Local estate agents have backed the report and say parents are having to downsize to help their kids afford a home of their own. The report highlights the need for more affordable homes in a low wage county and sets out an action plan for easing the problem.
But there is no quick fix for the crisis which has been brought about by complex factors. The shortage of affordable rural housing has been a problem for some years as farms have been forced to sell off cottages normally kept for agricultural workers to keep their businesses afloat.
Cottages have been snapped up by affluent developers, extended and sold on at high prices. Housing Associations set up to provide affordable homes have had problems with funding, and the current economic climate means that developers have pulled out of low-cost housing schemes which had been given the go-ahead.
And while house prices in the UK have risen at an unprecedented rate in the past five years, prices in Shropshire have doubled. Prices are particularly high in Bridgnorth because it is a beautiful town within commuting distance of the major conurbations.
Councillor Elizabeth Yeomans, Leader of Bridgnorth District Council, said the housing shortage was “a very complex problem.”
“We all recognise the importance of finding affordable homes for local people, but achieving it is not easy. Central government has set higher standards for new homes, such as ecological features which push up the cost, especially for smaller developments in villages.
“It is dreadful to see properties standing empty because people who need homes cannot get mortgages to buy them. I believe one solution is that houses at the cheaper end of the market should be purchased by the local authority and made available for rent – there is too much emphasis on buying your own home these days.”
Bridgnorth estate agent Nick Tart confirmed that prices for starter homes in Bridgnorth were higher than in other market towns. “Although prices are falling, they will probably not fall enough to become comfortably affordable to first time buyers,” he said.
“I am increasingly seeing parents who are downsizing in order to help their children buy a property.”
Nock Deighton estate agents also confirmed that parents were acting as guarantors for their children’s home loans.
Bridgnorth District Councillor Dennis Bache said that many people in his ward were earning “pin money” rather than a good salary, making their goal of buying a home impossible.
