Social Housing

Baroness Grender Excerpts

Monday 24th May 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Greenhalgh (Con)]

My Lords, I have set out our programme, which is designed to increase the amount of social rented homes. I also point out that, over the last decade, the number of social homes has remained broadly static at around 4 million households.

[Baroness Grender (LD)]

Does the Minister accept that, if house prices rose by 2.1% in April—the highest monthly increase since 2004—making homes more affordable is simply not working? Those 4 million who are waiting for homes deserve a better answer. If this Government are all about levelling up, why are all the subsidies currently pushing up house prices? Would levelling up not be more achievable and better value if a greater subsidy were redirected into social housing?

[Lord Greenhalgh (Con)]

It is not all about demand-side subsidies. We have pointed out that the Government are committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing and are investing over £12 billion in the affordable housing programme over the next six years, which is the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade.