In an interview with the BBC, the housing secretary took on a more sombre tone about the target than when she last spoke about it
The 1.5m new homes target feels further away than ever, now that Angela Rayner, one of the original proponents of the target when Labour first came to power, has said the chances of hitting it are “slim.”
This new statement seems to reflect weaker confidence than the last time Rayner mentioned the target in July, when she said, “I’m going to keep the target, and I’m not going to be defeated.”
“Definitely not giving it up”
In this most recent interview with the BBC, Rayner blamed difficulties on “headwinds” caused by the Iran war and the consistent rise in construction costs, making it increasingly harder to meet the manifesto pledge.
She followed this with reassurance that she is “definitely not giving it up” and that the government is “making a difference” through its investments in social and affordable housing.
Public promises and honesty
She also reiterated that it is important to maintain the target, but that hitting it will be difficult and she must be “honest with the public.”
Since taking office, PM Andy Burnham has promised the “biggest council house building programme since the post-war period” with little detail to back it up so far.
Industry warnings about the target
In October last year, the Home Builders Federation sent a letter to the Office for Budget Responsibility, warning that urgent action will be needed to hit the 1.5m new homes target, otherwise it will be missed.
Furthermore, in April last year, Tim Foreman and Lawrence Turner, managing director of land and new homes at LRG and director at Boyer, respectively, wrote for PBC Today discussing how likely it is that the target would be reached.
They wrote: “The government now insists it will hit its 2029 housebuilding target ahead of the next election, and the (then) secretary of state Angela Rayner has made Labour’s position clear: there are “no excuses” for failing to deliver the 1.5m new homes promised in the manifesto.
“There are signs of optimism from within the industry, too. A recent survey by Shawbrook found that 3 out of 5 developers believe achieving the government’s 1.5m homes target will be “easy”. However, with just four years remaining, several challenges must be tackled for the sector to stay on track and meet the target.”
Read more of their thoughts at the time here.
