70,000 social and affordable homes to be built across England as part of £39bn plan

The UK government has unveiled plans to construct 70,000 social and affordable homes across England over the next decade, as part of a £39 billion initiative. This allocation of funds will be divided between Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, Liverpool, and London, with the latter receiving £6 billion.

This announcement marks the initial phase of a broader strategy to build 300,000 social and affordable homes across the country, under the government's £39 billion social housebuilding program.

While housing charities expressed satisfaction with the news, they emphasized it falls short of meeting the current demand. The Conservatives criticized the move as an unfunded spending commitment. Of the new homes announced, 60% will be designated for social rent, which is priced at approximately half of market rates and comes with stringent eligibility criteria.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating, "No child should be raised in a hostel room and no family should wait 10 years for a front door of their own. I have said from my first day in this job that everything starts with a good home." However, during his tenure, homeless figures have continued to rise, with 177,530 children currently residing in temporary accommodation.

Natasha, a 22-year-old mother living in a hotel in Milton Keynes with her son Zayd, is one of those waiting for a permanent home. She expressed her fears about the living conditions, stating, "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." Despite sharing a bathroom with around 60 other residents, Natasha faces safety concerns due to the shared spaces and the lack of visitors' rights.

The announcement comes as part of a broader pledge by the Labour government to build 1.5 million homes by 2029. However, the current progress seems to fall short of this target, with only about 203,000 new homes built in the 12 months ending June 2026. Conservatives have accused Labour of scaling back their affordable housing program, estimating that ending social housing for foreign nationals would free up 228,144 homes for British families.