Nearly half Conservative voters support building social housing over homes for sale, poll reveals

According to the poll, when asked if the government should prioritise building social housing, homes for sale or homes for private rent, over half of British people said social housing (53%), compared with a fifth who said homes for sale (21%) and less than one in 10 who said homes for private rent (7%). 

The NHF said the results show a strong consensus among people of all ages, political affiliations and across all parts of the country, over a need to build social housing above other types of homes. 

People over 50, the demographic most likely to vote, were most in favour of prioritising social housing.

The survey also revealed that nearly two-thirds (64%) of voters thought housing issues in general had worsened since the last general election. 

The highest number of voters (70%) said the issues had become worse for people on low incomes of less than £20,000. This was true for voters from all three main parties. 

Three in five of those who had searched for a new home since the last general election said they struggled to find a home that was suitable for their needs and affordable. Women and young people aged 18 to 24 were the worst affected.

The NHF said build rates of social housing have been decreasing for decades due to funding cuts by successive governments. It added that the most severe decline has happened since 2010, when the government cut funding for affordable housing by 63% and cut all funding for new homes at social rents. 

Last year, 6,554 social homes were built in England – 81% fewer than in 2010.

Research commissioned by the NHF and Crisis found that 90,000 social rented homes need to be built every year to meet demand. 

The NHF criticised successive governments’ policies that prioritised increasing homeownership.

It said evidence suggested that some policies, such as Help to Buy and Right to Buy, have worsened the housing crisis. The organisation cited an LSE study that found that Help to Buy increased house prices rather than improving affordability. 

The NHF said that less than a quarter of the social homes purchased by tenants under the Right to Buy have been replaced, “intensifying the shortage and pushing up demand and prices in the private rented sector”.

It added: “These policy decisions have also had negative economic impacts, significantly increasing costs to the tax payer. 

“The housing benefit bill has doubled since the early 2000s to fund the cost of housing low-incomes families in private rented homes and spending on homelessness services and housing people in temporary accommodation has increased by a staggering 61% over the past five years.”   

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the NHF, said: “There is a clear consensus among voters from all parties and people across all ages and parts of the country, not only that we need to build more social housing, but that this should take precedent over building any other types of home.

“There is also indisputable evidence that housing policies over the past few decades, particularly those focused on homeownership, have widened inequality, increased government spending and made the housing crisis worse. 

“How can it be that we have a national strategy for space exploration, but no strategy for homes back here on earth? 

“With such strong public support for and proof of the need for more social housing, it’s time for politicians to catch up and make meaningful commitments that will solve the housing crisis and ensure everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home. 

“We urgently need a long-term plan aimed at drastically increasing the number of affordable and crucially social homes built over the next decade.”