Theresa May’s housing speech at the Conservative Party Conference, pledging an additional £2 billion to create genuinely affordable homes for those on the lowest incomes, has sparked support from both the National Housing Federation (NHF) and leading social housing company, Clarion.

David Orr, Chief Executive of the NHF said: "The Prime Minister said that we as a nation have not paid enough attention to social housing. Today, she is right to make a bold break with the past and commit to building the homes we need most.

"Building homes for social rent will make work pay and help bring down the housing benefit bill in the long run by moving people out of costly private lets. Building with housing associations represents excellent value for taxpayer money; for every £1 the Government puts-in, housing associations raise a further £6. We are ready to work with the Government to deliver a new generation of genuinely affordable, high quality homes for rent."

Austen Reid of Clarion Housing said: As the country’s largest housing association we strongly support the Government’s announcement of an additional £2 billion to increase the supply of affordable housing and so significantly improve the lives of the one and half million people currently on housing waiting lists. We have always maintained that to deliver the social and affordable housing the country truly needs requires Government intervention – so this increased focus is positive.

Clarion is ready, willing and able to play its part to ensure a good quality, affordable homes for all.