NHF: Government committed to tackling housing crisis

National Housing Federation (NHF) chief executive David Orr comments on the draft Queen's Speech:

"We welcome today’s announcement on housing as further proof that the government is genuinely committed to tackling the nation’s desperate housing crisis.

"Ministers realise that housing is one of the big issues, and are clearly determined to make affordable housing available to many more people.

"The new deal on housing is critical as thousands of people are living in cramped conditions – and waiting lists for social homes are growing all the time, with the number of people waiting for a home being close to the combined populations of Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

"Housing associations stand ready to build the social homes the nation needs. And we look forward to working closely with ministers to ensure that, despite the pressures created by the current housing market uncertainty and credit crunch, associations can still deliver new homes in the numbers required."