Recommendation 3

Rent to Buy may represent a better value for money product than shared ownership, but there is insufficient evidence to come to a firm judgement on this at present. Both Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership as affordable home ownership schemes need to be better understood in terms of their affordability and how far they enable 100% homeownership. The Government must as a matter of urgency begin collecting evidence, in liaison with mortgage lenders and providers, in order to assess the viability and affordability of Rent to Buy relative to shared ownership. It must also collect and publish data around staircasing trends over time within shared ownership. These data should then inform the proportion of shared ownership and Rent to Buy homes allocated within the next iteration of the Affordable Homes Programme.