3 million new social homes needed over 20 years

A commitment to increasing social house-building could have significant effects on both the demand and supply-side of the economy. Housing affordability is one of the defining issues of the age. Ministers are being urged to back a huge UK social housebuilding programme. Investment in housing infrastructure is an important alternative to interventions such as rent controls which have also been suggested to address chronic problems of housing affordability which impact the geographical mobility of labour.

See also: What is affordable housing (UK Parliament research briefing)