Parties’ property promises compared?

The Independent’s Emily Dugan examines election pledges that parties have made in regard to housing. She says the Conservatives have vowed to build 200,000 new properties for first-time buyers in the next five years. They will also expand the Help to Buy scheme until 2020 and used the budget to launch the Help to Buy Isa. Labour said it would build 200,000 new homes, scrap estate agents charges for renters, cap rent increases and make three-year tenancies standard. The Liberal Democrats intend to create 300,000 new homes by 2020 and introduce a Rent to Own scheme. Labour, Ukip, the Green party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru have all said they’ll remove the Conservative-launched “bedroom tax”. Ukip will give social housing priority to ex-service men and women and will end Right to Buy for foreign nationals. The paper’s James Moore calls on the sector to give “generation rent” a helping hand, saying if people cannot buy, they should at least find renting easier, suggesting rental increase caps and tax breaks for landlords.