Apprentice star supports council home sell-off idea
Architect Gabrielle Omar said proposals could be “great for the sector”
Architect Gabrielle Omar has supported proposals to sell off expensive council houses and re-invest the money to build cheaper homes.
Omar, director of Lolli + Square and star of the latest series of The Apprentice, spoke out following the publication of a report by think tank Policy Exchange that selling expensive social housing could raise £4.5 billion annually.
Omar said: “The building industry has been witnessing a lot of setbacks of late – with stalled projects, fluctuating budgets and even construction firms going into administration all causing disruption.
“If they are incentivised to build properties that will be in demand, it will be great for the sector. It would be a great strategy for local councils as it will allow them to unlock equity and provide homes for people in need.”
The report, Ending Expensive Social Tenancies, has also been backed by housing minister Grant Shapps.
He said the idea, which states the money raised could be used to build up to 170,000 new social homes a year, reducing housing waiting lists by up to 600,000 within five years, was “blindingly obvious”.
Alex Morton, author of the report, said: “Expensive social housing is costly, unpopular and unfair. That is why almost everybody rejects it. Social housing tenants deserve a roof over their heads – but not one better than most people can afford, particularly as expensive social housing means less social housing and so longer waiting lists for most people in need.”
Meanwhile, Omar conceded that the plan could result in the creation of new ghettos.
“The people who live in homes are almost as important as the homes themselves and if that diversity in communities is no longer there, society will suffer,” she said.
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Readers' comments (13)
she was on the 'Apprentice'
Its a great idea, but there are plenty of issues with it too. First of which is how much of it George Osbourne would simply grab for his own coffers. This is only a great idea if it works the way the policy exchange suggest and it feeds back into funding affordable housing.
I think you also have to bear in mind that the idea that housebuilders need incentivising because of the economy is a fallacy. Bovis Homes for example, who were on Radio 4 this morning after reporting their profits have doubled since last year (hardly on the ropes) when challenged suggested that the sites of existing 'expensive' social housing shoudl be given to house builders to develop. That's a short step away from it turning out they'd like to make the new high density 20% affordable and 80% private and pocket the inevitable high profit.
In the long run it makes a great soundbite, but the devil is in the detail and I don't trust Dave and his work experience Chancellor to do the right thing.
Surely the government will be left with the houses in the worst condition to maintain and squeeze people into. This happened when Maggie brought in the Right to Buy scheme in the 80's. The people who were the best tennant were usually financially stable and maintained their houses, they then bought them off the council, leaving the housing stock comprising of the worst houses with the least reliable tennants on average.
probably wont make much difference demographically in the end. society's most vulnerable are shacked up in the unregulated private buy to let properties anyway.
These think-tank wheezes are not the way to deal with the housing crisis.
AS ONE OF THE UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES ON THE 'APPRENTICE' PROGRAMME, DOES THIS QUALIFY HER TO BE AN APPROPRIATE 'SPOKESMAN' TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CURRENT HOUSING DEBATE ? I PRESUME THAT SHE IS A 'QUALIFIED' ARCHITECT !
"The people who live in homes are almost as important as the homes themselves"
just almost Gabrielle...good to see you have your priorities right.
One must of course look at the fine print and check the facts. But if it all turns out to be kosher, the RIBA should give its most powerful public backing to a policy that could pay for 80,000 to 170,000 new social homes per annum, potentially creating 160,000 to 340,000 new jobs every year, including (if they have the gumption to go for it) a fair amount of work for architects. Maritz Vandenberg.
I gather that this woman took part in a television programme. What other qualifications has she got? Let's see some of her work.
No Scep[tical.
Let's all have a look at your portfolio, bigm*uth.