Government launches ‘radical’ housing construction plan

The new British Labour government unveiled on Tuesday July 30 a plan that it wants “radical” to tackle the country’s housing shortage. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who is responsible for housing, announced the reintroduction of binding building targets for local authorities, which were scrapped by the Conservatives in power for the last 14 years.

The reform also proposes to allow, under certain conditions, construction in areas currently protected under environmental protection, which surround major British cities. This measure is controversial in many rural parts of the country. “Today, I am introducing a radical plan not only to build the homes we desperately need, but to spur growth, create jobs and bring life back to cities.”Angela Rayner told Parliament.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who comes from a very modest family, an atypical profile within the British political elite, also promised “the biggest acceleration in social and affordable housing in a generation”At the same time, she accused the Conservatives of generating fewer than 200,000 new constructions this year.

Before their landslide victory in the general election in early July, Labour promised to build 1.5 million homes in the next five years. Experts say the housing crisis is due to low supply, high prices, high mortgage rates and soaring rents. Hundreds of thousands of people are waiting to get social housing and the number of homeless people hit a record high in the capital London last year.