Housing Minister comment - Rob Clifford, Stonebridge

14 November 2023

“16 Housing Ministers in 13 years shows just how ‘important’ this role has become in Government, and it seems barely believable that our sector has yet another Housing Minister. At a time when some of our biggest challenges are being faced in the housing and mortgage market, particularly in terms of house building and overall supply levels in the private rental and owner-occupied sectors, and specifically with major legislation around Leasehold and Renters’ Reform being taken through Parliament, we now have another Minister in charge of this. Plus, with a General Election next year, it seems inevitable that we are just months away from further change. It should not be too much for our sector to have some certainty in this position and clarity of housing/mortgage policy, and yet we have been repeatedly let down in this area. I wish Lee Rowley well however I wonder just how much time he will have in the role to make any discernible difference in a position which has, for too long, been sidelined by successive Governments.”