Housing is key election concern for voters – Leeds BS

More than a quarter of people said housing must be a top priority for the next government, research by a building society showed.

Leeds Building Society carried out a survey of over 2,000 responses and found that 27% of people thought housing was an important issue, coming only behind health services, the economy and immigration.

More than six in 10 respondents said the cost of housing was important to them, and 26% said it would probably or very likely have an impact on how they vote.

For 41% of respondents, building affordable homes was seen as a top concern for the next government, while 26% said the focus should be on housing stimulus schemes such as Help to Buy.

Developing all forms of housing, including social rent and later life, was chosen as a priority by 71% of people.

Main concerns of rent and house prices

In terms of housing issues, which people were most worried about, half of those surveyed said the cost of renting was a major issue, while 49% said house prices.

Another 41% cited the cost of mortgages, while a third said saving a deposit was a significant problem with housing in the UK.

Younger people are more likely to see housing as an important issue, with two-fifths of under-35s choosing it as a priority, compared to 29% of 35-54-year-olds and 16% of those aged 55 years and over.

People who live in private or social rented housing and intend to buy in the next five years prioritized housing, with 46% of respondents in this position.

This was also the case for 39% of people who were planning to buy and still live with their family.

Voting intentions

A third of people planning to vote Labor said housing was a priority, compared to 17% who expected to go Conservative.

Some 19% of respondents said they were still not sure who they would vote for in the general election.

The government must address housing

Richard Fearon, chief executive of Leeds Building Society, said: “We are dealing with a home ownership crisis (which) has been building for decades and our research shows that voters want the next government to address it.

“We need all political parties to articulate how they would realistically help more people achieve the dream of owning a home and create stronger communities as a result.”

He added: “There is overwhelming public support for building more homes and other potential solutions – which must be matched by the next government’s conviction to finally tackle the home ownership crisis.”

Shekina is Deputy Editor at Mortgage Solutions and Commercial Editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has almost eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, previously covering the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewelery sectors. Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for nearly five years. Here, she covers the latest market news, interacts with industry professionals and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage companies. This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developments in the mortgage sector. She is an NCTJ trained journalist and has been nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year 2021. In her spare time, Shekina enjoys reading, travelling, listening to music and socializing with friends. He currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content. Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS