The case for investing in social housing and how to deliver it
Explore the research and reports that shaped our call for government investment in social housing ahead of the Autumn Budget 2026.
Evidence check: the lack of council house building and why it matters
Across the country, the shortage of social rent homes is fuelling the housing emergency. A big part of the problem is that council house building is at historic lows. Communities need bold action to get councils building at scale again.
Simply follow the link below and enter your postcode to see how many homes your council is building and why it matters. In your area, you’ll see:
the number of social rent homes your council delivered last year
the number of children who are homeless in temporary accommodation
how average rents have risen
Leading economists make the case for investing in social housing
We brought together economists, industry figures, and policy experts to highlight why investing in social homes is essential.
They make the case that investment in social homes is not just key to tackling England’s housing emergency, it's also crucial to achieving a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable economy.
Hear from the likes of:
Professor Mariana Mazzucato on how the government can fulfil its human rights obligations whilst strengthening the economy
Ann Pettifor on why the government can afford to invest in mass social housebuilding
Professor John Muellbauer on how the shortage of social housing is damaging our economy, and ways to build more
Dr Adam Yousef on the economic benefits of social housing and the methods for measuring them
As well as this, over 40 top economists, including four Nobel Prize winners, signed an open letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves supporting our campaign. Read the open letter [101KB]
Further reading
This report outlines how the government can deliver 90,000 new social rent homes a year by 2029.
Report: Brick by Brick, by Shelter, 2024
Download [PDF, 15MB]
This report assesses how social housing benefits the economy.
Report: The economic impact of building social housing, by Cebr, 2024
Download [PDF, 1.17MB]
More on social housing
Loss of social housing
The story of social housing
