Keir Starmer outlines plan for social housing and right to buy reform
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote an opinion piece stating his government is pursuing the biggest increase in social and affordable homes in a generation. He cited statistics for council housebuilding and affordable home delivery, and announced new measures including reforming right to buy and giving landlords new powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators while allowing victims to remain in their homes. Starmer described the previous Conservative government’s approach as an “ideological war” on social housing. The article is a single-source opinion piece from Starmer, published in The Guardian.
What’s reported
For the year 2024-25, council housebuilding in England hit its highest level in almost 40 years, with more than 10,000 new council homes built.
In the same period, almost 65,000 affordable homes were delivered in England, including more than 12,000 for social rent – the most in over a decade.
The government has targeted 1.5 million new homes this parliament.
Over more than four decades, right to buy has depleted council housing stock.
1.3 million households are on waiting lists in England and more than 175,000 children are in temporary accommodation.
The housing benefit bill has risen to its highest levels in real terms since comparable records began in 1970.
Over 40% of right to buy homes are now in the private rented sector; more than 2 million homes have been sold since the 1980s.
A £39 billion social and affordable homes programme will inject record investment and deliver mass council housebuilding.
The King’s Speech last month included a social housing renewal bill to increase the eligibility requirement for right to buy to 10 years, amend discounts (up to £136,400 in London and £102,400 elsewhere), and exempt newly built social housing for 35 years.
New landlord powers will allow eviction of domestic abuse perpetrators; victims will be allowed to keep their home.
Open questions
The article does not specify how the £39 billion programme will be funded.
Details of the new landlord powers to evict domestic abuse perpetrators are not provided.
The article does not say what specific planning rule changes are being made.
Key figures
Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister
Sources: The Guardian
