Affordable housing under spotlight in Lords debate

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On Thursday 25 April, members debated the supply of genuinely affordable housing, its impact on the economy, and the steps needed to increase supply, particularly for key workers and those on lower incomes.

Debate

Viscount Chandos (Labour), director of Capital and Regional Properties Plc, put forward the debate.

This was a general debate. During debates, members put their experience to good use to discuss current issues and draw the government's attention to concerns.

Members speaking

Contributing members included:

Lord Best (Crossbench), former chair of Hanover Housing Association
Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat), former chairman of the National Housing Federation
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour), former leader of Stevenage Borough Council.

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (Plaid Cymru), made her maiden speech in the House of Lords during this date.

Opening the debate, Viscount Chandos said:

'In 1955, a dozen eggs cost a little under six shillings…or 28 pence in this newfangled decimal currency. If the price of eggs had increased in the subsequent 50 years or so at the same level as the price of housing land, the price of a dozen eggs today would have risen to £91.'

Lord Best added:

'The UK has not been building new homes at an equivalent rate to other European nations. If we had achieved the average new-build output for all members of the European Union, the Centre for Cities estimates that we would have an additional 4.3 million homes nationwide. When there is an overall shortage, it is, of course, those on the lowest incomes who are hardest hit.'

Baroness Swinburne (Conservative), Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, responded on behalf of the government:

'Affordable homes that the average working family can comfortably live in is the ambition that underpins the £11.5 billion affordable homes programme, launched in 2020. This represents a significant investment in affordable housing by the government, and a clear commitment to deliver tens of thousands of affordable homes, for both sale and rent, throughout the country.'

Catch up

Watch the Parliament TV recording.
Read the Lords Hansard transcript.

Explore background information  

Find out more about the issues the debate covers in the House of Lords Library briefing. 
Learn more about how the House of Lords checks and challenges government.

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