Build Up Not Trickle Down: The Case for Need-Led Housing Policy
By: Sam Bloomer, Dr. Charlie Berry, Charlie Trew
Published: 18th Feb 2026
Build Up Not Trickle Down: The Case for Need-Led Housing Policy
This paper sets out why a ‘trickle down’ approach to housing policy – prioritising private supply at the expense of social housing – cannot fix the affordability crisis and will fail to end the housing emergency. That’s why the government must adopt a need-led development model that delivers genuinely affordable social homes so that everyone has a safe, affordable and secure place to call home.
