Housing is back at the top of the political agenda – so what next?

Labour conference included a plethora of policies ready-made for doorstep conversations. Like many activists with policies fresh in their mind from conference, I managed to try a few out on the doorstep over the last few weeks.  As always in a ward like mine, it was housing matters that were at the forefront of people’s minds when I began my weekly patter of asking whether there were “any local issues or concerns: problems with which I might be able to help you?”. The announcements in Brighton had me well placed to respond. More than that, they gave me the necessary confidence that Labour is moving in the right direction on housing matters.

The headline figure of 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 is obviously to be welcomed and eclipses last year’s conference announcement of 100,000 new affordable homes. However the numbers might meet with scepticism unless there are changes to the financial and regulatory systems that hold building back – here there is further good news helpfully highlighted by the outrage of the Tory press.

A future Labour government will make available new land for new garden cities and through giving urban areas a ‘right to grow’. In many cities and towns, as here in Oxford, housing shortages cannot be met through the development of brownfield sites and infill alone, nor should they be artificially constrained by decades-old local authority boundaries or greenbelt designations. With regards to greenbelt, what we instead need are quality green spaces where people live, throughout our communities – yet precisely these are under threat if the option of urban expansion remains closed off.

Labour need to remain resolute on this policy as it will meet with stiff opposition from, amongst others, the CPRE and NIMBY rural local authorities. Here in Oxford we find plans to build beyond our boundaries into greenbelt land owned by the City Council blocked by neighbouring South Oxfordshire District Council – the planning authority, who are not required to do much under the government’s ‘duty to co-operate’. Currently the area in question is home to low quality agricultural land and a sewage works, just the sort of land that needs developing to meet housing need, especially across the south of the country.

The screams of Marxism from some in the press about the “use it or lose it” policy seem to miss a few elements. Rather than a government land grab, the onus remains on land developers to choose to develop their land banks. Local authorities who have taken tough political decisions to give planning permission for new housing development should see those much needed houses in production, not the land held onto speculatively with its now increased value. Councils have powers to bring empty homes back into use through compulsory purchase: is it such a dramatic extension for them to have powers to ensure undeveloped land with planning permission for residential development is used for that purpose?

If I had one criticism I think we are still being too timid with regards to issues in the private rented sector. Improving and enforcing quality standards as pioneered in Oxford and Newham councils should be welcomed, as should the increased security that comes from pushing for longer tenancies with index-linked rent rises. However, the language used seems to miss the fact that rarely does private renting represent a tenure of choice: tenants neither able to afford the deposit to buy or meet tight criteria for scarce social housing. Without stronger measures to tackle affordability, as well as quality within this sector or leveling the playing field between first time buyers and buy to let landlords, we will continue to see housing wealth concentrated in fewer and fewer hands.

With Emma Reynolds now taking over the housing brief from Jack Dromey, she will find Jack has set us on a very clear and right path on housing matters, I know I speak for many here in Oxford when I say we are grateful for what he has done.  The challenge for Emma and her team is not to shy away from the new build numbers and the political challenges they create, but at the same time to put human stories to Britain’s housing need as the Tories did successfully in an email on their foolish ‘help to buy’ policy last week.

Housing matters are built upon the political centre ground. The aspirant voters that voted for New Labour in 1997 now see their children struggling to find the housing that is right for them. All the Conservatives have thus far offered is a policy designed to stoke demand and create another housing bubble, whilst overseeing the lowest amount of house building since the 1920’s. Miliband was right to have used this conference to place housing at the top of the political agenda, it is central to the cost of living crisis and he would do well to continue to challenge the Conservatives on these issues into the next election.