Borrowing: some more equal than others?
There is potential to build an extra 60,000 homes over five years if borrowing restrictions are lifted. So why is the government still applying double standards? In an era of privatisation, it’s been good to see some promises about public sector infrastructure investment in the last few weeks. But why should they have to count […]
The name is Municipal Bond
A Municipal Bond Agency would free up local authorities to invest in housing and other services, without adding to government debt. But some key reforms to the borrowing rules will be needed The plan to set up a Municipal Bond Agency, announced last week, could be an important step not only to provide access to […]
The bigger picture
Inside Housing’s investigations into councils moving money from rent accounts to their general funds have shown up some questionable practices (Inside Housing, 11 October). But to turn this into an argument against giving councils wider powers to invest in council housing would be to confuse two separate issues.
Housing: the LibDems’ lost opportunity
The Liberal Democrat policy to allow councils to pool borrowing limits for housing is a first step, but doesn’t go far enough. It’s disappointing that plans for a wider review of debt definitions look set to be kicked into the long grass.
Build it and they will borrow
Danny Alexander’s infrastructure plan relies heavily on underwriting a vast amount of investment by overseas companies. It’s time to adopt the same borrowing rules as their governments.
Bad arguments on borrowing
The Prime Minister’s aversion to extra borrowing is coming under sustained attack. There is now a strong argument to increase spending in next week’s Budget in order to build more houses and boost the economy.
Barrier to success
Caps on council borrowing are hindering the building of much-needed affordable homes A government that is desperate to boost house building shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. That’s the argument behind the report Let’s get building, published at the end of last year by the National Federation of Arms-Length Management Organisations. But after […]
Borrow to build
The construction of more council houses could help provide homes to rent while boosting job creation and the wider economy. George Osborne should lift the borrowing caps on local authorities to make this happen. Only a few weeks ago Prime Minister David Cameron said again that ‘you can’t borrow your way out of a debt […]
Housebuilding stifled by government funding rules
Local authorities and arms length management organisations (Almos) are quietly gearing up to build about 3,000 homes a year over the next five years – their biggest sustained spell of new housebuilding since 1990 – as councils begin to use the financial freedoms they gained on 1 April after the housing revenue account was reformed.
Council borrowing: the cap doesn’t fit
The case for councils being allowed to borrow up to affordable limits to build more homes has been made before, but there was never a better time for the government to listen.
John Perry lives in Masaya, Nicaragua where he works on