Lord Best: ‘Boosting affordable housing supply would be the best long-term budget decision’
Next month’s Budget is an opportunity to give a dramatic boost to the supply of desperately-needed affordable housing. Such a move would also be good politics: a YouGov survey in January showed housing to be the fastest-growing major issue for British voters. A week ago, Michael Gove told Laura Kuenssberg that he is pressing the […]
Brandon Lewis: ‘Conservatives must champion homeownership – and show young voters we support their aspirations’
It is hardly controversial to state that the UK is in the midst of a housing crisis; one that is, quite simply, a supply and demand issue. The impacts of this are being felt across the country — not just in London. Renting in our most productive towns and cities has become increasingly unaffordable, people […]
Rishi Sunak told Conservatives risk ‘losing a generation of voters’ over lack of new housing
Rishi Sunak has been told that the Conservative Party risks “losing a generation of voters” if the government does not build more houses. Sir Brandon Lewis, a former cabinet minister who also served as housing minister from 2014 to 2016, told Sky News yesterday that he is now using his time as a backbencher to […]
After Keir Starmer’s conference speech, the time for Rishi Sunak to get bold on housing is now
In his speech to Labour party conference yesterday, Keir Starmer laid out his pitch to be prime minister. He placed the housing crisis front and centre of his speech, promising to build a “new Britain” by “bulldozing” a path through the planning system. The rhetoric was targeted, attempting to position his party as the answer […]
Renting shake-up will strike ‘right balance’ between the rights of tenants and rights of communities, minister vows
The long-promised renters’ (reform) bill will be published later today almost three-and-a-half years after the government was elected on a manifesto promising to end “no-fault” evictions. Among the new proposals, no-fault, or Section 21, evictions which currently allow landlords to take back possession from tenants without giving a reason will be scrapped, with housing secretary […]
Tens of thousands of homes are ‘unsafe’, says Michael Gove
Levelling up, housing and communities secretary Michael Gove said “at least” tens of thousands of homes are unsafe, as he announced new measures to punish housing providers who fail tenants. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning, he said: “I fear it’s the case that there are tens of thousands of properties that are not […]
Cost of living crisis threatens Homes for Ukraine scheme
The cost of living crisis is impacting people’s willingness to partake in the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics. 21% of current or previous sponsors said the rise in cost-of-living had impacted their ability to provide support “quite a lot” and 9 per cent said it had “very much” harmed […]
Hughes announces fairer private rented sector white paper
In a statement to the House of Commons, housing under-secretary Eddie Hughes announced to MPs the government’s intended white paper to introduce a fairer private rented sector. Hughes lorded the plans as “the biggest set of reforms in a generation”. Labour welcomed the move, but shadow minister Matthew Pennycook was cautious given that the government […]
Johnson launches housing plans in wake of backbench revolt
This afternoon Boris Johnson has addressed rising prices and launched new housing plans in an apparent attempt to relaunch his premiership following Monday’s vote of confidence. Earlier today levelling up and housing secretary Michael Gove said plans to expand “Right to Buy” would be capped to a certain number, which he failed to disclose. Speaking […]
‘Right to Buy’ expansion to be capped
Housing secretary Michael Gove has revealed that the government’s plans to expand the “Right to Buy” scheme will be capped. The policy, which had its heyday under Maragaret Thatcher, allows long-standing local authority tenants to purchase their homes at a heavily discounted price. Quizzed over whether the government will funnel fresh funding towards the initiative, […]
