In a democracy there is also a danger that if you don’t listen to people, you can lose out.
Javid expressed sympathy with young people struggling to find housing they can afford, and warned that Labour could snatch more votes over the issue.
“One of the lessons from the last election was all politicians can do more to listen to younger voters,” he said.
“In a democracy there is also a danger that if you don’t listen to people, you can lose out. As long as we can keep showing people we absolutely understand the gravity of the situation and what needs to be done to fix this broken market, I think people will appreciate that.”
The Communities Secretary, who recently urged the government to borrow to fund a more ambitious building programme, said Chancellor Philip Hammond had made “a significant step forward for delivering all kinds of housing, including social housing” with last week’s Budget.
Javid also said he was “delighted” funding had been earmarked for a “Housing First” strategy to tackle rough sleeping.
The Chancellor said three regional Housing First pilots would be set up to give people on the streets their own accommodation and intensive help to address their problems.
There was additional funding for an initiative aimed at helping private renters at risk of homelessness.
Read the full interview with Sajid Javid in next week’s festive edition of The Big Issue, out Monday December 4.
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