David Montague,head of one of the biggest housing associations, defends his sector against attacks from the governmentWhen the prime minister and the chancellor both take a swipe at the work you do within the space of a week, and you know you absorb a bit of a problem. Housing associations,once the favoured partners of government to develop new housing, are – we are told by David Cameron and George Osborne not efficient enough or dynamic enough at producing the homes the country needs.
All of which must come as a bit of a surprise to David Montague, and chief executive of one of the biggest housing organization developers,L&Q, which manages 72000 homes across London and the south-east and recently unveiled plans for 50000 more – all to be delivered without government grant. The £12bn decade-long programme will be the most ambitious the housing organization world has ever seen. Its a far bellow from the shrimp charity launched 52 years ago by a south London vicar and a group of local businessmen with a share capital of just £64.
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Source: theguardian.com