‘Great stories begin in social homes. But we’re living in a housing emergency, and we need to build more. Now.’

In England alone, 1.3 million households are stuck on waiting lists for housing. 145,800 children are growing up in temporary accommodation. During the last decade, 19,000 social rent homes have been lost every year. 90,000 social homes need to be built every year for the next ten years to end the housing emergency.

These alarming statistics are provided by the housing and homelessness charity Shelter. The research, carried out by Shelter and the National Housing Federation, found that the building of 90,000 social homes a year would pay for itself within three years, add over £50bn to the economy over 30 years, and support 140k direct jobs in the first year.

In the run-up to the general election, the charity has launched a Vote for Home campaign. Over 35,000 people have already put their signature to a letter calling on political leaders to fix the country’s housing crisis by building new social homes.

It urges Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Ed Davey, Carla Denya, and Adrian Ramsey to build social homes and “create a fairer renting system that will end the housing emergency.”

The letter notes how none of the leaders have promised to prioritise fixing the housing emergency.  

“Successive governments have failed to address England’s housing emergency. Not enough social homes have been built. People across the country have been pushed into a dangerous private rented sector where over-priced housing continues to take a devastating toll on our physical and mental health. It’s no coincidence that homelessness continues to rise. This is England’s housing emergency and it’s getting worse,” states the charity.

In creating a fairer renting system, by ensuring benefits are covered by rent, we can “build happier and healthier communities across England,” the letter concludes.

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