Bellway Homes faces difficulty selling 19 affordable homes in Enfield, built last year. They seek council approval to sell privately.
Bellway cannot find a housing association to buy them. Usually, housing associations buy affordable homes, then rent or sell them to people who need them.
Bellway built 26 affordable homes in total. Enfield Council bought seven of them, which are low-cost homes for people on a waiting list, and are all now occupied.
Eight homes are for middle-income renters, and eleven are for shared ownership. Bellway wants to sell the 19 unsold homes privately, and they want to sell them at a lower price.
Bellway asked the council for permission to do this, as they can’t sell to a housing provider. So, they want to sell these homes as “First Homes.”
First Homes are sold at a discount of at least 30%. The price must be under £420,000 in London. Bellway could pay the council instead, but the council has not yet responded.
A local group, Better Homes Enfield, commented that many children lack permanent housing. They feel these empty homes highlight the housing crisis. Building more homes alone is not enough.