UK minister admits only 'slim chance' of hitting 1.5m homes target
Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has acknowledged the government has only a slim chance of meeting its pledge to build 1.5 million homes before the next election, citing rising construction costs and international inflation.
UK Communities Secretary Angela Rayner has publicly acknowledged for the first time that the government is unlikely to meet its manifesto pledge of building 1.5 million homes before the next election. Speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said there was only a "slim chance" of hitting the target but insisted she was "definitely not giving up" on it.
Rayner, who returned to the communities brief after Andy Burnham became prime minister, described the original pledge as always having been a "stretch target."
Rising costs and weaker housebuilding
The government's efforts have been hampered by inflation linked to the US war with Iran, which has driven up construction costs. Housebuilders have scaled back new developments despite planning reforms introduced by Labour that were meant to boost the number of new homes being built.
Focus shifts to council housing
Rayner said Burnham's current priority is increasing the supply of council houses. The government recently announced a £10bn investment in a social and affordable homes programme, which will fund 70,000 homes outside London — about 60% of them social rented housing, with the remainder covering shared ownership schemes and sheltered housing. London will separately receive £6bn, though how it will be allocated has not yet been decided.
Burnham had previously suggested he wanted the entire Affordable Homes Programme fund directed solely at social housing, but he has since backed away from that plan in favour of funding a broader mix of housing types, in line with the wider government's policy under Keir Starmer.
Rayner pointed to a 15% rise in housing starts last year as evidence of progress. Ministers are also looking at ways to ease rules for private developers, including encouraging councils to adopt a "default yes" approach for housing projects located within walking distance of well-connected train and tram stations.
