Laying the foundations for Britain’s housing future by putting people at the heart of the plan, writes Angela Rayner
20 May 2025, 15:00
Our vision is not just about building houses—it’s about building homes for the people of this country and strengthening the communities they belong to.
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We have set ourselves an ambitious target: to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this Parliament. I know it’s a stretching goal. But I won’t shy away from the challenge—because the need is urgent, after years of drift and decline. And let me be clear: this target is just the start. We must keep building well beyond it.
These homes must be well-designed, secure, and rooted in local need. They must be built with the infrastructure that makes life possible—GP surgeries, schools, green spaces, and public transport.
Already, we are laying the groundwork: a pro-growth, pro-building policy environment that supports delivery. We’re working in partnership with investors, industry, and the builders of our great nation. And we want new players to enter the market—innovators and entrepreneurs ready to disrupt the status quo and change both what we build, and who builds it.
This is not just about delivering more homes, faster—it’s about delivering affordable, secure homes for everyone, everywhere.
Because the housing crisis we inherited is vast. It touches nearly every family in the country. A generation has seen the dream of home ownership pulled out of reach. Over 1.3 million people are on waiting lists for social housing. More than 160,000 children are in temporary accommodation. That is nothing short of a national scandal.
I know—first-hand—how much having a safe, affordable home can transform a life.
This is not just a personal or social crisis—it’s an economic one too. Because development and growth go hand in hand. When we build homes, we unlock jobs, investment, and the infrastructure our towns and cities need. That, in turn, drives the growth that improves living standards and revitalises our public services.
And in our first ten months in government, that is exactly what I’ve set out to do.
We said we’d get shovels in the ground—and we have. We reintroduced mandatory local housing targets, scrapped by the last government in the face of vested interests. Their removal saw housebuilding nosedive.
Within our first three weeks, we launched consultation on a pro-growth, pro-supply National Planning Policy Framework—unlocking brownfield and grey belt land for development. Before summer’s end, we got stalled developments moving again through our New Homes Accelerator.
We are pressing ahead with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, an ambitious piece of legislation to speed up the delivery of both homes and critical infrastructure. With it, we’re introducing reforms such as our Nature Restoration Fund—unlocking sites while delivering wins for nature—and overhauling outdated planning committees. These changes could add £7.5 billion to the UK economy over the next decade.
Meanwhile, the New Towns Taskforce is working at pace to identify new sites. And under our 1.5 million homes pledge, we will deliver the biggest expansion of affordable and social housing in a generation—backed by an £800 million investment boost, with a further £2 billion committed for next year. And there’s more to come.
But we’re not just building—we’re reforming too. Within our first four months, we introduced the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill, banning no-fault evictions and giving millions of renters greater security. We’ve also set out a blueprint to end the archaic feudal leasehold system—giving leaseholders more control over their homes and their lives.
We’re empowering mayors through our devolution revolution—because we know that the homes we build must meet the needs of people in every corner of the country.
Still, I know there’s more to do.
Big changes are on the horizon—and with them, big opportunities for growth and investment. We’ve listened, we’ve acted, and we’re turning the tide. The conditions to get Britain building are now in place.
Now we need you—to build, build, build.
Because this is how we rebuild the foundations of a good life for everyone.
And it’s how we deliver for working people.
Angela Rayner is the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
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