The Labour party came into office promising 300,000 homes a year in England and 1.5 million over the parliament - but completions have been drifting the wrong way. For a government focused on growth and improving living standards, housing reform represents one of the biggest opportunities to deliver both. 

There are several ways to improve our housing situation. We can make changes to the planning system, incentivising councils to allow, rather than oppose development. Building more homes is also about far more than meeting housing demand. By making it easier to build in and around the UK’s most productive places, the government can enable more people to live where opportunities are greatest, boost innovation and productivity and generate billions of pounds in additional GDP and tax revenues. 

These policy options set out practical reforms to unlock significantly more housing where it is needed most, helping to tackle the housing crisis while supporting stronger long-term economic growth.