The chief executive of one of the UK’s largest agency groups wants figures from across the industry – including letting agents – to run the country’s housing policy.

And he wants to ditch the idea of elected governments having responsibility for rental, sales and house building rules.

David Powell, chief executive of the Andrews Property Group, says that for decades the housing system in the UK has been treated as a political football.

He cites the revolving door of housing ministers and failure to keep housing supply in tune with demand as two of many ways politicians have failed.

And in a statement over the weekend Powell says: “Housing policy is too important, too complex and too long-term to be left to the whims of central government.”

Instead he proposes something radically different.

A National Housing Committee

“If the UK is serious about solving the housing crisis, it needs a structure built for the long haul. 

“That means removing housing oversight from central government and establishing a National Housing Committee.”

He says such a committee would be an independent, specialist body “representing every corner of the housing ecosystem.”

That would include letting agents, tenant groups, charities, estate agents, developers, conveyancers, lenders, removal firms, and social housing providers.

Powell says: “This is the full spectrum of people who understand the system not as an abstract policy area, but as a daily reality. 

“They see the bottlenecks, the inefficiencies, the unintended consequences of poorly designed legislation. 

“They know where the system breaks—and how it could be rebuilt.”

Powell insists housing requires a 20 to 30 year strategy, not a two to three year political cycle.

Long term objectives

He says his committee could:

• Set longterm building targets insulated from political turbulence
• Standardise planning frameworks across regions

• Ensure consistent regulation for landlords, tenants, and developers
• Coordinate supply chains and workforce planning

• Provide stability for investors and lenders, and
• Focus on outcomes rather than headlines

And he concludes by saying the current housing crisis is the product of structural failure, political short-termism, and fragmented decisionmaking. 

“A National Housing Committee would not solve every problem overnight, but it would finally give the UK a fighting chance at meaningful, sustained progress” he says.

“If we want a future where secure, affordable housing is a reality rather than a slogan, then we must be brave enough to rethink who holds the reins. 

“Housing should not be a ministerial stepping stone. It should be a national mission, led by the people who understand it best.”