John Stewart is Director of Economic Affairs at the Home Builders Federation (HBF).
His policy responsibilities include the economy, the housing and mortgage markets, mortgage regulation, NewBuy, demographic trends, housing supply, Affordable Housing, new home valuation, the private rented sector, customer satisfaction and the industry's Consumer Code, the Cumulative Impact of Regulation on viability and supply and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) initiatives (FirstBuy, Get Britain Building, public land disposal). He maintains close contact with a wide range of housing experts, including officials at the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), the HCA, HM Treasury and the Bank of England.
Before joining HBF in 2003 he was an independent housing consultant for over ten years, and previously divisional Sales & Marketing Director for house builder Wates. His publications included a monthly Viewpoint column in Housebuilder and Building a Crisis (2002) which highlighted the growing housing supply crisis in England and began to consider its social and economic consequences.
He has an MA in English from Auckland University and an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College, London.
Restoring supply's responsiveness to demand
A proper presumption in favour of residential development for all brownfield land within settlement boundaries would help restore the market responsiveness of private housebuilding, generating a significant increase in housing supply and supporting a recovery in SMEs, says John Stewart
Home buyer mix changing
Trends in the housing market and housebuilding are driven by slow moving medium to long term trends and more volatile short term influences. John Stewart looks at recent evidence
Home ownership turnaround
The prime minister's commitment to home ownership, and his identification of housing as "one big piece of unfinished business in our economy", puts him in the footsteps of Conservative Party leaders extending back nearly a century, says John Stewart
Spotlight on industry intensifies
The upward trajectory in private housebuilding appears to have stalled. This, along with the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, will intensify the spotlight on the industry and may force the government to seek new housing supply solutions, warns John Stewart
An impatient, radical government
Ministers have lost patience with local authorities and housing associations, but this intensifies the focus on private housebuilders to deliver the government’s radical housing policies, says John Stewart
Confidence in home building outlook
It is difficult to remember a time when housebuilders could look ahead with such confidence about demand and supply conditions, according to John Stewart
Ageing population offers market opportunities
Booming numbers of older home owners must offer housebuilders new market opportunities, allowing them to further boost sales and production, argues John Stewart
Industry in privileged post-election position
All the main political parties are committed to significantly increasing home building, says John Stewart. Whatever the political make-up of the new government, it will have to rely heavily on the private sector to achieve its housing supply objectives
Creative thinking to boost private home building
Housebuilders need to think creatively if they are to allay suspicions that the industry is not up to the task of delivering a large proportion of the required increase in home building, argues John Stewart
Housing market recovery slows in 2014
The housing market recovery has slowed during 2014 and volumes remain well below their pre-crash peaks, says John Stewart
