Ahead of the Budget tomorrow, Labour has revealed that no new
‘starter homes’ have been built in three years, despite the
Conservatives’ promise to build 200,000 of them.
‘Starter homes’ are a flagship Conservative commitment to
first-time buyers, first announced in December 2014. In the
Conservatives’ 2015 manifesto, they promised to build 200,000
starter homes but none have so far been built.
In addition to the lack of progress on building starter homes,
analysis from Labour shows that the number of new low-cost homes
to buy has halved since 2010. There are now 58,000 fewer
affordable homes for first-time buyers than if building levels
had continued at the level left by Labour.
Labour is challenging the Chancellor to use tomorrow’s Budget to
reverse this abysmal record on house-building and to ensure that
promised homes are actually built.
MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary
of State for Housing, said:
“If hot air built homes, Conservative Ministers would have fixed
our housing crisis. Three years after they pledged a big new
programme of ‘starter homes’ for first-time buyers, not a single
one has been built.
“Meanwhile, the number of home-owners under 45 has fallen by
904,000 since 2010 and the number of low-cost homes to buy has
halved.
“The Chancellor must use the Budget to reverse this abysmal
record and ensure that the homes they pledge are actually built.
No more broken promises.
“The next Labour government will build 100,000 genuinely
affordable homes to rent and buy a year, and help first-time
buyers with first-dibs on new homes for local people, a new
generation of discounted FirstBuy Homes, and a cut in stamp duty
on their first home.”
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