Labour announces plans to 'end the housing crisis': all you need to know

Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey addresses delegates at the Labour annual conference
Getty Images
Ella Wills24 September 2018
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Labour has pledged to “end the housing crisis” with a raft of measures including handing more power to private tenants and offering homeless people the chance of a first home.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey unveiled the plans at the party’s annual conference on Monday in his speech on Labour’s housing policy.

"The next Labour Government will be the most radical Government on housing for over half a century, and we will do whatever it takes to end this Tory housing crisis," he said.

It came as the Labour frontbencher called for urgent action on dealing with the Grenfell Tower tragedy, with Mr Healey accusing Theresa May of “dragging” her Government’s feet over the disaster.

Here’s all you need to know about Labour’s housing policy announced today.

Labour Party Conference 2018

1/22

Renter’s Unions

The Labour government would back new unions for renters and fund them in every part of the country, Mr Healey said.

He added this was “so renters who feel helpless in the face of this housing crisis can organise and defend their rights.”

These would control costs, improve conditions and increase security.

Mr Healey said renters' unions would provide support for the 11.5 million tenants in the private rental sector during disputes, as well as raising the profile of renters' issues.

Discussing the policy on Monday, shadow housing minister Melanie Onn said the unions are about “offering support and advice and giving those people the same voice as the landlords”.

Levy on holiday homes

Holiday home owners would face a new £560 million tax to tackle homelessness and address rising wealth inequality under the plans.

Mr Healey said Labour would “put a brake on the growing gap between Britain’s housing ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’”.

This would take the form of a new national crackdown on second homes used as holiday homes, he said, to give the "have-nots" the chance of owning a first home.

Under the plans, second properties in England used as holiday homes would be subject to an average tax bill of more than £3,200.

Homes at one third of local incomes

Labour has pledged to build one million “truly affordable” council and housing association homes.

Speaking at a fringe event at the conference, Ms Onn said Labour would offer homes at one third of local incomes for first time buyers.

Labour has pledged to provide affordable homes
PA Wire/PA Images

She said the party will “redefine the word affordable” in terms of housing.

“Affordable is not a £350,000 home,” she said. “It’s not eight times our salary.”

Official estimates published earlier this year showed workers in England and Wales spend almost eight times their annual income to buy a house.

Action on Grenfell

Labour “will not rest” until all those who need a new home after Grenfell have it, Mr Healey said.

The party discussed an emergency motion on the Grenfell Tower disaster at conference today, moved by Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack.

It followed reports last week in The Guardian that residents from the Grenfell Tower area are being told to return to their former homes or lose their council tenancies.

Mr Healey attacked the Prime Minister's response in the 15 months since the fire, and suggested she would have acted quicker had it been her own home.

The Labour frontbencher also questioned why nearly half the Grenfell survivors still have not got permanent new homes, why more than 400 tower blocks are "still cloaked in lethal Grenfell-style cladding" and why there was still no ban on combustible cladding.

He told the Grenfell community: “We will not rest until all those who need help and a new home have it.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in