Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote for Metro about his government’s plans to transform the UK’s housing system.
He said mortgage rules would be relaxed, regulations would be cut, and new towns would be built in order to meet the ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes by the end of this Parliament.
Our readers had lots of questions in response – so, we sent them over to Downing Street and asked the PM to answer them.
Here’s the Q&A in full.
Will we actually get affordable housing that people can afford? I’ve been on the housing list since 2014. I have an 11-year-old. There have been zero properties to bid for in the past 14 weeks. We have moved twice into private accommodations, which was unaffordable and in disrepair. The council still insist people can afford private rent. A private two-bed property in my borough goes for £2,000 to £3,000. I’ve been back at my parents’ nearly three years.
ALEXA
‘This is exactly why I am so determined to be ambitious on housebuilding. Seriously – everybody who opposes building homes should read about your situation, Alexa. It is unforgivable that the previous government let the housing crisis fester for so long. Having a secure roof over your head is a game-changer for families – I completely understand that.
‘I would say two things.
‘Firstly – we have a Renters’ Rights Bill going through Parliament that will fundamentally reform the private rented sector. This will give tenants protections against eviction, new powers to stop unreasonable rent hikes and we are regulating to make rental homes warmer and cheaper to heat.
‘Secondly – we are going to build 1.5 million new homes. It’s absolutely central to my Plan for Change. Within that target, we will deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation. And we have restored mandatory housing targets to make sure affordable homes are built in areas that really need them.’
Do you plan to review the legislation about the renewal of leaseholders’ rights after the end of the leasehold period? Will it become cheaper for leaseholders to renew the leasehold period?
PANOS, BRIGHTON
‘Yes. We will give homeowners greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes.
‘We are removing the two-year ownership rule for leaseholders. And we are beefing up powers so that leaseholders can take control of their buildings more easily and cheaply. This will help them to tackle spiralling charges and unacceptable poor service.
‘We are also introducing a new right to a 990-year lease extension for leaseholders of both houses and flats. And we will make extending a lease cheaper for leaseholders by requiring each side to pay their own process costs, such as valuation and solicitor’s fees.’
You claim to be helping first time buyers, but at the same time introduce moves that harm us. Why did you lower the first-time buyer stamp duty threshold from £425k to £300k? This only makes it even harder to get on the property ladder, just as you claimed you wanted to help us buy our first home. As a result, I am 30 and I am stuck paying expensive rent, making it impossible to save. People who already have multiple properties are now buying more, while many of us are finding it harder even to buy one. Why can you not increase the stamp duty for those who already have many homes instead?
ALEX BARMPAS, LONDON
‘We inherited an unacceptable situation in the public finances from the previous government. And the state of public services was beyond belief.
‘The housing crisis is so acute precisely because Liz Truss thought she could introduce a raft of policies without properly funding them. That is what we inherited – and if we had not taken tough decisions, then the housing situation would have been a lot worse.
‘Now, I understand the frustration that you and many others in your position feel. You work hard and you make sacrifices because your first home represents not just a proud milestone, but a foundation to build on.
‘But because of our ambitious agenda on housebuilding and planning I am confident we will make it easier for people to own their own home. Indeed, our figures suggest we are already on track for 130,000 extra transactions over the next five years from first-time buyers.
‘And we are launching a new, permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme that will open the door to homeownership for more young people.’
Many tenants and homeowners across London suffer from poor quality new-builds with damp and mould, drafts, and a failure to adhere to fire safety standards. How will you ensure that Labour’s removal of so-called red tape doesn’t make this situation event worse, leaving people trapped in substandard ‘affordable’ homes?
SARAH CHANEY, CHINGFORD
‘I don’t take an ideological view on regulation. Sometimes we need red tape. Often, we don’t.
‘At the moment, we are trying to remove barriers to building, because people across the country – and certainly in London – need good quality, affordable homes.
‘But won’t compromise on housing quality or safety – absolutely not. Homes must be built to the highest standard, they should be well-designed and sustainable. And we are working with the construction industry to build up the skills base to do that.’
We desperately need social housing for families who have been displaced from their communities or placed into temporary accommodation. What do you intend to do about this? Do you have plans to build social housing?
SUE HIGGINS, WALTHAMSTOW
‘As well as building 1.5 million homes, we have committed to the largest wave of social and affordable housing in a generation. We’ve already taken action to help councils scale up delivery of new social homes. We have invested £450 million in helping councils create homes for families at risk of homelessness. We have boosted funding to the Affordable Homes Programme by £800 million. And we have increased incentives for councils to build more social housing by allowing them to keep 100% of the receipts from right to buy schemes. And we have changed the rules allocating social homes to prioritise veterans of our Armed Forces, with further changes to prioritise survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers to come.
‘But we will do more. Our plan to build 1.5 million homes is ambitious and a crucial part of my Plan for Change. Social and affordable housing have a massive role to play within that.’
In the UK, non-UK residents can purchase property without legal restrictions, meaning anyone can buy property regardless of their nationality or residency status. I understand builders sell a portion of all new properties to foreign investors, a number of whom do not live in the UK, before they go on the market in the UK. This keeps property prices high due to reduced supply available. Would the Prime Minister consider changing the law, so that only UK nationals, living in the UK, can purchase property here?
MRS MONTEITH, RUISLIP
‘This is something we’re working on in detail – it’s not right and it’s something we must address. First time buyers must be given the chance to get on the housing ladder and we must clamp down on those who use properties as an investment rather than somewhere to live.
‘As a first step, we’ve put up stamp duty for people buying properties that are not their primary residence – the Chancellor announced she is increasing the Higher Rate of stamp duty on Additional Dwellings from 3% to 5%. In addition to this, overseas buyers also pay a 2% stamp duty surcharge.
‘Our plan to build 1.5 million new homes will mean that working people and families can make the dream of homeownership a reality.’
As a 14 year old, I am worried about how expensive it is to buy a house today compared to earlier years. Could you please assure me and my generation with facts and figures that we can indeed buy a good quality house in the future? In addition, wouldn’t fast-tracking infrastructure projects lead to poor results, such as RAAC or black mould?
DEVEN DALY, BIRMINGHAM
‘Deven – you are right to be worried. The housing crisis is serious. I grew up working class and I know the value of a having a secure roof over my head. The fact that future generations may not have that security is exactly why we are acting.
‘As I already said – I am not ideological about regulation. Some regulation is vital – for exactly the reasons you say. Other regulation, particularly in the planning system, has created the housing crisis. But we can do both. We can make sure that infrastructure is cheaper, more efficiently built and delivers for working people. We can build the homes your generation needs. But we don’t have to compromise on safety or housing quality.
‘This Parliament we will build 1.5 million homes. It’s ambitious. But it’s a crucial part of my Plan for Change and I am determined to do it.’
Will the mortgage guarantee scheme leave people, like myself, with smaller deposits in debt to both their mortgages and loan companies? Wouldn’t it be better to offer a practical way for first-time buyers, a genuinely accessible way onto the lucrative housing market?
NICK VOADEN
‘A mortgage guarantee scheme will help tackle one of the key obstacles for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder.
‘By making the scheme permanent, we can help sustain the long-term availability of high loan-to-value mortgages, giving lenders the confidence to offer these products which are critical to helping those who would otherwise struggle to save for a larger deposit.
‘Of course, ultimately, lenders and borrowers are responsible for their commercial and borrowing decisions, as with any other mortgage.’
Why are you suggesting building new towns when there are so many empty flats in London?
JENNY THOMAS, NORTH-WEST LONDON
‘Across the country there is a housing crisis – I think that’s pretty clear. One of the privileges of my job is that I get to visit every corner of our country and people are constantly asking me what we can do to build more affordable housing.
‘New towns are part of the solution. People often say to me – we don’t mind housebuilding, but we worry about there not being enough infrastructure for the homes. New Towns are a tried and tested way of making sure that isn’t the case.
