statutory authorities, architects or development managers. Affordable housing in all its forms should…

It should not be a requirement to have wealthy parents to own a home

Mix Developments has long campaigned for a more diverse housing market to allow younger people the opportunity to own their own homes. Our housing model specifically provides for this under represented group of people. Home ownership should not be dependent on the wealth or circumstances of parents. References BBC business news

Prime Minister’s announcement on removing the Local Authority funding cap

Mix Developments welcomes the PM’s announcement on removing the borrowing cap for Local Authorities for their new affordable housing delivery programs. But will this be enough to fix the housing crisis? To really redress the availability and affordability of homes, we need direct action from statutory bodies to engage with SME affordable housing entities, to…

Visit to Sunderland Road

Visit to Sunderland Road

We were impressed by our tour of the Sutherland Road, Walthamstow affordable housing scheme by Levitt Bernstein architects which shows what can be achieved with considerate design. The scheme includes generous balconies and corridors and a beautifully landscaped communal garden. The car parking is kept to a minimum so that it does not overly impede…

The English Housing Survey, more help for under 35 year-olds needed

The English Housing Survey published today highlights two important issues, a decrease in the proportion of homeowners under the age of 35 and that mortgagors spend a smaller proportion of their income on housing costs than other tenures. The proportion of home owners under the age of 35 is now down to 9%, half of…

Housing options for Millennials

The Resolution Foundation’s recent publication, “Home improvements: action to address the housing challenges faced by young people”, highlighted their aspirations to own a home of their own are still high despite large rises in house prices and falling ownership rates. The report notes that twice the number of Millennials (people born between 1980-1996) were still…

Comment on the Guardian article on the reduced effects of the interest rate rise

As much as this is good news that home buyers in the UK have hardly felt the effects of the 0.25% base rate rise, it should be read with caution. The uncertainty over Brexit and the potential for interest rates to rise as competition slows, especially for low earning first-time-buyers, cannot be ignored. References The…

Comment on the Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Budget Statement

The lack of housing that is affordable is the biggest challenge for a generation. Mix Developments welcomes the £44bn commitment for housing and stamp duty relief for first-time buyers outlined by the Chancellor today. However, we are calling for some of this funding to be targeted to SMEs, particularly those who are geared to deliver…

Intergenerational inequality in housing costs

Millennials will be paying on average three times more than their grandparents for housing. Not only do many have the burden of higher education tax, they also have lower incomes compared to the previous generation. Mix Developments have been highlighting and addressing the disproportionate cost of housing for Millennials by developing a housing model that…