RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said "Earlier this week the RIBA awarded Neave Brown the Royal Gold Medal, architecture鈥檚 highest accolade, for his outstanding work in building high quality affordable housing, cherished by local communities. Social housing like this plays a vital role in ensuring that we have a society that works for everyone. While it鈥檚 good news that the Prime Minister has made fixing the housing crisis a central priority for the government, the extra 拢2 billion promised today just won鈥檛 meet the scale of investment needed to address decades of under-supply.
鈥淭he government spends billions of pounds a year subsidising private landlords because of a shortage of social housing. They need to dial up the approach and investment, moving beyond describing the problems and big rhetoric to delivering solutions and the investment that will make the difference. Warm words won鈥檛 put roofs over people鈥檚 heads; we need a concerted programme of public investment in new social housing across the country and that means spending a lot more than was announced today.鈥�
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- For more press information contact: Howard Crosskey - howard.crosskey@riba.org 020 7580 5533
- The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates
