Insight

The key housing policies

Does the opposition have the more popular policies?

In our polling we found that there are wide array of housing policies that voters seemed to strongly support.

For example “use it or lose it” and new tax rules to make London less attractive to foreign buyers both had a net support/oppose rating of +63%. Labour’s mansion tax also has a high net support at +48% .

ImageThe net support for the following housing policies from voters

However, many of the government’s policies received a more divided response from voters. Relaxing planning rules and removing housing benefit from under 25s received net ratings of +9% and +2% respectively, suggesting relatively even numbers supported and opposed each, especially by comparison to the other policies. However, the government’s help to buy policy is one of the more popular policies, with a net rating of +48%.

Opinion remains more or less the same as last year

If you compare this to last year you can see that there is relatively little difference in voters’ support for each of the policies.

The most noticeable movement is on the new tax rules to make the London housing market unattractive for foreign buyers. In January 2014, 58% supported this policy while 8% were opposed (net rating of +50%), while this year support has risen to a very high 69% in support with only 6% opposed (giving them a net rating of +63%).

In another poll, we found that a fifth (18%) thought housing was one of the most important issues facing them and their family.

Does the Opposition have the more popular policies?