Shelter has spoken out in favour of what it calls “bold” commitments by Labour on the private rental sector and house building targets.
The Labour party’s manifesto contains no surprises when it comes to housing – a commitment to 1.5m new social and affordable homes over five years, reform of the planning system, a movement towards building on ‘grey belt’ parts of the Green Belt, the permanent Mortgage Guarantee system aimed at first time buyers, and substantial reforms of the private rental sector. All were signalled well in advance by Sir Kier Starmer.
Specifically on the private rental sector, Labour says: “[We] will legislate where the Conservatives have failed, overhauling the regulation of the private rented sector. We will immediately abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, empower them to challenge unreasonable rent increases, and take steps to decisively raise standards, including extending ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private sector.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, says: “To fuel the economy, people need the foundation of a decent home. Labour’s commitment to the biggest increase in social housing in a generation is bold and desperately needed – to deliver real change we need 90,000 genuinely affordable social homes a year.
“If Labour wants to hit its target of 1.5m homes by 2029, the only way to do this is to put social housing at the heart of their plans. Investment in new social homes would pay for itself in just three years and return an impressive £37.8bn to the economy, including through jobs, savings to the NHS and benefits bill.
“And, with Labour and every major party committed to ending no fault evictions, the next government now has a strong mandate to rapidly reform renting – making it safer, secure, and more affordable – no ifs, no buts.”
Propertymark has been supportive of Labour’s plans, but insists there should be more detail.
Nathan Emerson, chief executive at Propertymark, comments: “Pledges to reform the planning system, commit to a brownfield-first approach, making the private rental sector more energy efficient, and a commitment to build 1.5 million new homes over the next parliamentary term are more than welcome. The planning process can be a huge obstacle in keeping pace with demand and change is desperately needed in order to serve an ever-growing population.
“Many buyers have had a tough time since the 2008 recession, and it is vital any future strategy includes a sustainable mix of affordable housing options for both buyers and renters.
“Propertymark would like to see more details from Labour about how they plan to meet their housing goals and ensure this is there is a firm and fair set of policies in place to serve all demographics. Any aspiration to reintroduce the Renters Reform Bill must come with full disclosure and a realistic timeline regarding the required court reform before the removal of Section 21 evictions should ever become a reality.”
