New British PM Takes On Housing Crisis

"To remedy a chronic supply shortage, last week Gordon Brown unveiled plans to build 3 million homes by 2020. While it is easy to dismiss his announcements as yet more froth, Whitehall officials, housebuilders and regeneration specialists say radical reform and even action is in the air."

"Chairing his first cabinet meeting as prime minister last month, Brown told ministers they had one week to come up with a list of land held by their departments on which new homes could swiftly be built. The tough ultimatum proved his intent to circumvent constraints on housing supply. 'Gordon takes housing seriously in a way Tony never did,' says one housing insider."

"Yvette Cooper, the housing minister, will next week launch what the government hopes will be the biggest housebuilding programme seen in Britain for at least 30 years."

"Councils may be given greater freedom to borrow cash to fund homes and, say sources, will be asked to act as master developers. They will stay in the development process far longer than they do now. This will enable them to share in the profits made from housing which they can use to reinvest in more projects."