Government announces key worker plans

The government has announced new plans for helping key workers get their own homes in various parts of the country.

Housing minister Yvette Cooper has announced the plans, which are intended to provide much-needed accommodation in the midlands and north for employees such as police, nurses and teachers.

Key workers will be given additional grants to increase their buying capacity by nearly a third., with a publicity drive designed to alert them to the help available.

Ms Cooper said it was not just in areas such as the south where key worker affordability was a problem, adding: " That's why we want to make it easier for nurses, teachers, and other first time buyers to get support to help them onto the housing ladder and are building more thousands more homes over the long-term."

The lack of key worker homes is one reason why some may consider opting for self build in order to own their homes.

Last month Paul Holmes, chief executive officer of Firstrung, criticised the government's existing schemes to help key workers.

He said the combination of mortgage and rent in return for the level of equity received made no more sense than a ten-times salary mortgage.


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