70% home ownership target – wrong in principle and undeliverable

Just before Lisa Nandy was moved sideways from her job as Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling-up, the Highbury Group on Housing Delivery (“an independent group of specialists from the public, private and independent sectors from housing, planning and related professions”) wrote to her on Labour's housing policy. We reproduce some extracts below. You can … Continue reading 70% home ownership target – wrong in principle and undeliverable

Promises of new towns keep being broken – here’s why Keir Starmer’s are likely to go just the same way

Peters Apps writing in the i-paper says The Labour leader has put new towns at the centre of his pledge to ‘get Britain building again’. But without council housing and state money experts fear the project is ‘doomed’ “For the first time in nearly half a century we will show the imagination to build new … Continue reading Promises of new towns keep being broken – here’s why Keir Starmer’s are likely to go just the same way

Section 106 agreements will not fund building on the scale we need

Increased central government grant for council housing is necessary and possible "The 100,000 social rent homes a year, and more, that are needed to liberate a new generation from the private rented sector, will not be built without central government grant." Keir Starmer has said that Labour will build 1.5 million homes over five years; … Continue reading Section 106 agreements will not fund building on the scale we need

Labour cannot resolve the housing crisis without more funding for councils

A “net positive” social housing policy will not resolve the housing crisis. Speaking at a National Housing Federation summit, Shadow Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook clarified the Labour leadership's outlook on housing policy when in government. By a “significant” reduction in RTB discounts and focusing the Affordable Homes Programme “overwhelmingly” on social rent homes “we will … Continue reading Labour cannot resolve the housing crisis without more funding for councils

Ending Right to Buy is a necessary step towards resolving the housing crisis

In defending her support for Right to Buy Lisa Nandy recently said that “telling working class people they can't own their own home is just unacceptable”. If she meant their council home, that rather contradicts what she said at last September's Labour conference; “the idea of a home for life handed on in common ownership … Continue reading Ending Right to Buy is a necessary step towards resolving the housing crisis

Right to Buy: privatising collectively owned housing

Lisa Nandy recently said that “telling working class people they can't own their own home is just unacceptable”. If she means their council home that rather contradicts what she said at last September's Labour conference; that “the idea of a home for life handed on in common ownership to future generations is an idea worth … Continue reading Right to Buy: privatising collectively owned housing

The house building oligopoly will not resolve the housing crisis

“Though it is hardly a secret that we inhabit a world dominated by business oligopolies, during the crisis and its aftermath this reality and its implications for the priorities of government stood nakedly exposed. It is an unpalatable and explosive truth that democratic politics on both sides of the Atlantic has choked on it.” Adam … Continue reading The house building oligopoly will not resolve the housing crisis

Lisa Nandy invents a strawman to justify a bad policy

Lisa Nandy in her charm offensive with the Telegraph said that Labour had “taken on and called out” those on the Left who argue that “homeownership is not a Labour thing to do”, which was “completely wrong”. Ownership of assets was the “biggest and most consequential divide” in the country, she said, with the recognition … Continue reading Lisa Nandy invents a strawman to justify a bad policy

“The grim wait for vacant social housing”

A Labour Party member in Wiltshire is supporting our campaign to end RTB and will be submitting our model motion to her CLP for the Labour Conference in October. She tells us about the experience of homelessness which results from the shortage of council housing. “I've experienced homelessness with my two children and the grim … Continue reading “The grim wait for vacant social housing”

Our model housing resolution: key policies to begin to resolve the housing crisis

Carol Hayton explains why Labour's current housing policy will not resolve the housing crisis and why our model resolution includes the key policies necessary to begin to resolve it. The process for the submission of amendments to the draft National Policy Forum documents has concluded. We now await, with extreme interest, the final NPF report, … Continue reading Our model housing resolution: key policies to begin to resolve the housing crisis