Britain’s housing crisis won’t be fixed overnight – but this is the decade we change it, writes Angela Rayner

Having inherited the worst housing emergency in living memory, this past year has been about transforming anger into action. We have focused our energy on laying the foundations for renewal so that we can finally put roofs over people’s heads.

We’re determined to build something better.

For too long, those left at the mercy of a failing system – tenants, homeowners, councils, housing associations, developers, and builders – have been badly let down. Only by working together can we deliver the homes this country so desperately needs.

So now we are seizing this golden opportunity with both hands. We are going to transform this country by building the social and affordable homes we need, and create a brighter future where families aren’t trapped in temporary accommodation and young people are no longer locked out of a secure home.  

That’s why I’m especially proud of our new Social and Affordable Homes plan, launched today to kick off a decade of housing renewal. This isn’t just a bold vision for the next ten years – it’s a fully-funded roadmap to help build the 1.5 million homes we have promised during this Parliament under the Plan for Change, and to improve living standards for people everywhere.

Where the Tories flailed and failed for 14 years we’ve been heads down for 12 months, listening closely to the sector about what they need to get building, repairing and remediating – to create a brighter future for the 165,000 children trapped in temporary accommodation, and for the millions of hardworking people who daren't even dream of owning their own home.

And look how it’s paid off after all the years of neglect and stagnation.

Over its ten-year lifetime, our plan – supported by the £39billion for the Social and Affordable Homes programme announced at the Spending Review – aims to deliver hundreds of thousands of new homes, building on the hundreds of thousands unlocked by our planning reforms.

At least 60%, or 180,000, will be earmarked for social rent, based on local incomes. To put this transformation into perspective, that’s six times more social rented homes than the government funded in the decade before 2024.

But it isn’t just about building more homes – it’s about making all homes better and safer. Everyone, everywhere deserves a secure and energy-efficient place to live.

Too many people are stuck in substandard accommodation So we’re looking to update the Decent Homes Standard, with plans to extend it to privately rented homes for the first time, and are bringing in new energy efficiency standards for social housing. These changes will make a real difference.

We worked long and hard with social housing providers and tenants to decide on the most important priorities. Top of the list was restoring trust and stability after the chaos years, and giving councils, housing associations and developers the long-term confidence and support they needed to invest in new and existing homes.

The housing side was looking for five commitments to help build the extra homes we need. Increased investment and working better together through stronger partnerships, to deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housing investment in a generation. There will also be clear regulations, encouraging councils to build more homes, and making sure those who need housing most get priority.

For councils, there’s more support too in our reforms to the Right to Buy scheme. These will protect valuable council homes from being sold off too quickly and help them build more to replace lost housing stock. At the same time, longer standing tenants who have paid in rent over many years will still have a route to buying their own home.

And for the first time, social landlords will also have access to over £1 billion in new government money to help pay to remove dangerous cladding that risks residents’ safety. On top of the extra financial help on rents – including a new 10-year rent agreement – they’ll be more able to spend money on local housing properties, for the good of their tenants.

Overall, this plan for a decade of social and affordable housing renewal is a decisive break from the past – and a call to action for the future.

For the first time in decades, Britain has a government with a clear, well-funded plan to tackle the housing crisis. It’s a moment for real change. Our golden opportunity, as I say, to deliver the homes and the quality of life that millions of people deserve.

With investment and reform, this Labour government is delivering the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, unleashing a social rent revolution, and embarking on a decade of renewal for social and affordable housing in this country.  

Angela Rayner is the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

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