More than 70,000 social and affordable homes to be built across England
£39bn plan to tackle housing crisis
Ministers have announced plans to build more than 70,000 social and affordable homes across England over the next decade, as part of a wider £39bn programme. Funding has been allocated to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, Liverpool, and London, where £6bn will be invested.
This announcement is the first step towards the government's goal of constructing 300,000 social and affordable homes nationwide. Housing charities have welcomed the initiative, but some argue it is still insufficient to meet the demand. The Conservatives, meanwhile, have criticised it as an "unfunded spending commitment".
Of the new homes, 60% will be available for social rent, which is typically half the market rate, with strict eligibility criteria.
"No child should be raised in a hostel room and no family should wait 10 years for a front door of their own," stated Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Burnham, before becoming prime minister, had called for the entire £39bn budget to be dedicated to social rent housing. Under Labour, homelessness figures have continued to rise to record levels.
A personal story of waiting for a home
Natasha, a 22-year-old mother, has been living in a hotel in Milton Keynes with her son Zayd for the past four months. She expresses fear for her son's future in such an environment:
"I'm just scared when he gets older, when he starts crawling around, I can't even allow him to crawl in such a place like that because it's so dirty."
Natasha's experience in the hotel has been challenging. Despite reporting issues with ants, she was only moved to a different room. She shares a kitchen with around 60 other residents, which she feels unsafe using with her young son. She describes her hotel stay as feeling like "a prison" and notes that visitors are not allowed, limiting her social connections.