‘You raise a good point about empty flats, however. We are absolutely encouraging councils to use the tools available to them on that issue. For example, they can charge additional council tax on vacant properties.’
What is the point of say, building more homes in gridlocked areas like East Sussex, where local authorities like East Sussex County Council continue to do things like indirectly block reopening a vital seven-mile railway line between Uckfield and Lewes (one they themselves contributed to its closure in 1969 for the sake of a failed road scheme which cut through its embankment)?
JOHN ASHDOWN, ST HELIER
‘This is a national challenge, and we need homes everywhere. But you are right to say that the infrastructure needs to be in place. I have been very clear on infrastructure – this Government is on the side of the builders, not the blockers. Our new Planning and Infrastructure Bill will make sure that we build both in a joined-up way.’
The long-standing approach to delivering affordable housing is developers including it in their private schemes. However, developers can submit financial viability reports with planning applications to justify providing no or low levels of affordable housing in their schemes. Members of the public cannot reduce their annual income tax. Why should the provision of affordable housing by developers be negotiable? Do you agree that to get planning permission developers must provide affordable housing without negotiation?
ADAM HUSSAIN, PECKHAM (London borough planning officer)
‘Thanks for your question, Adam. As a planning officer in London, you’ll know better than most that we’ve not only got a crisis in housebuilding, with targets missed year after year, but a second crisis with not enough affordable houses being built. For many, the dream of homeownership has felt entirely distant.
‘We must deliver the affordable homes that communities, including those in urban areas like Peckham, need. That’s why we’re going to strengthen the existing system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide the right balance of affordable homes and the infrastructure that makes a community work.
‘Later this year, we’ll also update viability planning practice guidance – meaning we will only allow negotiations on those critical affordable homes where genuinely necessary.
‘And because every community needs affordable homes – whether in our cities or across the country – when it comes to any major development involving new homes in the green belt, we’re clear they must be subject to our ‘Golden Rules’. That means no site-specific viability can take place to reduce development contributions, including affordable housing.’
Why does the government want to build new towns to solve the housing crisis when, because of Covid, there are literally hundreds and possibly thousands of disused office blocks in towns and cities all over Britain?
CARLOS, LANCASHIRE
‘I don’t see it as an either/or situation – we need to make sure empty homes are used as well as build new towns to meet the scale of the housing crisis.
‘That’s why we are making sure councils have the tools they need to make sure disused property is used well. That includes rights which make it possible to use commercial buildings for residential use.
‘Councils can also charge additional council tax on vacant properties, and have powers to take over the management of long-term empty homes.
‘We will use every tool at our disposal to tackle the housing crisis and make sure people have good, affordable housing.’
Why do you in the media and him not address the elephant in the room? If immigration was controlled properly and illegal immigrants were repatriated to their own countries, then clearly far fewer homes would need to be built on our countryside and other land.
M PANTLIN
‘We absolutely recognise that migration puts additional pressure on housing demand. The last government’s open borders experiment has left us a huge challenge in that regard.
‘We have a two-pronged approach to this – first, we’re committed to cutting net migration. We’re cracking down on illegal migration, as well as making sure we our domestic workforce has the skills to meet our labour market.
‘The second part of this is to build more homes. That’s why we’ve overhauled the planning system, supporting us in delivering our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million homes this Parliament.”
‘These are both in addition to our commitment to build the largest wave of social and affordable housing in a generation – while also changing the rules to mean social home allocations prioritise veterans of our Armed Forces, and further changes to prioritise survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers.’
Please help first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder by making mortgage lenders accept proof of previous rental payment over a number of years as qualification for a mortgage. I have relatives who have been paying much more in rent for years than a mortgage would cost, yet they can’t get one!
PAULINE GAUNT
‘I totally understand your frustration, Pauline. We’re demanding that mortgage rules be relaxed so they no longer block first-time buyers.
‘But we are also going further. We will step in, and back buyers ourselves, through a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme that will mean lenders will loan to people with smaller deposits.
‘This will benefit first-time buyers who find it difficult to save as much because they are paying rent each month.’
