Political Parties' Housing Promises

As Britain’s take to the polls in the closest election in decades, a number of people may still be undecided where to put their ‘X.’

With that in mind, here are the main parties’ housing policies, which may just sway some voters:

Conservatives

Extend the Right to Buy scheme to 1.3 million Housing Association properties within England
Launch a Help to Buy ISA to support first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder
Build 200,000 homes for first-time buyers under 40, with 20% discount
Create a £1bn brownfield regeneration fund to create sites for an additional 400,00 homes

Labour

Build 200,000 new homes per year each year by 2020
Bring in minimum term three-year tenancy agreements in the private sector
Impose a ‘mansion tax’ on all properties valued at over £2m to fund additional housing
Prioritise local first-time buyers in new housing areas

Liberal Democrats

Up housebuilding to 300,000 homes per year
Prevent landlords from renting out insufficiently insulated homes
Implement Rent to Own scheme, with 30,000 homes promised by 2020

UKIP

Build one million homes on previously developed land by the year 2025
Remove stamp duty on first £250,000 of new properties on this land
Preserve the Greenbelt

Political Parties’ Housing Promises

SNP

Complete abolition of the bedroom tax
Support Help to Buy and other shared equity regimes
Back investment of 100,000 affordable homes in the UK
Prevent restriction of housing benefit for 18-21 year olds

Green Party

Build 500,000 social rental properties by the year 2020
Restore 350,000 unoccupied properties back into full use
Introduce five-year tenancies with rent caps
Prevent right to buy council homes

Plaid Cymru

Provide rent controls to assist tenants
Support further implementation of energy efficiency measures

Property and how best to solve the housing crisis has been at the forefront of the election campaign. While the outcome of the vote remains in the balance, it is a certainty that whoever takes residence in Number 10 will be judged over their housing strategy during their term in office.