Metro Mayor is the missing piece of Greater Manchester’s housing puzzle, say providers

Eight out of 10 Mancunians now agree there is a shortage of affordable homes in Greater Manchester, new research reveals today as key local figures come together to push housing up the political agenda ahead of next month’s mayoral election.

The Bishop of Manchester will today join housing providers, politicians and local residents outside the city’s Town Hall at midday to assemble a giant puzzle pledge calling on the first Mayor to give everyone in Greater Manchester a home they can afford.

The new research, on behalf of the National Housing Federation, shows that more than nine in 10 local residents think it has become much harder for younger generations to find an affordable place to buy or rent in the region.

Meanwhile, those renting privately in Greater Manchester are most likely to say they find it difficult to afford the cost of housing.

These public attitudes are revealed as local housing providers campaign for the mayoral candidates and politicians to commit to working with the sector to tackle the local housing crisis.

The giant puzzle pledge, signed and backed by key figures from the region’s 10 council areas, is being pieced together for the campaign run by the National Housing Federation and the Greater Manchester Housing Providers group.

Katie Teasdale, External Affairs Manager for the National Housing Federation, said: “Affordable housing is fast becoming beyond the reach of far too many across Greater Manchester. An overwhelming majority of local people, spanning private renters to homeowners, now agree that more homes simply must be built.

“While public support for more affordable housing is stronger than ever, only one in five feel that the Government is taking action.

“The time is now. Local people want to remember Greater Manchester’s first Mayor for building new affordable homes, and housing providers want to work with the elected to deliver the right homes for the right people.”

Last week, housing providers in Greater Manchester ran a series of public events to showcase how they are building homes, creating jobs and boosting the wellbeing of local people.

Between them, the providers own and manage a quarter of a million homes across Greater Manchester and one in every five in the city region.

They built over a third of all new homes in the area between 2011 and 2015 (more than 8,000 new homes) and have clear ambitions to work with the new Mayor to deliver even more.