We are calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, to commit to long-term funding for affordable housing in the upcoming Spending Review.
This includes the need for bold, long-term reforms rather than short-term fixes to tackle the housing crisis which has left more than 85,000 people on housing waiting lists across West Yorkshire.
The Spending Review will set out the Government’s spending priorities for the next three years. And as part of the development process, we’ve supported a joint submission to the Treasury’s open portal calling for representations to stakeholders on what should be considered.
Our joint submission marks the first time that seven housing partnerships in devolved regions across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, alongside Homes for the South West, have come together in a united call for action.
Together, members of these groups own and manage 1.7 million homes.
Our broader policy asks
The submission sets out how long-term certainty of funding is the only way the social housing sector can build at the scale needed to support the Government in achieving its 1.5 million homes target.
The reclassification of housing investment as infrastructure spend would deliver this long-term certainty by putting an end to stop-start funding cycles which have stifled housebuilding and economic growth for decades. As well as building new homes, we are calling for the renewal of existing towns to breathe life back into communities, create jobs and support local economic growth.
We have also proposed two clear funding pots to simplify and accelerate housing investment – one for new housebuilding and another for improving existing homes. Commenting on the submission, our chair Rachael Dennis said:
“Right now, thousands of people across our region are without a safe, secure, and affordable home. At the same time, a lack of long-term investment is stalling housebuilding and holding back economic growth.
“That’s why we’ve made this joint submission ahead of the Spending Review, setting out the bold reforms our sector needs to tackle the housing crisis. We urgently need the Government to prioritise long-term funding for affordable homes so that every family across West Yorkshire has the foundations for happy, healthy lives.”
The housing crisis in focus
Our submission comes at a crucial time as the Government prepares to set out its spending priorities for the coming years. It also comes as over 1,100 households across West Yorkshire are in temporary accommodation, whilst a third of families in the region are living in fuel poverty.
With housing demand soaring, costs rising, and the climate crisis requiring urgent action, we are urging ministers to seize this opportunity and work with the sector to build a housing strategy that delivers for people and communities, as well as the economy.
Read the Spending Review submission in full here.