Key worker housing schemes 'oversubscribed'

The government has been trying to help out key workers with HomeBuy schemes and they have been so successful they have become oversubscribed, according to experts.

The National Housing Federation says demand for affordable housing is so great and people are so desperate to get assistance with getting onto the property ladder that there are long waiting lists for the schemes.

However the initiatives have been criticised for having too narrow a definition of key worker. While public service workers are very important there are many professions which are vital to a successful local economy.

"There are many other services that can suffer when decent staff aren't able to live in the area, not just education or health or what is seen as the traditional key worker sectors," said a spokesperson for the National Housing Federation.

At the moment the Key Worker Living scheme helps those who can't afford the initial outlay of buying a property but who have jobs which mean they can meet the long-term financial commitment of getting a house.


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