The relationship between social housing provision and the UK economy
Support for social housebuilding is key to kickstarting economic recovery, say Adam Sampson and David Orr
Adam Sampson, chief executive, Shelter:
The last year or so has been a huge learning curve for all of us. But for anyone involved in the housing world, it has also been an intense and necessary tutorial in economics. The credit crunch had its roots in a housing market failure. The stampede of credit into housing in the USA, matched to a lesser extent in Ireland and the UK, led to steeply rising prices and a housing bubble of unprecedented proportions and the sudden bursting of that bubble has brought our entire economy to its knees. So arguing that there are good economic reasons why housing could yet be an agent of recovery might seem a tad presumptuous.
Author: David Orr
Chief executive, National Housing Federation.
Author: Adam Sampson
Adam Sampson has been chief executive of Shelter since january 2003. In 1994, he joined the Home Office as assisiatnt prisons ombudsman. He later returned to the voluntary sector as chief executive of RAPt, the national drugs charity. Adam is a board member of a number of charities and public bodies and a commissioner on the UK Drugs Policy Commission. His blog is available on www.shelter.org.uk
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