As a part of Theresa May’s shake up of the Conservative cabinet, new housing minister Gavin Barwell has announced that the government will be switching its focus from the Housing Sector to the Private Rental Sector (PRS) as he believes the PRS will be “vital” as more and more people choose to rent.

Mr Barwell believes that investing in building more rental properties will alleviate the strain on the currently overloaded housing market.
The change in housing policy comes after Barwell stated that the amount of properties needed to meet the current demand will “never be achieved” without first investing heavily in PRS.

As a part of the renewed focus on the private rental sector, Barwell has announced the intention to insure there will be a wider variety of properties to suit the needs of every renter.

Speaking at a recent property conference, Barwell said “We need to make sure we have a good, thriving private rented sector. Recent growth in the bespoke rental market has been impressive, but this progress must be expanded,”

He added: “A growing number of families and young professionals are choosing the PRS… many will rent for some years before they buy.
“I’m very clear that our ambitions will never be achieved without significant boost in institutional investment to the PRS, to ensure more choice and quality for people living in rented accommodation.”

James Murray, London’s Deputy Mayor for Housing, has supported the government’s decision to focus on PRS whilst also defending his own 50% affordable housing target.

He said: “If we’re going to increase supply and have affordable [housing] within that, you need to use every route of delivery, and if build-to-rent can deliver at scale and speed, then we should support that.”