Housing Minister Says "Lots Of People Doing A Little" Can Help Solve Housing Crisis

Housing minister Lee Rowley has praised the Prince of Wales’s plans for the Duchy of Cornwall to fund a £3m innovative housing project in the south-west of England as an example of "lots of people doing a little" to address the housing crisis, and welcomes input from major landowners.

Prince William has detailed plans to work with the Cornish homelessness charity St Petrocs to build 24 homes on his estate in Nansledan, Newquay, for local people without anywhere to live. There are also plans for the Duchy to create a private rented scheme with longer-term tenancies for people on lower incomes in the area. 

The scheme will also include “wraparound support” such as job opportunities and training for residents, with development due to start in September and completion expected in autumn next year. 

The Duchy has also committed to building 400 social rented homes and 475 affordable dwellings on a new development in South East Faversham in Kent.

Rowley, who was appointed as housing minister for the second time in November – the 16th housing minister since 2010 – told PoliticsHome that he “welcomed” this intervention by the Prince of Wales and suggested that other major landowners could follow in his example.

“I certainly welcome major landowners looking at how they can help in some of the challenges of housing in different parts of the country,” he said.

“I think lots of people doing a little is often a very good way of trying to solve the problem over a longer period.”

He added that there are “challenges of significant stress”, particularly in some urban areas and “certain geographies” such as in Cornwall.

“It’s important we try and respond to that, so if landowners can do that, that’s very sensible,” Rowley continued.

“If the Duchy