Bristol’s housing crisis deepens as 16,000 approved homes remain untouched, leaving residents frustrated and city leaders scrambling for solutions
This number has actually gone up by 2,000 since last summer. Last year, Cllr Dyer pushed for urgent action to get these homes built, but it seems not much has changed. The council is trying to pressure builders to finish the homes they’ve been approved for and to make use of vacant properties.
During a recent council meeting, Cllr Don Alexander asked Dyer how many times he had successfully lobbied developers to start construction. Dyer had to admit he hasn’t made any progress on those 16,000 homes. He mentioned issues with viability and that they might need to cut back on affordable housing to move forward.
There are talks with some private developers, but nothing has really taken off yet. Some commenters are pointing out that the real issues need to be addressed. They’re asking why certain agreements are causing delays and how the national funding crisis is affecting local projects.
Others are curious about why construction companies aren’t moving forward. Is it too much red tape, or is it just not profitable for them? Some believe the council should take more responsibility for affordable housing, while others think the market is being controlled by a few big companies.
There’s also a big shortage of skilled workers in construction, which has been a problem for years. Before Brexit, many workers came from Eastern Europe, but that’s changed now. People are saying we need to train more locals to fill these gaps.
With all these challenges, it’s clear that Bristol has a long way to go in solving its housing crisis. What do you think? Should these homes be built? Will they help the situation? Let us know in the comments!
