Keir Starmer on Housing

Keir Starmer states that addressing the housing crisis is central to his government's Plan for Change, which includes an ambitious target of building 1.5 million homes over the parliamentary term. He frames this as necessary to reverse years of failure, prevent rising homelessness, and stop children's lives from being blighted by temporary accommodation. This commitment is backed by a substantial financial pledge, with his administration committing £39 billion—described as the largest cash injection in affordable housing in 50 years—over the next decade to deliver the largest wave of social and affordable housing in a generation. He also emphasizes reforming the planning system to cut red tape and make building faster, while boosting incentives for councils to build more social housing by allowing them to keep 100% of Right to Buy receipts.

In addition to increasing supply, he has also focused on rebalancing power in the rental market through legislation. The Renters' Rights Act is designed to give tenants more security and power by abolishing Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, capping advance rent payments to one month, and limiting rent increases to once per year with two months' notice. Furthermore, this legislation introduces Awaab's Law in the private rented sector, mandating landlords to fix hazardous conditions within strict timeframes to prevent illness and death. He has also defended the decision to freeze the local housing allowance, suggesting it could be revisited at the autumn budget.