Partnership between the public and private sectors is crucial to delivery of affordable homes in the current economic climate, a debate has heard.

At a debate on affordable housing last Monday, London & Quadrant housing association’s chief executive David Montague (pictured) that while housing associations needed to innovate and continue to attract private investment, the public sector needed to provide a flexible and supportive framework in order to assist housing associations.

Montague made two calls of the coalition government. First, to maintain investor confidence by reforming regulation to provide clarity on the future of housing benefits, whilst also continuing to give government grants. And second, to make the planning process clearer and more effective.

Almost 100 people from across the housing sector attended the British Academy for the debate, including Communities and Local Government minister, Bob Neill, the London mayor’s advisor on housing Richard Blakeway, and former housing minister Nick Raynsford, who is now MP for Greenwich and Woolwich. The debate was jointly hosted by L & Q and The Smith Institute.

David Montague said: “We share a social mission with Government and local authorities to make the delivery of affordable homes more effective at a time when access to the housing market is harder than ever.”

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