We know what is needed to reform housing, we need a government bold enough to commit to it

This next election is an opportunity for the next government to be ambitious and make the change that is needed. This means committing to a plan for housing that is based on strategic, long-term thinking, has proper investment behind it and measures success by the outcomes achieved for people in housing need. It goes without saying that at the heart of any plan must be a target to drastically increase social housing.

“For too long, our governments have focused on short-termist policy decisions around housing and failed to invest where needed over the long term”

Over the years, the NHF has commissioned countless research reports to understand the true state of England’s housing crisis and each time the picture becomes bleaker. There are currently 4.2 million people in need of social housing in England. This equates to 1.5 million families and 300,000 more than are recorded on housing waiting lists. Not being able to access a social home means many of these families are forced to pay expensive private rents, pushing them into poverty and debt; around half of the children living in private rented homes are in poverty.

Overcrowding is another terrible consequence of the shortage of social housing. Today, one in every six children in England is living in an overcrowded home, and of these children, more than 310,000 are forced to share beds with their parents and siblings. In the worst cases, families are becoming homeless. The latest government figures show that the number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation is at 130,000, the highest level ever recorded.

We know how many homes we need to meet demand. According to research we commissioned with Crisis, we need to build 340,000 new homes each year for at least the next decade and 90,000 must be for social rent. But it’s not just about numbers. We need a housing plan that is nationally co-ordinated, assessing local need in every part of the country, so we can build the right types of homes in the right places, alongside the necessary infrastructure and transport. We must plan to build in both urban and rural areas, prioritising building on brownfield land, of course, but recognising that we will also need to build on some greenfield land.

Alongside new homes, a plan must include investment in existing homes as well. We have some of the oldest homes in Europe and many need significant work to make them decent and energy efficient. We also have homes which were not built to last and need to be knocked down and rebuilt. This can only happen with additional funding for regeneration and retrofit.

“The latest government figures show that the number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation is at 130,000, the highest level ever recorded”

This is the ambition that is needed to solve the housing crisis we face, but it should be a no-brainer for the next government. The consequences of not acting are not only unthinkable for those most in need, as rents and mortgage rates continue to rocket, they will also be dire in spending terms for the government. The New Economics Foundation found that over the next four years, the government is set to spend £58.2bn subsidising private landlords through housing benefit, more than five times the £11.5bn it spends on the Affordable Homes Programme.

As we head towards the next election, we call on all political parties to recognise, once and for all, the historic consequences of short-termist thinking on housing and urgently commit to the long-term plan for housing that we need.

Kate Henderson, chief executive, National Housing Federation