The Government’s Green Paper, published on July 23, on the supply of housing is notable for one major omission – it ignores the fact that of the three million homes the Prime Minister says are to be built by 2020, one million will be needed for new immigrants.
Even that estimate assumes that immigration will fall by 30% in the next couple of years and then stay flat. As yet there is no evidence of this occurring.
Said Sir Andrew Green, Chairman of think-tank, Migrationwatch: ‘Despite their Manifesto pledge of firm control over immigration, this Government has encouraged the immigration of over two million people since 1997 but has done virtually nothing to increase the supply of housing. It is no wonder we have a housing crisis.
‘The Prime Minister keeps ducking the issue of immigration both in general and with specific regard to housing, yet the proposals to build on the scale proposed will have a major effect on many communities across the country.
‘Serious measures to achieve a sharp reduction in immigration must now be the first step in tackling the housing crisis which is such a serious concern to every family – especially when many of the proposed new homes are planned for areas vulnerable to flooding,’ he said.