The Housing Report

Since coming to power in May 2010, the coalition Government has taken a big bang approach to reform, announcing significant changes to the planning system, welfare, investment, and social tenure, with the overall aim being to ‘meet people’s housing aspirations’.

It has its work cut out. House building is at its lowest level for decades, households across all tenures report that they struggle to afford their housing, and the average age of a first-time buyer has been forecast to rise to 43.2 Meanwhile our population is both growing and ageing, millions of people are waiting for social housing, vulnerable people face huge cuts in support and homelessness is rising.

This is the background to The Housing Report, which by collating and presenting the facts, seeks to establish whether the Government’s approach to housing is helping, and to ensure housing policy remains at the heart of political debate over the course of the Parliament.