Affordable housing exempted from Community Infrastructure Levy

Thu 11 Feb 2010

The government has pledged to ensure that all affordable housing in Britain will benefit from social housing relief.

This means that they will be exempted from the Community Infrastructure Levy, a development that has been welcomed by the National Housing Federation (NHF).

According to the organisation, this means housing associations across the country could be able to save millions of pounds that could go towards building more affordable homes.

Chief executive David Orr said the move will ensure that housing associations are not "hampered" by a new development tax that would have reduced their capacity to build social-rented and shared ownership properties.

This comes shortly after the NHF urged the three main political parties to demonstrate their commitment to helping people who need affordable homes by pledging to protect investment in housing.

According to estimates from the body, the number of new homes built in England and Wales this year will drop to its lowest level since 1923.

The NHF believes that this could lead to a "chronic shortage" of housing, leaving many living in overcrowded and substandard homes for years.