Your voice, your choice: Help for first-time buyers

Kelsey Wheatley lives with her parents and wants to move into her own home, but says she can’t afford it with current property prices.

The 25-year-old from Wootton in Northamptonshire says she has a deposit but cannot afford a mortgage.

She is one of many people who contacted the BBC via Your Voice, Your Vote to tell us that they believe housing is the most important issue in this election.

Mrs Wheatley says: “My problem is that I cannot possibly afford a mortgage on my income alone.”

She says renting is a “waste of money” and wants to own her own home.

“I earn the national minimum wage and property prices in my area are several times higher than what I could borrow,” she says.

“All I see from the parties is that they only want to help people who don’t have bail.

“What are you doing to help those who have made a down payment but still have no chance of getting a property title?”

Here are the statements of the candidates of the main parties in Northampton South, alphabetically by surname:

Jill Hope, Liberal Democrats

This situation has arisen because there has been a lack of new housing over many years. Our housing policy addresses this fundamental problem by increasing housebuilding across the UK to 380,000 homes through a range of different measures, including 150,000 social homes.

Obviously, the current inflated price of homes is closely tied to the undersupply of homes that has existed for years. Home prices are driving up rental prices, so everyone is affected, not just homeowners.

Many people cannot even hope to raise a deposit, so one of the measures we are taking is a new rent-to-own model for social housing, whereby tenants acquire an increasing share in the property through their rent payments, so that after 30 years they become the sole owner.

Andrew Lewer, Conservative

During my seven years as MP for Northampton South, housing has been my highest priority, both locally and in Parliament.

The Conservative Party’s manifesto states that first-time buyers should receive an improved Help to Buy scheme, help with deposits and a permanently higher stamp duty threshold to reduce the tax burden for those looking to buy a home.

But targeted support for challenges such as those facing the voters you are addressing must be accompanied by a drastic increase in the supply of housing and a reduction in immigration.

That is why there is a commitment to provide 1,600,000 new homes in the next legislative period and to significantly reduce net immigration numbers.

Anthony Owens, Reform UK

The UK population has grown by 1.3 million people in just two years. Unfortunately, only 425,000 homes have been built so far. The forecast of population growth of almost seven million between 2021 and 2036 is putting massive pressure on the current housing market.

The current planning system needs to be urgently revised to speed up development and tax relief for brownfield sites and to include vacant land, while ensuring that infrastructure supports the expansion of housing.

We would try to encourage the use of new building technologies to create more affordable homes. Raising the tax threshold from £12,500 to £20,000, removing VAT on energy bills, cutting fuel duty by 20p a litre and abolishing environmental levies would put more money in her pocket.

We would also reduce the property transfer tax on residential properties under £750,000 to 0%, potentially saving you money when buying a property.

Mike Reader, Labour

I am committed to supporting first time buyers and increasing the number of affordable homes in Northampton.

As a resident of the city, I know that we urgently need more affordable housing here.

Labour will introduce a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to give people with smaller deposits access to cheaper mortgages.

In new-build projects, we will give priority to first-time buyers and concentrate housing on brownfield sites such as the Greyfriars bus station site and the waterfront business park near the train station.

In Northampton, our reforms will give people the best opportunities for career advancement while increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Katie Simpson, Trade Union and Socialist Coalition

The prospect of owning a home is becoming increasingly remote for ordinary people. TUSC candidates are calling for a stop to the sell-off of social housing and for local authorities to be encouraged to build high-quality, environmentally friendly and affordable social housing.

I believe this must be done on a large scale to meet the needs of the people of Northampton.

The mortgage crisis has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. I demand that mortgage loans be made affordable and that banks be nationalised so that they are run under democratic control and management by workers.

Landlords should be forced to sell or rent their properties within a year or transfer them to public administration so that they can be renovated and used as social housing.

Socialist Party members have consistently demanded and fought for wage increases above inflation, and have wanted all companies that cannot meet this basic requirement to be transferred to public ownership or subsidised on the basis of demonstrated need.

Simon Sneddon of the Green Party and Penelope Lucy Tollitt of the Climate Party also stood and were asked to respond to Ms Wheatley’s question.

The Greens stated that “local authorities and national government must work together to provide people with affordable housing to rent or buy where they need it.”

It continues: “Our ‘Right Home, Right Place, Right Price’ charter will simultaneously protect valuable green spaces for communities, reduce climate emissions, tackle energy poverty and provide truly affordable housing.”

The Climate Party has promised to “support the construction industry to rapidly refurbish Britain’s homes and other buildings to reduce people’s energy bills”.

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