The credit crunch does not remove the underlying shortage of affordable housing, says new homes and regeneration supremo, Sir Robert Kerslake. Speaking at a dinner in London, Sir Robert, chief executive of the new Homes and Communities Agency which launches at the end of the year, said: ‘The underlying demand won't go away. It will return to the market in due course, as we still face the growth challenge.' Ex-Sheffield City Council chief, Sir Robert, speaking at a SERCO dinner for council chief executives this week, said he could not predict ‘how long or how deep' the current property slump would last, and predicted that shared ownership would become much more popular as a way around the credit crunch crisis. The HCA takes over English Partnerships, the investment part of the Housing Corporation and CLG functions such as Thames Gateway and Housing Market Renewal, on a £16bn budget spread over three years.executives.
