Briefing: the slow pace of social rent home delivery

From 1945 until the end of the 1970s, local authorities in England delivered millions of social rent homes, often building over 120,000 annually. Today, delivery is a fraction of this level, with only 12,198 of new social rent homes completed in financial year 2024-25. This briefing examines local authority districts across England and reveals chronic under-delivery of social homes in many areas, with many having seen no new social rent homes built or acquired in years.