Jeremy Corbyn announces plans to give councils the power to build homes needed to reverse the current housing crisis

Jeremy Corbyn has announced plans to give councils the power to build homes needed to reverse the current housing crisis.

The Labour leadership candidate has published his plans to address Britain’s housing crisis, as part of his Vision for Britain 2020. This includes what his team are calling a “a radical rebooting of home construction”, which would give councils the power to be house builders and providers to meet the demand for affordable housing. This would mean there would be a minimum of 240,000 build every year.

Coryn has explained that under his stewardship, Labour would “promote major council-funded, desirable energy efficient building projects to provide our young people with a good start in life, to stop paying exorbitant rents and the opportunity of a home they can at least call their own.” 

Ken Loach, film maker who directed Spirit of ’45, has endorsed these plans, saying  ‘Jeremy Corbyn, true to the best traditions of Labour, has a realistic plan to build new homes. Councils should have the power to plan and build good houses, environmentally sound, with proper infrastructure.  Labour had the best Housing Minister ever in Nye Bevan. It’s time for another with the same vision.’

The Islington North MP notes that this makes “economic sense” because he says for every £1 spent on housing construction an extra £2.09 is generated in the economy. “It has become clear that when housing provision is left purely to market forces most of our young people simply cannot afford to get a foot on the rung of the market’s so called housing ladder”, he says.

Corbyn would also stick by Labour’s promise to scrap the bedroom tax – and he would also get rid of the benefit cap.  His plans include lower regulated rents and better housing conditions in the private sector and ensuring that private rents linked to local average earnings levels .