Building Blocks: The Drive to Build More Homes

The country faces a housing crisis, with too few homes being built to meet the needs of a growing population. The government has set an ambitious target to build a million and a half new homes, but the reality on the ground tells a more challenging story, one of a construction sector grappling with significant barriers, with real consequences for the North East.

An Ambitious Target.

The government has committed to building a million and a half new homes over the course of this parliament, a hugely ambitious target intended to tackle the country's chronic shortage of housing. The aim is to make homes more affordable and available, and to support economic growth through the construction they require.

Meeting such a target would require a dramatic increase in the pace of housebuilding, well above recent levels. It represents a bold statement of intent on one of the country's most pressing problems.

Falling Short.

The reality, however, is that housebuilding has been falling well short of what the target requires. The number of new homes being built has been below recent peaks and far below the rate needed to hit the target, with forecasts suggesting it will fall significantly short.

After a period of decline, there are some signs that housebuilding may be stabilising, but the gap between the target and the likely reality remains wide. Closing it would require an unprecedented and sustained increase in the pace of building.

The Barriers to Building.

A number of barriers stand in the way of building more homes. The planning system has long been a bottleneck, with the number of new homes being granted permission at low levels, limiting the pipeline of homes that can be built.

Alongside planning, the sector faces shortages of skilled labour, a challenge linked to the wider skills gap, as well as the costs of building and questions about the level of demand from buyers. These barriers combine to constrain the pace of housebuilding.

The Skills Connection.

The shortage of skilled construction workers is a particular concern, and one closely linked to the wider challenge of skills and apprenticeships. Building more homes requires more skilled tradespeople, from bricklayers and carpenters to electricians and plumbers, in trades where there are already significant shortages.

Without enough skilled workers, the ambition to build more homes will be difficult to realise. This connects the housing challenge directly to the need to train more people in the construction trades.

The Affordable Housing Challenge.

A particular concern is the building of affordable housing, which has been faltering even as the need for it grows. The number of affordable homes being started has fallen, raising concerns about the supply of homes for those who cannot afford to buy or rent at market rates.

For a region like the North East, with significant levels of housing need, the supply of affordable housing is especially important. Ensuring that enough affordable homes are built is a key part of tackling the housing crisis.

The Government's Response.

The government has set out a range of measures intended to boost housebuilding, including reforms to the planning system designed to speed up approvals, proposals for new towns, and new funding to support development. The aim is to remove the barriers that have held back building and to accelerate the delivery of new homes.

Whether these measures will be enough to meet the ambitious target remains to be seen. Tackling the deep-rooted barriers to building will require sustained effort over many years.

Why It Matters Here.

For the North East, the drive to build more homes matters greatly. The region needs more homes, including affordable ones, to meet the needs of its people and to support its economic growth, and the construction required would bring jobs and investment.

The region's house prices, while still the most affordable in the country, have been rising, underlining the need for more homes. Building the homes the region needs is an important part of its economic and social future.

Laying the Foundations.

The drive to build more homes, embodied in the government's ambitious target, faces significant barriers, from planning and skills shortages to costs and demand, with housebuilding falling well short of what is needed. For the North East, the supply of homes, including affordable ones, is an important issue.

Meeting the challenge will require tackling the deep-rooted barriers to building and training the skilled workers the sector needs. Laying the foundations for more homebuilding is essential, both for those in need of a home and for the wider economy that construction supports.

More Than Houses.

The drive to build more homes is about far more than bricks and mortar, for it touches on some of the most fundamental needs and aspirations of people and communities. A home is not just a building but the foundation of a person's life, a place of security, comfort and belonging, and the shortage of homes has profound consequences for people's lives and wellbeing.

For those unable to find an affordable home, whether to buy or to rent, the consequences can include overcrowding, insecurity, long commutes, and the postponement of life decisions such as starting a family. The housing shortage also has wider economic consequences, holding back growth by making it harder for people to move to where the jobs are, and by absorbing a growing share of household income in housing costs.

This is why building more homes matters so much, not just as an economic objective but as a social one, central to people's wellbeing and to the health of communities. At the same time, building more homes raises important questions about where and how they should be built, about the balance between development and the protection of the countryside, and about ensuring that new homes are accompanied by the infrastructure and services that communities need.

These are not easy questions, and they often generate strong feelings in the communities affected, making housebuilding one of the most contested areas of policy. Navigating these tensions, to build the homes that are needed in the right places and in the right way, is a significant challenge.

For the North East, as for the rest of the country, getting this right, building enough homes of the right kind in the right places, is central to meeting the needs and aspirations of its people. The drive to build more homes is, ultimately, about building the foundations of people's lives.

Have your say.

Housebuilding is falling well short of the government's target of 1.5 million homes, held back by planning, skills shortages and costs.

Does your area need more new homes, and what kind?