As much as I want my own home and as much as I am working for it every single day, putting away pennies that I need to spend today in the hope for a better tomorrow, on the endless hamster wheel, I don’t want it to come at the expense of the environment. I don’t want it to come about in a violent way, i.e. police and private bailiffs taking people away from their land and their homes and the environments they protect. You can’t abandon all your ethics just to brag and say ‘look how many homes I’ve built’. Surely you need to strike a balance? How about taking a hard stance on landlords who put their rent up and up every time they feel like taking a deep breath. Why don’t you cap the rent, Sir Keir?
MAYA JAGGER
‘I think we can build the houses and infrastructure we need and protect the environment at the same time. For example, better roads reduce congestion. Improving public transport is good for the planet. And developing clean energy alternatives will reduce our long-term dependence on fossil fuels. Both are absolutely vital.
‘So new developments will not come at the expense of the environment or wildlife. We will always look to use brownfield sites first, but we know brownfield alone won’t solve the housing crisis we have inherited. That’s why councils who cannot meet their new housing targets will have to review their green belt land and prioritise development on grey belt land such as disused petrol stations and car parks.
‘On your point about rent, our Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes. We are taking action to cap advance payments to one month’s rent, end unfair bidding wars and ban no fault evictions so tenants can have greater security and stability in their homes.’
I would like to ask the Prime Minister why his Government continues to promote building 1.5 million new homes when from day one it was a totally unrealistic target. I can categorically guarantee this figure will not be met.
STEPHEN GOODERSON (Planning consultant)
‘I won’t pretend this isn’t an ambitious target. That’s precisely why we’re aiming for it. The housing crisis is too severe for us to set easy targets we know we can deliver so we can boast about how well we’re doing.
‘The entire point of this target is to throw down a gauntlet and show Whitehall, councils, builders and developers that we are serious about getting Britain building at huge scale.
‘So we will slash through red tape to build 1.5 million high quality and well-designed homes across Britain. We’ve made it mandatory for local areas to plan and build the homes people need.
‘And our plan to get Britain building is already having an impact. In the past seven months alone, we’ve unblocked 20,000 homes that got stuck in the system under the previous government.
‘We’re fast-tracking decisions for more than 150 major infrastructure projects to be signed off this parliament. That’s more than were decided in last 14 years under the Tories combined.
‘Industry analysis suggests planning applications are expected to rise by almost 160% because businesses recognise this government is serious about getting Britain building. And we’re targeting the best places in the country to deliver the next generation of New Towns, with more than 100 proposals received from across the country.’
Labour has no target for new council housing for those in most housing need. Will the government change course, and set a target of 50% council housing in new developments?
PAUL BURNHAM, HARINGEY
‘We are already taking decisive action to protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing. This is part of our commitment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and that’s why we have already taken decisive action to better protect and reverse the decline in much-needed council housing.
‘Our next generation of New Towns will have target rates of 40% affordable housing with a focus on genuinely affordable social rented homes. A new five-year social housing rent settlement which will give the sector greater certainty on funding and allow them to invest in new social and affordable housing.
‘Maximum Right to Buy discounts are reduced. Councils can now retain all of the receipts from sales, so they can protect their housing stock as well as scale up delivery to meet future housing need.’
What is the government doing to protect London’s existing leaseholders from being pushed into poverty through excessive charges? The recent case of Greenwich Council forcing leaseholders into £25k of debt for unwarranted roof replacement work at vastly inflated prices, as well as hitting them with massive building insurance bills last year.
N ROTA, LONDON
‘Far too many leaseholders across the country are being asked to pay unreasonable and extortionate charges. By law, service charges must be reasonable and where costs relate to works or services this must be of a reasonable standard.
‘But we need to do more to protect leaseholders. So we will bring the feudal leasehold system to an end in this Parliament. We will also consult on plans to give leaseholders more transparency on the charges they pay as well as greater rights, powers and protections over their homes.’
Why are the government content to allow developers to land bank, thereby holding back building out the one million homes across this country which already have planning permission?
