Is Burnham’s plan for a housing revolution anything more than a pipedream? | John Harris

Nearly 2 million children are living in dire housing conditions, with families often anxious and frequently moving from one friend or relative's home to another. This situation comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham, during his first Labour conference speech, pledged to make building hundreds of thousands of council homes the government's defining purpose. However, Burnham's commitment to a thoroughgoing council house revival appears to have some doubts.

Burnham had initially insisted that all of the £39bn allocated by Rachel Reeves for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) until 2036 should be spent on homes for social rent. Yet, he later announced that the initial £10bn would reflect the existing social homes target of 60%. This U-turn was accompanied by another promise about council houses, which is reminiscent of Labour's historical commitment to housing.

Despite these efforts, the recent budget from John Healey could only find an extra £1.5bn for social and affordable housing, which again highlights the ambiguity of the term "affordable." The manifesto promise to oversee the building of 1.5 million new homes has been met with skepticism, as Labour's government cannot achieve this goal during its first term due to a downturn in private housebuilding.

The story underlines the plight of families and children who live in poor housing conditions. About 1.7 million children reside in damp, mouldy, cold, or otherwise substandard accommodation. This situation contributes to the alienation many young people feel towards the world of work, earning, and building a life. The government's Social and Affordable Homes Programme is set to be unveiled, which might flesh out the ambition that has been previously expressed.

However, it remains to be seen if the ambitions can be met, given the enormous gap between official policy and reality.