The IEA’s Head of Public Policy, Matthew Lesh, wrote an article for CapX, on the inadequacy of implementing social housing expansion and rent control as a means of easing the housing crisis.

Commenting on recent calls to expand the social housing stock and cap rents, Matthew argues that the policies hamper the expansion of supply, protect incumbent property owners over new market entrants, and result in subsidies for a small group at the expense of taxpayers.

Matthew concludes that liberalised planning laws are needed to fix this crisis, which is ultimately one of restricted supply, stating that “the dream of ownership will only be accessible to the next generation by reforming the planning system to enable more homes to be built, not by fiddling around with rents.”

The full article can be read here.