CAROL GOATHAM
‘This government has been very clear that once housebuilders have been granted planning permission, we expect them to build as quickly as possible so we can deliver the homes that people desperately need.
‘We have already set out a major overhaul of the national planning policy framework to get Britain building again. Our New Homes Accelerator has already unlocked 20,000 new homes that got stuck under the previous government.
‘This government inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory, which is why we are taking urgent action to overhaul the planning system and deliver 1.5 million new homes as part of our Plan for Change.’
Could you please ask the PM to seriously look into building homes for the 21st century in volume numbers. How? Specifically ‘Huf-Haus’ style homes, a German concept which has homes rolling out of production lines, prefabricated but high quality. Essentially using mass production inside and out of the weather!
LESLEY FREITAG, HERTFORDSHIRE
‘It’s absolutely essential that we build more homes at high volume, but that are also high-quality, well-designed and sustainable.
‘I’m delighted that we’ve had more than 100 proposals for across the country to build the next generation of New Towns. These will be led by local communities, and local people will be able to shape what design is important to them – whether that’s modern architecture our Georgian homes.
‘We’ll make sure they are affordable and well connected. They’ll have the infrastructure communities need, and good access to green space and nature. I know they’ll be places where people feel proud to live, raise a family, and put down roots.’
Even if many more homes are available, how will you give better protection to young people trying to buy? I put an offer in on a flat that was accepted, then paid for searches and solicitors. When I was then gazumped by a landlord buyer who planned to divide up the property and rent it out, I lost £2,000 – and the other properties I could have bid on. In other countries there are fines for buyers or sellers that pull out and other protections in place. What plans do you have to protect buyers and better regulate the property industry?
BEN A, ACTON
‘It is unacceptable that there’s so many barriers to getting on the housing ladder. Not only are people forced to put up with the highest house prices in living memory – but there’s also issues with the buying and selling process.
‘Just last week we announced plans to digitise the house-buying process, making it quicker and easier for everyone to buy homes – speeding up the process and reducing the rate of fall throughs.
‘This will actively even the playing field between professional landlords and families and young people trying to get on the housing ladder.
‘On top of this, we’re pushing for mortgage rules to be relaxed – backing the regulator to change the rules – so they no longer block first time buyers.’
Where do you anticipate sourcing the skilled trades people needed to carry out the work? Do you have specific plans to ensure enough workers are trained in time?
JAY ALVA
‘It’s true we have a skills shortage at the moment. We need to create the construction workforce required to deliver the homes the country needs. That’s why we’re working with industry to provide high-quality training opportunities and build a diverse workforce that is fit for the future.
‘We’ve already taken action, with £140m of industry investment for 5,000 more construction apprenticeships per year. That will join 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs across the country which will deliver fast-track training to local areas that need more housing.
‘And just last week DfE [Department for Education] announced up to 10,000 more apprentices will be able to qualify per year as the government cuts red tape to boost economic growth.
‘Every time I meet young apprentices across the country I’m struck by how keen they are to play their part in building Britain’s future. We’ll make sure they have that opportunity, with good, well-paid jobs and affordable housing to boot.’
QUESTIONS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
Do you have any ideas for what new towns will be called and how you’ll decide on the names?
‘One journalist asked me if we would call them ‘Starmervilles’ – you’ll be pleased to know that won’t happen! It would be great to hear Metro readers suggestions while we wait for the New Towns Taskforce to recommend potential locations later this year.’
Labour’s dismal house building record when they were in charge of Scotland, despite promises, suggest this is isn’t going to happen! How can you ensure it will?
‘We have been clear these are ambitious targets – which is vital given we have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory.
‘As part of our efforts to get Britain building again, we have overhauled the broken planning system by updating the NPPF to restore mandatory housing targets for councils.
‘We’re already taking action to deliver on our ambitious targets by establishing a programme to unblock homes stuck in the planning process, setting up a new taskforce to drive forward the next generation of new towns, and providing millions of pounds in funding to unlock brownfield land.’
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