Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.
Andy Burnham Outlines Housing Policy Vision in Podcast Interview
Andy Burnham has outlined his views on Labour’s housing policy as he seeks to become the UK’s next Prime Minister. In an in-depth interview on the Social Housing Podcast with Gary Haynes of Voicescape, Burnham discussed topics including rogue landlords, Right to Buy, and the future direction of the party’s housing policy.
Burnham stated that Britain’s housing crisis will persist unless governments stop treating homes primarily as commodities and instead adopt a “Housing First” approach. He emphasised the need for a philosophy centred on social housing, local delivery, and stronger tenant protections, noting that such an approach has not been seen in the UK since the post-war years.
He claimed that more progress had been made on housing policy in the past five years than in the previous “20 or 30 years”, referencing the Renters’ Rights Act and the government’s £39 billion affordable housing settlement. However, Burnham argued that ministers should go further by prioritising social housing above all other forms of housing investment, stating his preference for all investment to be devoted to social housing.
Burnham criticised what he described as decades of policy failure since the 1980s, attributing the current housing crisis to the treatment of housing as a commodity. He also called for changes to the operation of Homes England, advocating for less “scheme-by-scheme micromanagement” and more autonomy for regional authorities to deliver housing locally. Burnham suggested that city regions should receive broader investment backing and be assessed on overall delivery rather than individual schemes.
Additionally, Burnham expressed his ambition to build more social homes than are lost through Right to Buy, suggesting this could play a significant role in addressing Britain’s housing crisis.
Source: The Negotiator