Stories

Tue, 25 Aug 2026

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 More than 70,000 social and affordable homes to be built across England as part of £39bn plan

Funding has been granted to Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire as well as £6bn for London.

*Homes will be built in Greater Manchester, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, North East England, Liverpool, and London, with 60% for social rent
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*Government's £39bn social housebuilding programme aims to build 300,000 social and affordable homes across the nation over 10 years
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*Housing charities welcome announcement but say it is not enough to meet demand, while Conservatives call it an "unfunded spending commitment"
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*Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham says no child should be raised in a hostel room or wait 10 years for a home of their own
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*1.34 million households are on social housing waiting lists, with Natasha, a mother living in a hotel with her son, saying she wants "somewhere peaceful and calm to bring him up"
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*Ministers say new homes will be built by councils, but no figure has been given for how many will be delivered by 2039, sparking criticism from the Conservatives
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