Prime Minister Pledges Postwar-Scale Council Housebuilding Programme
Over 70,000 new homes, 60% for social rent, planned across England amid housing crisis concerns and political scrutiny.
Sarah Connor
The Prime Minister has pledged the largest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period.
More than £2 billion of the initial funding allocations will be spent in mayoral areas beyond the capital. The Liverpool City Region, for example, will deliver 3,100 homes, supported by £380 million.
Bev Craig has promised to build 50,000 new affordable homes across Greater Manchester by 2039. For the first time, three local councils will be among the 33 "strategic partners" receiving guaranteed funding for the decade-long programme.
Councils will also retain all money generated from right to buy receipts to reinvest in new social and affordable housing. The Government claims the decision to directly hand funding to mayors for future projects shows its "commitment to move power and decision-making out of Whitehall."
However, Sir James Cleverly claims this scheme is a "sleight of hand under Labour" and an "unfunded spending commitment." He also claims the small print shows homes will not have to be delivered until 2039.
The Tories claim funding has been "backloaded" to fall outside the spending review and this Parliament. Mr Burnham has faced accusations of watering down his ambitions after he previously called for the entire £39 billion social and affordable homes programme to be spent on council housing.
Separately, Reform UK has pledged to oust migrants from social housing within three months of Nigel Farage entering No10. They claim this action would free up as many as 540,000 homes.