Opposition Day debate: Housing Policy

On publication of the Housing and Planning Bill, which is currently before Parliament, the Government said it would “kick-start” a national housebuilding crusade to get 1 million homes built by 2020″ and “transform generation rent into generation buy.”

The supply-side measures in the Bill are primarily focused on speeding up the planning system with the aim of delivering more housing. There is also a clear focus on home ownership, with measures to facilitate the building of Starter Homes; self/custom build housing; and the extension of the Right to Buy to housing association tenants following a voluntary agreement with the National Housing Federation (NHF). This focus on home ownership was further underscored by announcements in the Autumn Statement and Spending Review 2015.

There is a separate Library Briefing Paper on the Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16 (prepared for the debate on Second Reading). The Bill completed its Committee Stage in the Commons on 10 December 2015.