We Must Go Further on Social Housing

As a member of the Housing, Communities & Local Government Committee, I spend a great deal of time examining the challenges facing our housing system, and the scale of those challenges cannot be overstated.

Last week in Parliament, I pressed the Government on their Affordable Homes Programme, which is set to deliver 180,000 social homes over the next ten years. While any investment is welcome, this number sits far below what the country actually needs. Organisations like Shelter estimate that we require around 900,000 social homes in the same timeframe just to begin tackling the crisis.

That gap is staggering.

So I asked the Secretary of State a question: how much does he expect social housing providers to deliver on top of the 180,000 promised through the Government’s scheme?

His response acknowledged the scale of the problem, and he accepted that more will be needed in the long term. But words alone will not bring down waiting lists, reduce temporary accommodation, or give families the security they deserve.

In constituencies like Newbury and across the country, people are being priced out of their communities, stuck in unaffordable rentals or waiting years for a stable home. Housing shouldn’t be a luxury, it is the foundation of health, opportunity, and dignity.

For me, this isn’t a numbers game. It’s about families who need somewhere safe to live, young people desperate to stay near the communities they grew up in, and key workers who keep our public services going.