The new policies cover:
- Where on a new development new affordable homes (such as rental social housing and shared ownership homes) should be situated, looking at the size of clusters; ensuring different sizes of homes are mixed together where appropriate; and making sure affordable housing is well mixed with market housing.
- How the councils would like rent levels for social housing to be set, to ensure that they are as affordable as possible to applicants on the councils’ housing registers.
- The development of homes built specifically to be rented out i.e. Build to Rent, looking at what the councils expect in terms of issues such as size and layout; quality of design and management; and how schemes should contribute to providing affordable housing.
Building enough new homes that people can afford to live in is a key priority for both councils, and it is important to provide a good mix of housing to help meet a range of needs.
The two councils are consulting on these policies together because they will add detail to the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2019-2023, and are primarily aimed at new housing developments across both Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
They will also help to inform the proposed joint Local Plan.
The consultation will run from now until 23 March and everyone is invited to have a say via the website.
Cllr Richard Johnson, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Housing said: "Everyone deserves to have a decent home which is affordable to live in. Supporting the building of a good mix of new homes in the right places is a big part of that. But it is also really important that people are able, if they wish, to put down roots and be part of their wider local community.
"The council is committed to making sure Cambridge is fair for all. Getting these policies right will help to make sure that homes on new developments are great places to live from the outset, and that they remain so long into the future. They will also help us to meet our commitments around reducing poverty and tackling the climate emergency."
Councillor Hazel Smith, Lead Member for Housing at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "We need to ensure that the affordable homes that are built in our new developments contribute to a balanced and settled community. We are creating new places to live and we want these to be really good places for everyone to thrive and create community spirit and long-term sustainable communities.
"Ensuring new developments are well-designed and laid out, affordable to live in, and offer a settled environment is key. These policies will directly affect the people who end up living in these homes, so feedback from members of the public is essential."
Paper copies of the survey are also available on request.