Calls for the government to address social mobility problems in Britain with new housing measures have been backed by Merseyside housebuilders.

Faye Whiteoak, Redrow’s development director for Liverpool, believes the recommendations made in the Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation 2016 report will add much needed housing stock and benefit the entire community.

The report highlights a “deep social mobility problem” in the UK which is “getting worse” over time for an entire generation of young people, listing perpetuating factors including an “unfair” education system, a two-tier labour market, regionally imbalanced economy and an unaffordable housing market.

The public body is calling for the government to build 3 million homes over the next decade, with one third funded by the public sector, as well as expand the sale of public sector land for new homes and allow targeted construction on greenbelt land.

It also recommends changes to the starter home initiative to focus on households with average incomes and ensure these homes are sold to other low-income households at the same discount, along with the introduction of tax incentives to encourage longer private sector tenancies.

Faye Whiteoak, Redrow’s development director for Liverpool, says: “Redrow welcomes any measures to help increase the country’s housing stock and ensure all sectors of the community are catered for. We’ve seen already how incentives like Help to Buy can help people on to or up the property ladder when they most need it by making home ownership more affordable.

“We’re also keen to engage in innovative partnerships designed to get more homes built with public and private sector working together. Our Liverpool Housing Partnership with Liverpool City Council and social housing provider Liverpool Mutual Homes is a prime example of that.

“Council receipts from sale of land to Redrow for private housing help subsidise social housing schemes elsewhere in the city that might otherwise be commercially unviable.”

Other housing recommendations outlined in the report include measures to complement plans to redevelop the UK’s worst estates, with a £140m fund to improve opportunities for social tenants to secure work.

Liverpool housing association Plus Dane has also backed the Social Mobility Commission’s calls, praising the report’s recognition of the need for employment schemes for social tenants.

Barbara Spicer, chief executive at Plus Dane, says: “It is no secret that we face a shortage of affordable homes across our region, so we welcome the report’s recommendation on boosting the supply of affordable housing.

“As a developing housing association, we are doing everything we can at Plus Dane to help meet housing needs and are on track to deliver 600 new-build homes across Merseyside and Cheshire, both for affordable rent and affordable home ownership, through our 2015-18 development programme.

“As a housing association with a social purpose we also want to support our tenants out of dependency and it’s good to see that the report asks the government to make funding available to improve opportunities for social tenants to get work.”

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