Half of the extra 2,800 homes will be for social rent in an effort to “turn the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis”, the government said.
Deputy PM Angela Rayner today unveils a £350million boost to help deliver thousands more affordable homes.
Half of the extra 2,800 homes will be for social rent in an effort to “turn the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis”, the government said. Around £50million of the funding will also go towards 250 more council homes.
It comes as ministers grapple with record numbers of families and children living in temporary accommodation while 1.3million people are on social housing waiting lists.
Many young people have also been locked out of owning their own home due to sky-high rents and the rapid increase in housing prices.
The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government said the £350million comes on top of the £500million already announced at last year’s Budget.
It said details will also be set out “imminently” to crackdown on exploitative behaviour by rogue housing landlords providing squalid homes for the most vulnerable.
Ms Rayner said the lack of good quality, affordable housing has “condemned too many families renting privately to the misery of cramped, unacceptable living conditions”.
Writing in The Mirror the Deputy PM and Housing Secretary admitted ending the housing crisis in England “will not be easy” She added: “We haven’t built enough homes for decades to meet demand and it will take time to turn this around.
“But where the last Government failed to act and caved in to vested interests, we’re putting social and affordable housing at the heart of our Plan for Change to get Britain building, put money in people’s pockets and spread opportunity.”
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of charity Shelter said: “It’s good to see social housing firmly back on the agenda after decades of neglect.
“Half of these new homes for social rent is a promising start, but the government must commit far more ambitious investment at the Spending Review in June.”
But she warned: “Only truly bold action will tackle the housing emergency and end homelessness for good. Investing in building 90,000 social rent homes a year for ten years would clear social housing waiting lists, boost jobs and help grow the economy.”
At the election last year Labour promised to deliver 1.5million new homes by the end of the Parliament in 2029.
